Listen Now! High school football is back! Here's what to know about the 2022 season

Tim Walters, Treasure Coast Newspapers
·3 min read

I remember as a kid in grade school it was a big deal to go out to the local high school to watch a Friday night football game.

I grew up on Merritt Island, a small town on Central Florida’s East Coast.

Merritt Island High was a state power from the 1970s through the mid-90s, and they returned to a state title game in 2021 for the first time since the late-80s, which was the meat of my childhood.

When you’re 12, everything seems more significant. The players are huge. The band is loud. The fans are raucous. And the concession food seems extra delicious.

When I finally attended Merritt Island as a student from 1992-95, I did my best to attend as many football games as I could (when I wasn't slinging roast beef at my job, Arby's).

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Merritt Island High football practices on a recent afternoon.
Merritt Island High football practices on a recent afternoon.

Many of my friends were on the team, so going to games took on new meaning.

I can also recall covering my first game at Merritt Island as a journalist, some time around 2005.

It seemed surreal to go from that small kid watching a game 15 years earlier to being an adult covering it.

With high school football season about to start up again, I still get that excited feeling.

To help me break down everything you need to know about the 2022 high school football season, I welcome back Jon Santucci as the latest guest of “The *State* of Florida Sports Podcast, powered by the USA TODAY Network.

Jon, the recruiting reporter for the state of Florida, has been studying the state to learn about the most highly-sought after players, getting some to announce their college commitments with the USA TODAY Network along the way.

Jon will help explain the FHSAA's splitting teams into Suburban and Metro subdivisions, which may give teams like my beloved alma mater an even better chance to win a state title because they won’t have to contend with the football factories in places like Miami and Tampa.

Not everyone is happy with the changes, though. Some perennial powers have taken exception to this new split.

Only time will tell how much impact this move will have, but we will begin on that journey here shortly when the regular season gets under way Aug. 26.

"Do I like it? Ask that question again in four months," Santucci says on the podcast. "Here's what I do like about it on paper. We've had some really boring state championship games the last two years. And I'm sure if you look at the list, that's a lot longer than that, but the worst games of the year should not be in the state championship game."

Jon will also fill us in on some the recruiting classes of our favorite college football programs, including Florida, Florida State, Miami and UCF.

If you love high school football, you’ll want to be sure to check out this podcast.

Join the tens of thousands that have downloaded us and find out why we give you the best sports breakdowns in the state.

We can be downloaded wherever you listen to podcasts, or simply type in “The *State* of Florida Sports Podcast” into your favorite search engine. We also can be found on any of the 17 USA TODAY-Network Florida websites.

If you like it, you can check out previous shows, which feature current and former professional athletes and coaches, as well as our stable of journalists who cover beats and write columns, all of whom have a tie to the Sunshine State.

Contact Walters at twalters@gannett.com

This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Jon Santucci talks Florida high school football, recruiting on podcast