Reminder: Kickoff classics don't count. Really.
But performances in a few of Northeast Florida's high school football preseason tune-up games naturally raised eyebrows, and just might reveal some clues of trends to come for this season.
For teams like Fletcher, which stamped an early exclamation point — 41-3 — with its showing against Yulee, the latest highlight for what could be one of Duval County's most interesting defenses in 2026.
Although Fletcher finished 6-4 and missed the state playoffs last fall, their defense stood out as a strength with 16.3 points allowed per game. This time, they were all over Yulee from the start. Although safety Tony Brown II is the only currently-committed Senator on defense, that may change at this rate.
A few more of the performances that jumped out from kickoff classics:
- Speaking of special teams: University Christian's Hudson Kwartler delivered a superb kick in driving rain at Ocala Trinity Catholic, overcoming the elements to drill a 47-yarder through the uprights.
- They're still scoring: Reigning champion Raines put up 56 points, winning 56-14 over First Coast, with sophomore quarterback Sa'Mon Ellison-Morgan taking command of the offense.
- A score that resonated across the state: Trinity Christian 42, Manatee 7. A Micah Anderson TD rush and a 90-yard catch-and-run from Hicks Zarah to state high jump champion Ja'Khari Jackson were just a couple of the Conquerors' highlights in Bradenton.
- A name fans might hear sooner rather than later at White: Vedo Jones, a sophomore running back who gained 135 yards on 12 carries in one half of action. Storms shortly after halftime ended the game, which finished 30-23 in favor of White over Nease.
- St. Augustine began with a Karon Robinson pick-six and finished a first-half shutout, stifling 2025 state semifinalist Ponte Vedra 40-7.
- Mix the Bolles return units with the athletic talents of Jaiden Barnett, and the Bulldogs will have a lethal combination on special teams. Barnett displayed his open-field agility in the return game against Camden County, a 34-10 Bolles win.
Will Florida lacrosse add shot clock?
Basketball in Florida is already gearing up for the shot clock era. Is lacrosse next in line?
The National Federation of State High School Associations' board of directors this month authorized states to adopt a 70-second shot clock for boys lacrosse beginning in 2027 if they choose.
The 70-second shot clock, the NFHS said, would begin once a team clears the defensive half or gains possession in the offensive half.
That vote follows a similar decision earlier in the summer for girls lacrosse. In July, the NFHS board voted to give states the option to use a 90-second possession clock in girls lacrosse.
Both the boys and girls lacrosse clocks were previously introduced in 2024-25 and 2025-26 on an experimental basis within the New York State Public High School Athletic Association. The NCAA already uses shot clocks of 80 seconds for men and 90 seconds for women in collegiate lacrosse.
While the Florida High School Athletic Association has not expressed a formal position on the plan, members of the FHSAA's lacrosse advisory committee in May expressed support for implementing a shot clock pending authorization from the NFHS.
Girls lacrosse committee members backed, 4-0, a measure proposed by Berkeley Prep head coach Bart Wagner to explore the use of a shot clock on a trial basis for the first year, targeting full implementation by 2028. Boys committee members also spoke in favor of the shot clock but did not record a formal vote.
Any shot clock adoption plan would likely need backing from the athletic directors advisory committee before coming before the full FHSAA board of directors for final action.
State's best to race at Cecil Field
Cross country season gets rolling at full speed at 5 p.m. Friday with the Cecil Field Summer Classic, among the state's largest high school 5K races and now entering its 10th year.
Meet director Richard Fannin said this year's race is expected to include 100 schools and more than 2,600 runners across multiple high school and middle school divisions, including contenders from Georgia and North Carolina.
Expected in action are all four boys team champions from 2025 (Gainesville Buchholz, Belen Jesuit, Bolles and Providence), including national leader and course record holder Marcelo Mantecon of Belen Jesuit.
The meet is also live-streamed at FLRunners.com, part of the national MileSplit network.
Last year, Mantecon ran 14:50 to lead Belen Jesuit to the boys team title, while Ponte Vedra won the girls race. Annabella Tomasic of Bishop Moore was the 2025 girls individual winner in 17:37.
Who's on top in fan polls?
The results are in from the Times-Union's preseason fan polls for high school football.
First-place finishers in voting by position were as follows: Quarterback: Luke Toland, Bolles; running back: Enrique Ordonez, Nease; wide receiver: Brayden Wessinger, Episcopal; tight end: Chase Phifer, Nease; offensive lineman: William Zebroski, Bolles; defensive end: Desmond Malpress, Atlantic Coast; defensive tackle: Julius LaRosa III, University Christian; linebacker: Ty Street, Middleburg; cornerback: Chase Donaldson, Fleming Island; safety: Beck Rohe, Fernandina Beach; multi-purpose athlete: Aydin Poe, Fernandina Beach; kicker: Hudson Kwartler, University Christian.
Around the area
Episcopal infielder Chelsea Dever committed to Catholic University softball. … Fletcher's Ramsey Langton committed to North Florida beach volleyball. … Ponte Vedra pitcher Grady Harris committed to Triton College baseball. … Ponte Vedra senior Chase Kendall committed to Cincinnati men's swimming. … Sarasota Booker, state semifinalist a year ago, canceled its varsity football season after an FHSAA investigation and subsequent player exodus, and six-time state champion Jefferson County pulled the plug on its season due to low turnout. … Struggling to field a football team is Pierson Taylor, which dressed only 12 players for its Aug. 14 kickoff classic and played the last three quarters with only 10 after an injury and an ejection, as reported by the Daytona Beach News-Journal. Taylor is scheduled to face Harvest Community and Hilliard in October. … Former Episcopal rower Allie Alton was hired as an assistant coach at Old Dominion. … Former Wolfson pitcher Harper Osburn, most recently at FSCJ, committed to Newman University baseball. ... Episcopal honored three-time national decathlon champion Garrett Scantling on the field at the Eagles' football victory over Westminster Academy.
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: What stood out in Jacksonville high school football kickoff classics?