Volusia-Flagler-St. Johns high school football: Breaking down the preseason kickoff classics
High school football grabs hold of the spotlight throughout Florida every Friday night from here on out until mid-December.
The 24 teams of Volusia, Flagler and St. Johns counties will hit the field for preseason kickoff classics this week. Games counting toward the standings, and the Florida High School Athletic Association's playoff races, start next week.
Still, there are some tasty exhibition matchups in store over the next two days. Here are the five most intriguing games, along with a look at the full, local preseason slate.
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1. St. Augustine at Spruce Creek
Originally planned as a Week 11 finale, before enough of a fuss was kicked up in St. Johns and Putnam counties to restore the regular season rivalry between Palatka and St. Augustine, the Yellow Jackets will instead open the fall with defending district champion Spruce Creek.
St. Augustine's 23-year streak of consecutive playoff appearances ended last fall, a fate sealed with a 17-14 home loss to Gainesville in a winner-take-all game for the district title. However, the Jackets feature an exciting, balanced backfield combo of QB Locklan Hewlett and RB Devonte Lyons and a talented sophomore class ready to inherit bigger roles.
Spruce Creek rolled through the 2021 regular season with an 8-1 record, earning the No. 2 seed in its region before suffering a first-round upset to Nease. Three-year starting linebacker Jake Battillo and Terrific 10 picks Jarique Cooper and Jesse Smith anchor a solid defense, while Luke Smith takes over as the Hawks' starting quarterback.
2. Boone at DeLand
Few teams enter 2022 with as much buzz as DeLand after luring three-time FHSAA state champion head coach Rick Darlington back from Enterprise High in Alabama last winter. Darlington's teams at Apopka were physical and relentless on the ground, and that's how he hopes to mold the Bulldogs in the years to come.
DeLand has some pieces that should fit the system, too. Dual-threat junior quarterback TJ Moore, all-purpose athlete Javon Ross and running back Demontay Johnson appear poised for major roles in the offense.
Boone is a quality opening opponent, coming off an 8-4 record and going two rounds deep in last year's Class 8A playoffs. Florida Gators fans in the area can watch one of Billy Napier's highly touted recruits in senior wide receiver Aidan Mizell, a track star who caught 47 passes for 1,003 yards and 18 touchdowns a season ago.
3. Mainland at Matanzas
District foes for the tail end of the previous decade, Mainland and Matanzas have plenty of head-to-head history — most notably, a memorable back-and-forth 2020 playoff battle in Palm Coast. All of that history, however, favors the visiting Bucs, who won each of the previous five regular season meetings.
On paper, Mainland should be considered one of the favorite in the new-look Region 3-3S. Its roster includes three of the nation's premier juniors — wide receiver James Randle, defensive lineman LJ McCray and defensive back Zavier Mincey. All-Area quarterback Damarcus Creecy transferred in January from nearby Spruce Creek, and Ajai Harrell could similarly make a case as Volusia's top senior player.
Matanzas' strength is in its 2024 class as well. Defensive back Jordan Mills, quarterback Dakwon Evans and linebacker Cole Hash are among the Pirates' standout performers.
4. Nease at Menendez
The feel-good local football story of 2021, Nease completed one of the most stunning, single-season turnarounds in recent memory. After back-to-back, one-win campaigns, the Panthers went 9-4, eliminated district champs Spruce Creek and Niceville from the playoffs and rumbled for a regional crown with Buchholz on Thanksgiving weekend.
Thirty-six players have since graduated, including tight end Grant Stevens (UCF), wide receiver Dom Henry (BYU) and linebacker Ben Bogle (Southern Illinois). However, the team still has a true X-factor in Florida commit Marcus Stokes, arguably the state's top passer.
Menendez, meanwhile, was derailed by injuries out of the gate. King Benford (Navy) never suited up because of a partial ACL tear and knee dislocation suffered in a mid-August scrimmage, and a handful of other key offensive players missed time as well. Noah Lawless, Julian Quintero and Joseph Soto are among the Falcons' top returners.
5. Beachside, Titusville at New Smyrna Beach
The newest addition to the area, Beachside High makes its football debut Friday in a Battle of Barracudas.
Pete Duffy, who won 198 games across 21 seasons in California, faces the unique challenge of building a program from the ground up. Lots of Beachside's players will be thrust into significant varsity action for the first time.
New Smyrna Beach won seven games last fall but fell short in its bid to make the playoffs. Braden Sullivan impressed at linebacker last season, while Jvontae Hayward and Bryant Siravo are the team's top playmakers on offense.
Volusia-Flagler-St. Johns Kickoff Classics
Thursday
Bayside at Seabreeze, 7 p.m.
Halifax at Oasis, 7
Friday
Creekside at Fletcher, 6:30 p.m.
Atlantic Coast at Flagler Palm Coast, 7
Beachside, Titusville at New Smyrna Beach, 7
Boone at DeLand, 7
Cedar Creek Christian, Trenton at St. Joseph, 7
Crescent City at Father Lopez, 7
Deltona at Oviedo, 7
Mainland at Matanzas, 7
Mandarin at Ponte Vedra, 7
Nease at Menendez, 7
Paxon at Tocoi Creek, 7
Pine Ridge at Winter Springs, 7
Riverside at Bartram Trail, 7
St. Augustine at Spruce Creek, 7
University at Timber Creek, 7
Atlantic at Space Coast, 7:30
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: High school football: 5 Volusia-Flagler-St. Johns kickoff classics to watch
