Week 1 of the 2016 high school football season kicks off Friday with a full slate of games.
Atlantic and Curtis Williams will face Wellington Friday in a matchup of ranked teams. (Post staff)
All 10 of the Post’s ranked teams will be in action, including a top 10 matchup between Atlantic and Wellington. The Eagles and Wolverines met twice last year, with Atlantic winning both contests at home.
Saint John Paul II Academy will travel the farthest of any Palm Beach County team this week, with the Eagles scheduled to face Brook Hill School Saturday in Bullard, Texas.
John I. Leonard coach Kevin Fleury will face his former team in another intriguing matchup, as the Lancers travel to Palm Beach Gardens to face the Gators.
Let’s get to our weekly picks, with all games kicking off at 7 p.m. Friday unless noted.
No. 1 Dwyer at Boynton Beach: Dwyer struggled at times in its Kickoff Classic against Miami Northwestern. But this week, the Panthers turn their sights to a closer opponent. The Tigers are looking to rebound after missing the playoffs last season, and quarterback Jacob Mullally and receiver Antoine Jerome will aim to find holes in the Dwyer secondary.
Jodie: Dwyer 27-16; Adam: Dwyer 28-21
No. 2 American Heritage at Naples, 7:30 p.m.: The Stallions open their season in Naples for the second straight year, and they’re looking for another win. After losing to American Heritage to start last year, Naples reeled off 11 straight wins before losing to Miami Central in the state semifinals. But the Golden Eagles return only five starters, making the Stallions a tough opponent with more experience.
Jodie: Naples 23-20; Adam: American Heritage 21-17
No. 3 Atlantic at No. 10 Wellington: Atlantic won 12 games last season on the strength of its defense and ground game. Expect more of the same this year. Wellington’s high-powered offense scored 31 points in its Kickoff Classic game, but the Wolverines also gave up 38.
Jodie: Atlantic 30-21; Adam: Atlantic 20-17
No. 4 Pahokee at Seminole Ridge: The Blue Devils’ season got off to a raucous start as Pahokee dominated Village Academy 56-25 in the teams’ Kickoff Classic. But the Hawks did just as well, beating Port St. Lucie 35-0. The offenses likely won’t be quite as explosive when they meet in Loxahatchee, but both sides have a chance to start the regular season strongly.
Jodie: Pahokee 20-13; Adam: Pahokee 28-20
John I. Leonard at No. 5 Palm Beach Gardens: Lancers coach Kevin Fleury returns to Palm Beach Gardens to face his old team, which boasts plenty of talent on both sides of the ball and carries state title hopes. John I. Leonard is coming off a 4-6 season, but returns 19 starters and hopes to make noise in District 10-8A.
Jodie: Palm Beach Gardens 20-14; Adam: Palm Beach Gardens 14-10
Royal Palm Beach at No. 6 Glades Central: This is the second straight opening-day matchup between the Wildcats and Raiders, with Glades Central winning 34-20 last year. The Raiders are coming off a sloppy performance in their Kickoff Classic tie vs. Lake Worth, but hope to right the ship against the Wildcats, who were shut out by Miami Central last week.
Jodie: Glades Central 27-13; Adam: Glades Central 21-10
No. 7 Oxbridge Academy at Pembroke Pines-Flanagan: Both of these exceedingly talented teams dealt with coaching changes in the offseason. The ThunderWolves did not renew coach Doug Socha’s contract, and the Falcons’ coach, Devin Bush, left the school to coach at the University of Michigan. This game will feature two of the best defensive backs in the state; ThunderWolves’ junior C.J. Smith and Flanagan senior Stanford Samuels III.
Jodie: Flanagan 26-18; Adam: Flanagan 21-17
No. 8 Boca Raton at West Boca Raton: The Bulls will be eager to get off to a good start after dropping last year’s opener to the Bobcats. West Boca Raton returns veteran quarterback Matt Gross, while Boca Raton counters with American Heritage transfer Micah Leon, who threw for two touchdowns and ran for another in last week’s Kickoff Classic game.
Jodie: Boca Raton 28-24; Adam: Boca Raton 30-24
No. 9 Palm Beach Lakes at Lake Worth, 6 p.m.: The Rams have plenty to be optimistic about as they open their season against the Trojans. Wide receiver D.J. Edwards returns from offseason surgery, and Gurvan Hall is one of Lakes’ top prospects. But the Trojans are hoping to halt that offensive firepower like they did against Glades Central in their Kickoff Classic, when Miami commit Jonathan Garvin racked up six sacks.
Jodie: Lake Worth 20-19; Adam: Palm Beach Lakes 21-14
Miami-Palmer Trinity at Somerset Canyons, 4 p.m.: The Cougars play their first-ever varsity football game against the visiting Falcons, who finished 5-5 last year and unbeaten in district play. Somerset coach Klay Smith will focus on fundamentals, but he would like to see a strong effort in his team’s debut.
Jodie: Palmer Trinity 27-10; Adam: Palmer Trinity 28-14
Berean Christian at Maitland-Orangewood Christian: The Bulldogs hope to follow up their third-place finish in the Sunshine State Athletic Conference, though they will be missing running back Kasey Montrois, who could miss up to eight weeks with a broken leg. Orangewood Christian finished 6-4 last season in Sunshine State Athletic Conference play.
Jodie: Orangewood Christian 23-20; Adam: Orangewood Christian 17-14
Forest Hill at Suncoast: The Chargers are coming off a district championship, and hope to carry that momentum into opening day. Ryan Lantz takes over for Matt Dame at quarterback, and he has plenty of weapons to choose from. The Falcons also have a new quarterback, with Tajae Leslie taking over for Marcus Frazier.
Jodie: Suncoast 23-14; Adam: Suncoast 14-13
Glades Day at Benjamin School: The Bucs are coming off an impressive 37-7 win in their Kickoff Classic game vs. Vero Beach-St. Edward’s, with quarterback Jordan Travis throwing for 236 yards and five TDs. Benjamin will be joined in Southeastern Football Conference play by the Gators, who hope to improve on their 3-7 mark from last season.
Jodie: Benjamin 19-16; Adam: Benjamin 21-14
Inlet Grove at Coral Springs-Coral Glades: The Hurricanes can match their win total from last season by beating the Jaguars, who finished 2-8 in 2015. Inlet Grove coach Michael Timpson took over the program earlier this year and hopes for continued improvement. Wide receiver Frank Huggins will be counted on to make plays for the Hurricanes.
Jodie: Coral Glades 26-10; Adam: Coral Glades 27-14
Olympic Heights at Jupiter: The Lions and Warriors hope to take a big step forward this season after struggling in recent years. Jupiter quarterback Alex Piccirilli is poised for a big senior season, while the Lions will count heavily on senior wide receiver/defensive back Rubens Jerome. A win for the Warriors would be their first since Sept. 2014.
Jodie: Jupiter 16-14; Adam: Olympic Heights 21-20
Palm Beach Central at Park Vista: Both teams had disappointing 2015 seasons. The Cobras missed the playoffs for the first time since 2010, and the Broncos were 2-8 after three straight district titles. Both have promising players, such as Park Vista’s Jordan Jackson and Central’s Mikey Garofolo, who are hoping to put last year behind them.
Jodie: Palm Beach Central 23-21; Adam: Park Vista 28-24
Santaluces at Vero Beach: The Chiefs have a tall task to start the season. The Indians, who are the top unranked team in Class 8A, are arguably the top team on the Treasure Coast and feature talented players such as running back Akeem Dixon.
Jodie: Vero Beach 34-13; Adam: Vero Beach 35-14
Spanish River at Cardinal Newman: The Crusaders struggled in their Kickoff Classic matchup with King’s Academy, but their defense held the Lions to 20 points. The same cannot be said for the Sharks, who suffered a 46-7 loss to North Miami Beach in their preseason game.
Jodie: Spanish River 17-14; Adam: Spanish River 24-21
St. Andrew’s at King’s Academy: The Scots play their first regular-season game under new coach Jimmy Robertson, while the Lions enter their second season under Keith Allen. St. Andrew’s hopes to build on its 4-6 record from last year, and looked good in its Kickoff Classic. King’s Academy also went 4-6 in 2015, but returns the majority of its starters.
Jodie: King’s Academy 23-19; Adam: King’s Academy 17-13
Windermere Prep at Boca Raton Christian: The Blazers looked solid in their Kickoff Classic matchup, beating North Miami Beach-Hillel, 28-8. Boca Raton Christian wants to start strongly after falling to Berean Christian in the SSAC’s third-place game last season.
Jodie: Windermere Prep 27-20; Adam: Windermere Prep 30-24
Village Academy at Tampa-Cambridge Christian, 7:30 p.m.: The Tigers face a huge Week 1 test against the state-ranked Lancers, who finished 12-1 last year. Village Academy returns 15 starters from 2015, including Kent State-bound defensive back Rodley Jolicoeur. But Cambridge Christian might be too tough at home.
Jodie: Cambridge Christian 36-14; Adam: Cambridge Christian 28-14
Winter Haven-All Saints’ Academy vs. Jupiter Christian at Jupiter High School, 1 p.m. Saturday: These two teams met to end last season, and it did not go well for Jupiter Christian. All Saints’ Academy routed the Eagles 47-6. Like last season, the Eagles have had issues with roster size this year, so staying healthy is the key, even early in the year.
Jodie: All Saints’ Academy 20-14; Adam: All Saints’ Academy 24-17
Saint John Paul II Academy at Brook Hill, Texas, 6 p.m. Saturday: The Eagles start the year with a road trip to small Bullard, Texas, a town with a population of fewer than 3,000. Brook Hill is coming off a 5-6 season.
Jodie: Saint John Paul II 24-17; Adam: Saint John Paul II 20-14
