2024 Northeast Florida high school football season kicks off Friday

For most schools across Northeast Florida, high school football kicks off on Friday night.

The schedule includes rivalry games, intriguing contests, and an official debut for KIPP Bold City. The Greyhounds, who earned that nickname because the school is on the site of the former Jacksonville Kennel Club, host Jakson Friday at 6:30.

Elsewhere in Jacksonville, Bolles hosts Raines in a rematch of a Class 2M playoff game from last year; Englewood hosts Baldwin; and Ed White hosts Trinity Christian in an all-Westside contest.

In Clay County, Clay hosts Fleming Island in the Battle of Black Creek, while Ridgeview hosts Orange Park.

In St. Johns County, the Nease-Ponte Vedra game returns to its traditional season-opening spot after a two-year hiatus.

Some schools, most of them private schools, will play under the lights Friday for the second time this season. One such contest: St. Joseph Academy will host Cedar Creek Christian in a matchup of unbeatens.

The most important game of the night, though, may be down in Putnam County, where Palatka and St. Augustine high will play each other for the 106th time. The rivals have played every year since 1922, but Friday will be the first time since that first contest – Palatka won it 19-0 – that the Panthers and Yellow Jackets will open the season against each other. St. Augustine has won 10 straight over Palatka to take a 58-44-3 advantage in the series.

Full Schedule for Friday, Aug. 23:

All games at 7 p.m. unless noted

• Baldwin at Englewood, 6:30 p.m.
• Bishop Kenny at Matanzas
• Bradford at Baker County
• Cedar Creek Christian (1-0) at St. Joseph (1-0)
• Creekside at Mandarin, 6:30 p.m.
• Crescent City at Deltona
• Eagle’s View (1-0) at Bell Creek Academy (0-1)
• Fernandina Beach (0-1) at Hilliard
• Fleming Island at Clay
• Frederica Academy (Ga.) (1-0) at West Nassau (0-1)
• Frostproof at Providence
• Harvest Community (0-1) at Christ’s Church (1-0)
• Jackson at KIPP Bold City, 6:30 p.m.
• Keystone Heights at Interlachen (0-1), 7:30 p.m.
• Merritt Island at Impact Christian
• NFEI at Hollis Christian
• Orange Park at Ridgeview
• Orlando Christian Prep at Beachside
• Parker at Atlantic Coast, 6:30 p.m.
• Paxon (1-0) at Wolfson, 6:30 p.m.
• Ponte Vedra at Nease
• Port Orange Atlantic at Flagler Palm Coast
• Raines at Bolles, 7:30 p.m.
• Ribault at Fletcher, 6:30 p.m.
• Riverside at Oakleaf
• St. Augustine at Palatka
• Sandalwood at Menendez
• Seffner Christian (0-0) at Duval Charter (0-1)
• Stanton (0-1) at Bishop Snyder (1-0)
• Suwannee at Columbia, 7:30 p.m.
• Sumner at Bartram Trail
• Taylor County at Fort White, 7:30 p.m.
• Tocoi Creek at First Coast, 6:30 p.m.
• Trinity Christian at White, 6:30 p.m.
• Union County at Yulee
• University Christian at Newberry, 7:30 p.m.
• Westside at Middleburg
• YKIM at Windermere Prep, 4 p.m.
• Zarephath Academy (1-0) at Episcopal

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