Kevin_Holden's Blog

Fox Hilites is in the books for another fast-paced, frenzied Friday night... Whew! That 15 minutes feels like 15 seconds when we're out there... I feel like we could do that Fox Hilites show for 3 hours!

We're rounding into mid-season form, and so are many area teams who have their minds set on playoff and state championship runs. Apopka sits at (or near) the top of that list after barely escaping Edgewater 21-19. The Blue Darters are 4-1 and needed a strong late-game surge for the win, which is a huge credit to Bill Gierke's Edgewater Eagles. Edgewater started the season 0-2, but rebounded with a shutout of Evans last week and nearly toppled the mighty Darters Friday night. Big district showdowns loom for both teams, with Apopka travelling to upstart Wekiva and Edgewater hosting Timber Creek. It would be no surprise to see both teams alive into late November/early December.

Boone High's Braves also have a laser-beam focus on a state title game berth, shutting out West Orange 38-0 to improve to 5-0. Phil Ziglar's Braves have outscored their opponents 152-23 so far this year!!! The Braves may not be seriously challenged again until the last two games of the season, road tests at Dr. Phillips and Edgewater. Boone could be looking at back-to-back undefeated regular seasons!

Sometimes in life, you get knocked down, and then you just get mad. That's what happened to the Pine Ridge Panthers, 34-6 losers to Mainland last week. The Panthers took out their frustration and then some in a 51-0 thrashing of Trinity Christian in our Fox Hilites Game of the Week. Ben Delacruz continues to shine while running the Panther offense, and the defense has three shutouts in just five games!

And kudos to Kevin Pettis and the DeLand Bulldogs, who broke a 16-game losing streak in style. It wasn't just a squeaker, either... DeLand toppled Seabreeze 35-7. Yes, that's Seabreeze, as in the team that won its first 12 games last fall. DeLand has now made its first big statement under Pettis, and it comes at a perfect time, too - the 'Dogs visit Volusia County rival Deltona next week in a district showdown. Don't rule DeLand out of the playoff picture just yet!

There are still a handful of undefeateds in the area, and Cocoa keeps showing that they're one of the best in that group. The Tigers blanked previouslyt undefeated Palm Bay 28-0 to go to 5-0 on the season. Cocoa was one or two plays from beating Naples in the 3A state semis last fall, and they're threatening to get there again in '08.

Area tidbits - Winter Springs is 4-1 after holding off Hagerty 26-17... Seminole High has put their 2-game mini-skid behind them thanks to a 43-0 blanking of Lake Howell - Seminole's district battle with Oviedo next week could have playoff implications... Dr. Phillips is quietly 3-1 and could be 7-1 by the time they face Boone November 7th... The streaking Freedom Patriots have won three straight after an impressive 38-0 blasting of previously unbeaten Colonial... Agape Christian put up 60 points against CFCA - to put that in perspective, the Saints only scored 36 points all season coming into that game... After a slow start, Lake Brantley has three straight wins and are looking more and more like the powerhouse Patriots we're used to seeing... Mainland notched one of the state's most impressive wins, 28-14 over Tim Tebow's alma mater Nease.

Fox Hilites will be shortened a bit next week (and maybe the week after) because of the NLCS on Fox, but we'll still have some highlights on the late news after the game is over. And of course, the Game of the Week is still flying high, so cast your votes!

Thanks and see you in Week 6!

Kevin Holden, Fox 35 Sports

District games... they're what separate the contenders from the pretenders. They're what decides who makes the playoffs. And there were district openers galore in Fox Hilites Friday night.

There's been a lot of buzz on the website about Mainland and Pine Ridge - the unstoppable offense vs. the immovable defense. And in this case, the unstoppable offense kept on rolling. After a slow start, Mainland's Bucs put up 34 points to notch an impressive 34-6 win and stay undefeated. It's Pine Ridge's first loss, and there's no doubt the Panthers will be heard from again this season, but tonight was Mainland's night.

Winter Springs had a new addition in Week 4 - an 8 1/2 foot tall, 600 pound bronze kodiak grizzly bear named Ursa Major (big bear in Latin). Unfortunately, the new bear didn't bring good look to Winter Springs in its district opener, a 28-21 loss to Lake Brantley. The Patriots started 0-2, but George Clayton clearly has his troops motivated and hungry for another playoff berth. Winter Springs' next district game doesn't happen until October 23rd, so they have some time to tweak before that rough stretch against Oviedo, Lake Mary, and Seminole.

Edgewater got into the win column in style, 28-0 over Evans. Edgewater started slowly in this game (a microcosm of their 0-2 start to the season), but one win is all Bill Gierke's boys need to gain some confidence for a tell-tale October slate of games. The Eagles host Apopka next Friday - one of Orlando's best games every year! Apopka bounced back strong 49-0 in its district opener, putting that loss to South Panola, Mississippi in the rear view mirror.

Other tidbits from around the area - Cocoa scored 41 points in the first quarter (!!!) en route to a 70-6 win over Viera... Seminole has now lost two straight after being ranked 9th in the state in mid-September... Boone stayed undefeated with a 34-9 win over Oak Ridge - Boone's last regular season loss came in 2006... Bishop Moore got bitten by the upset bug in the form of St. Cloud, 21-14. St. Cloud is 3-1, matching their win total from all of last season... Trinity Catholic nearly set a state record for yards from scrimmage last week, and followed it up with a 56-3 thrashing of P.K. Yonge. Will we see the Celtics at the Citrus Bowl in December?... Colonial won "The Boot Game" with an 18-9 come-from-behind win over University - read more on Eric Clinkscales' blog... Merritt Island has now posted very impressive back to back wins over Melbourne and Seabreeze - watch out Brevard, the Mustangs are on a roll... Two weeks after their first win in school history, Wekiva made some serious noise in picking up their second. Wekiva blasted West Orange 58-14... East Ridge and Olympia kept the scoreboard operators busy, with East Ridge's Knights capturing the shootout 42-35.

Thanks for watching and be sure to check out Fox Hilites every Friday night during Fox 35 News at 11!

The adrenaline is still pumping through our veins here at Fox 35... Fox Hilites is in the books for another Friday night!

Week 3 saw a few upsets of some of the area's top ranked teams. You can't call a loss to a nationally ranked team an 'upset', but Apopka did drop a 28-18 decision to South Panola (Mississippi) in a game televised on ESPN U. Jeremy Gallon and Caleb Nelson hooked up for 28 and 25 yard touchdowns in the first half, but the Blue Darters were held scoreless after halftime by the nation's 20th ranked team. APK comes back to the Sunshine State and plays Ocoee next Friday.

Seminole High has drawn some major praise for the talent on their roster, but the 'Noles suffered a loss at the hands of Spruce Creek Friday night, 34-13. Spruce Creek has this thing about the upset bug - remember those PLAYOFF road wins last year at Lake Brantley and Flagler Palm Coast? - but maybe we should stop calling those wins 'upsets' - Spruce Creek is sending a message that they belong with the big boys in the area.

Winter Springs has been the big buzz on foxhilitesorlando.com tonight after an incredible come-from-behind win over Timber Creek. A 100 yard kickoff return sealed the Bears' 31-28 victory. Winter Springs is 3-0 and thinking playoffs (and maybe a district title?) but the district opener against Lake Brantley looms large this Friday. The Patriots finally notched their first win, and in convincing fashion, 37-0 over Lake Howell. Tonight, they looked like the Lake Brantley of old, and that's great news for Pats fans.

Pine Ridge's Panthers spell wins with a capital "D"! The Panthers' defense has been unstoppable this year, and Flagler Palm Coast was the latest victim in a 24-6 Panther home win. Pine Ridge has allowed 6 points - TOTAL - in 3 weeks this season. Mainland's high powered offense comes to Pine Ridge next week in one of the area's most anticipated matchups.

Other tidbits - another upset at Osceola, where the Kowboys drop a 20-14 decision to Harmony... Boone High just quietly keeps on winning, this time 21-7 over Winter Park... Hagerty and Wekiva couldn't follow up on last week's first-ever school wins - Hagerty lost 31-19 to Lake Mary, Evans bested Wekiva 28-25... Cocoa's offensive machine keeps rolling in a very impressive 42-14 win over Titusville... Lyman keeps winning the close ones, this time 30-28 over Oviedo... First Academy Orlando wins our Game of the Week 38-20. Check out the details on Eric Clinkscales' blog (The goalpost is still recovering from Eric's body blows on the show Friday night).

See you next week and thanks for watching!

Kevin Holden

Another Friday night, another case of empty Red Bull cans lying around the sports office... Fox Hilites is in the books!

Every Friday night of football is like Christmas morning to us, but there was something about this week that was even more special. We saw two historic things happen on the gridiron - the first ever on-the-field wins from two different schools! Hagerty and Wekiva have senior classes for the first time, and both broke into the win column for the first time.

I had a chance to check out the first half of Hagerty-Oviedo, and for a Week 2 matchup, the atmosphere was incredible! 7,000 fans packed into every crevice and corner of the stadium for the neighborhood rivalry. And Hagerty's Huskies were feeding off the energy, posting three first-half touchdowns en route to a 21-0 halftime lead! Nate Gierke has spent years building the Hagerty program from the ground up, and Gierke and Husky nation are jubilant tonight after holding on for a 35-28 win. Amazing!

Not to be outdone, Wekiva posted its first regular season win in school history too, besting University 43-14 behind James' Owens eye-popping 5 touchdown performance. Wekiva's shown signs of breaking through, besting Hagerty in the preseason before nearly upsetting Winter Springs last week in the season opener. But the Mustangs saved their best performance for the home opener tonight. Wekiva and Hagerty, take a bow... you're the stars of the show! Hope you caught highlights of both wins on Fox Hilites!

So much more to talk about from Week 2. Boone High racked up 474 yards of total offense, including 376 on the ground, in a 33-0 thrashing of Timber Creek. Folks, the Timber Creek Wolves are a solid team... this was a very impressive win for Phil Ziglar's Boone Braves. They've got their eyes on a return trip to the 6A state championship game. James Washington rushed for 229 yards and 2 touchdowns in Boone's win.

Of course, Apopka may have something to say about that whole 6A title game business. APK's offensive machine kept on piling up the points Friday - 57 of them in all - in an easy win over Freedom. The Blue Darters have scored 90 points against two pretty good teams in their first two games. Could we see an Apopka-Boone rematch in the 6A semis this fall?

Lyman posted their most impressive win in a long time, 29-28 in overtime over Lake Brantley. Lake Brantley is 0-2 to start the season, but you can count on a rebound from George Clayton's bunch.

Bobby Borke was a star in Lake Highland Prep's 54-13 win over Pine Castle Christian in our Game of the Week. Read more about that in Eric Clinkscales' blog on foxhilitesorlando.com - and check out the photo galleries while you're there!

Other quick notes - Olympia shuts out Evans 25-0 to push their record to 2-0... DeLand is 0-2 under Kevin Pettis, and Edgewater's 0-2 after losing on the road to Tallahassee Lincoln... Warner Christian won the area's first district game, 16-13 over Calvary Christian... Trinity Catholic and North Marion are rounding into their usual forms in Marion County. Trinity Catholic wins 55-17, while North Marion shuts out Belleview 54-0... Fox Hilites favorite Orlando Lutheran blanked Merritt Island Christian 32-0. The Crusaders are 2-0... Pine Ridge blasts Atlantic 54-0. Pine Ridge is on our Game of the Week poll this week - chime in, Panther fans!

OK, there's smoke pouring from the keyboard... keep on celebrating Hagerty and Wekiva fans, and everyone be sure to tune in for Fox Hilites during Fox 35 News at 11! OUT!

Wow, that was fast! Another football season is already here, and Fox Hilites had a smashing return to the airwaves during Fox 35 News at 11 Friday night. What a rush it is to pack in all those highlights from around the area... and there are always so many of those highlights, it always feels like we miss some. But overall, it feels great to put on the Fox Hilites game face once again!

There were some unbelievable statements made right off the bat by some of the teams in the area. And I think the biggest statement of all had to be Dr. Phillips under new coach Dale Salapa, defeating Edgewater 28-6 to start the season. Dr. Phillips has a lot of tradition and is always talented, but Salapa and his ultra-disciplined approach has this team playing at a brand new level. We're talking about a 22 point win over a perennial powerhouse in Edgewater! Congrats to the Panthers - the Doctor is in!

Apopka winning a game isn't a surprise to many. The Blue Darters leading Lake Brantley 14-0 at the half and cruising to a 33-14 win is a much bigger surprise. Give Lake Brantley's defense credit for holding Apopka to 7 points until right before halftime, when an interception gave new life to the Blue Darter offense, and Jeremy Gallon punched home a 27 yard TD reception with less than :15 in the half. Gallon's numbers were gaudy - 284 yards of total offense, including 147 yards rushing, 70 yard and a touchdown passing, and 27 yards and a touchdown receiving. Of course, Lake Brantley's Antonio Miles' statline was even more eye-popping - 325 total yards of offense, including 217 rushing yards and 61 yards passing. Remember those names - Jeremy Gallon and Antonio Miles - they have long futures ahead in football. But on this night, Gallon and the Blue Darters were just a little bit better. A young Lake Brantley bunch is sure to improve, though, so watch out for the Pats later in the season.

There were some other great individual stats from the first week of games. Mainland's Cortez Davis intercepted two passes in Mainland's 20-7 win over DeLand (in Kevin Pettis' first game as DeLand coach). South Sumter's Denzel Smith rushed for 3 touchdowns in a 24-20 against a stout East Ridge squad. South Lake's Titus Mobley did his best Jeff Demps impression, scampering for almost 300 yards on the ground to help the Eagles edge Citrus 38-34.

Some area powers stepped right back up, Boone started '08 just like '07 - with solid offense and great defense in a 26-7 win over Lake Mary. Seminole proved it will be a power in 2008 with a 42-0 blanking of Hagerty. Osceola kept their string of opening week blowouts alive with a 45-3 thrashing of St. Cloud. Melbourne put up 64 points in its opening game, Cocoa put up 51, and Orlando Lutheran powered past Lake Mary Prep 40-0 in our Game of the Week (more on that game in Eric Clinkscals' blog).

Did you go to any Week 1 games? Any early picks on favorites to make it to the state championships? Any high school thoughts at all? Blog them here.

Fox Hilites is back!!!!!

Kevin Holden, Fox 35 Sports

Fox Hilites knows how to get prepared for football season... by pulling our version of an all-nighter. It's time for another Fox Hilites preseason cram session!

There are many fans who would argue this point, but I believe Osceola might have been the single best team in Central Florida last season. Yes, Boone and Apopka fans, you have a legitimate beef, but remember this... not only was Osceola 14-0 going into the state title game, they also beat Lakeland and their state record 53 game winning streak... TWICE! The November 2nd win over powerhouse Lakeland put the Kowboys on the map, but the Kowboys dominated the rematch and looked like legitimate state title contenders.

The Kowboys lost their starting QB before the state championship game, and came up short against St. Thomas Aquinas, but for 14 weeks, Osceola was as good as anyone.

So can they repeat that success in 2008? Some of the pieces are still in place, but coach Jeff Rolson admits there is a little work to do. The entire backfield graduated, and bringing a new backfield up to speed takes time. Rolson and his staff won't have to worry about defense, though - the team started 6 sophomores on "D" in the state title game, and those players are experienced and hungry.

Expect Osceola to be stingy on defense, efficient on offense, and really strong overall. Lakeland and Lake Gibson loom large in district play, though, and Osceola must beat one of the two to advance to the postseason. Last year, Lake Gibson was 8-2 and missed the playoffs, and that could happen to someone in this district again this year. The Kowboys want to make sure they're not the ones on the outside looking in at the playoffs.

Kowboy fans, we want to hear from you... let's talk Osceola football! Blog away, and don't forget to check out Fox Hilites Friday nights during Fox 35 News at 11!

Fox Hilites has this football thing on lockdown. Let's get prepped for the season with our preseason cram sessions!

Pine Castle Christian wasted no time establishing themselves as a top-notch 1B football program. They haven't been playing varsity football that long, but the Eagles look like grizzled veterans, winning 17 games the last two seasons. PCCA didn't lose a district game last year, and were it not for a heartbreaking 21-20 loss to open the playoffs, there's no telling how far this team could have gone. The memory of last year's 8 game winning streak will last a long time in the players' and fans' minds.

Practice started later than usual in Florida this year, and Fay put many teams even further behind schedule. That's why a Week 1 bye is actually a big benefit to the Eagles. They have more time to put the gameplan in place before ram-tough early showdowns with Lake Highland Prep and Bishop Moore. The district schedule is packed (5 district battles in five weeks), but by October 24th, the Eagles will know their playoff fate, giving them three weeks to rest key players for the postseason. The schedule is favorable for a run at the 1B state title game.

Eagle fans, let's talk PCCA football! Do you think they've got what it takes to play for a state title this fall? Blog away, and don't forget to check out Fox Hilites Friday nights during Fox 35 News at 11!

Football season is here, and we're working all night to get ready with our Fox Hilites preseason cram sessions!

Trinity Christian's Eagles turned heads statewide with their incredible late-season run in 2007. The Eagles gave up 12 points in the month of October - that's right, 12 points in A MONTH - then blasted through the first two rounds of the playoffs. Fans in Deltona were talking state title, but FAMU High ended those dreams in the state semis last December.

It wasn't like the success was unprecedented - Trinity Christian made it to the regional finals in 2006. But last year's run was something really special, and it has the program as hungry as ever for another shot at the Citrus Bowl.

14 seniors are gone (a high number for such a small school), and we may not see those gaudy numbers like we did in 2007 (the Eagles broke the 50 point barrier in four different games), but expect the wins to keep piling up. The returning players who remember last year's playoff run will use that experience when November comes, and A.J. Johnson's bunch thinks the combination is there to go all the way to the state title game.

Trinity Christian fans, time to start buzzing. Are the Eagles headed to the Citrus Bowl this year? How many wins can this team get? How many points can they put up? Blog away, and don't forget to check out Fox Hilites Friday nights during Fox 35 News at 11!

It's time to get prepped for football! Fox Hilites gets you geared up for high school football season with our preseason cram sessions!

Leroy Kinard's First Academy (Orlando) Royals advanced to the first round of the playoffs in 2006, then to the second round last fall thanks to an explosive offense that kept the scoreboard operators busy. The Royals scored 55 on St. Edward's, 46 on Holy Trinity Episcopal, 42 against Florida Air Academy, 57 on Bradenton Christian, and at least 20 in four other games! Their knack for finding the end zone helped the wins roll in, even if the defense was spotty at times.

Fast forward to 2008. The schedule favors The First Academy because they get the first week off. That's an extra week to prepare for games, and with so many teams hampered by Tropical Storm Fay, the extra week is something most teams would love to have. There are some great private school pairings on the schedule, including Trinity Prep on September 19th, Deltona Trinity Christian October 31st, and Pine Castle Christian in the season's last game November 14th. The Royals' district foes are improved from last year, but the Royals have every reason to think they can defend last year's district title.

Royals fans, time to talk football! How does TFA look for the fall? Are we looking at another successful 8-win season? Blog away, and don't forget to check out Fox Hilites Friday nights during Fox 35 News at 11!

Fox Hilites is prepping for football season like it's a final exam... with an all-nighter we call the preseason cram sessions!

Lake Highland Prep's 6-4 season was especially impressive when you consider that three of the losses were close ones to South Sumter (state semifinalist), Harmony (3A regional finalist), and Mount Dora (playoff team). The 6-4 could have been a 9-1 season very easily, and that's a tremendous turnaround from the 3-8 mark of 2006.

The Highlanders enter the new season with high hopes, but without linebacker and late-season rushing star Jason Rasmussen, who's settled in at Vandy. A September 12th showdown with Pine Castle Christian is sandwiched between games against Bay Area private school powers, then the district fun starts with South Sumter on September 26th.

If LHP takes care of business down the stretch (specifically, a three-game district stretch againt Jones, Mount Dora and Umatilla), then the postseason is well within reach.

All right, LHP fans, time to make some noise! Tell us what you think about the Highlanders this fall. Is it time to think playoffs? Blog away, and don't forget to check out Fox Hilites Friday nights during Fox 35 News at 11!

It's football time, and we're prepping ourselves for the gridiron insanity with our Fox Hilites preseason cram sessions!

How much difference can a head coach make in the high school ranks? The Jones Tigers are hoping Kenard Lang can make a major impact as the new leader of the program. Lang's got great experience as a former NFL player and Arena coach, and now he's got the task of infusing life into a Jones team that scored 12 points combined in the final 4 games of 2007.

The energy level is as strong as ever with Lang on board, and the Tigers believe their new leader can guide them into the postseason. To do that, Jones will have to edge out district foes like Like Highland Prep and Mount Dora, which is easier said than done.

The key for this pack of Tigers is in the first three games - all road tilts, at Evans, Ocoee and Cypress Creek. A strong performance in September could have the Tigers believing in Lang and his system, and playing their hearts out in October and November to fulfill those postseason dreams.

Jones Tigers fans... it's time to blog! How do you feel about Jones this season? Is a playoff spot in the cards for Lang in his first season as Tigers' coach? Blog away, and don't forget to check out Fox Hilites Friday nights during Fox 35 News at 11!

High school football fans unite! We're rallying the troops for the start of football season with our Fox Hilites preseason cram sessions!

Bishop Moore's 2007 season really made me sit down and think about Florida high school football. The Hornets were 7-3, but finished in a three-way tie for first in their district, setting up tie-breaking mini-games on a Monday night. Even though Bishop Moore hosted those mini-games, they lost two of them - to Eustis and Harmony - ending their playoff chances in a heartbreaking way.

So I thought about that season and the gut-wrenching way it had to end, and I really felt for this talented bunch of Hornets. They and Deltona and a few others really should have had a chance to play in the postseason. In Bishop Moore's case, they were just penalized for being in an unbelievably strong district.

The Hornets enter 2008 looking at a similar situation in their district. Harmony has won 17 games the last two years, and Eustis has 19 wins since '06. Tavares just matched their season win total from last year with an opening win over Leesburg (a district champ last fall), and St. Cloud may have the talent to make a big leap forward. This is one of the toughest districts anywhere in the state!

As for Matt Hedrick and his Hornets, they're just fine heading into the season. There's enough talent on both sides of the ball to keep the wins flowing this fall (Bishop Moore has 18 wins over the last two seasons). The district battles are obviously the key ones, including Harmony on October 10th, and Eustis on November 7th.

Only two teams can make the playoffs out of this district, and the Hornets are determined they won't be the ones on the outside looking in when November rolls around this year.

Bishop Moore fans, it's time to talk Hornets football! How good can this Hornets team be? Is another playoff berth in Bishop Moore's future? Blog away, and don't forget to check out Fox Hilites Friday nights during Fox 35 News at 11!

Fox Hilites has its finger on the high school football pulse, and the pulse is quickening... it's time for football and for our preseason cram sessions!

12 weeks, 12 straight wins. For three solid months last fall, the Seabreeze Sandcrabs looked as strong as anyone in the state of Florida. Week after week, the high-powered Sandcrab offense kept the points rolling, while the defense sealed win after win. Only two teams (Spruce Creek and Lake Mary) scored more than 14 points against the Sandcrabs in the regular season. But the dream run came to a close against traditional powerhouse Nease in the regional finals, with a hard-fought 23-13 defeat.

Marc Beach has 22 wins the last two seasons, and judging from preseason camp, the horses are there for another great run. Seabreeze was the first school I visited on the first day of practice, but the 'Crabs already looked like they were in game-week mode. Troy Dannehouer has graduated, but Seabreeze still loves to throw the football. And look for the defense to steal more headlines this year, as an experienced group is ready to step up.

The early schedule is no day at the beach (sorry, had to go there), with zero home games in September. In fact, the 4A Sandcrabs play class 6A opponents in each of the first three weeks of the season. They'll be battle-tested and ready for what promises to be a tough district schedule.

Sandcrab fans, do you think Seabreeze can win 12 games again? Is it going to be another banner year at Seabreeze? Blog away, and don't forget to catch Fox Hilites Friday nights during Fox 35 News at 11!

Fox Hilites is up all night getting ready for the start of high school football season. Let's get geared up with our preseason cram sessions!

Plum19, I promised you a Pine Ridge cram session, and now Fox Hilites delivers.

So many positives to take from last year's 6-4 campaign. The '07 Panthers shut out three opponents (New Smyrna Beach, Trinity Christian, and Lyman) and came oh-so-close to a playoff berth. Fans won't want to remember last October's 42-27 loss to Lake Howell, but in this case, just missing the playoffs is giving Robert Braucht's Panthers all the motivation they need for a strong 2008.

When we talk Panther offense, it all starts with quarterback Ben Delacruz. #10 is one of those exciting dual-threat QBs, able to beat teams with his arm and his legs. Delacruz and the Panther offense hit its stride late last year, scoring at least 24 points in five straight games. Another stretch like that in the middle of district play could easily put Pine Ridge in the playoffs.

The season starts September 5th against New Smyrna Beach, but the key stretch here happens at the end of the season. Starting October 24th, Pine Ridge has district showdowns with Lyman, Lake Howell, and Hagerty, followed by the heated Battle of the Boulevard against Deltona.

OK, Pine Ridge fans... time to talk Panther football! How many wins can Pine Ridge notch this fall? Who's the toughest game on the Panthers' schedule? Blog away, and don't forget to check out Fox Hilites Friday nights during Fox 35 News at 11!

Fox Hilites is burning the midnight oil to get ready for the start of football season. Welcome to our preseason cram sessions!

I'm not sure there's a program in Central Florida with more buzz than Mainland so far this season. And there's a reason for all the hype - loads and loads of talent, plus an impressive 34-14 win over Central Gwinnett (Ga.) in an early regular-season opener August 29th.

The amazing part of Mainland's early success is that, between the late start of practice and Tropical Storm Fay, this team has had precious little time on the practice field. Folks, it's possible that the Bucs won't be hitting on all cylinders until late September, when John Maronto and his staff start conference play against Pine Ridge.

Still, the talent is there for Mainland to be 3-0 at that point, led by quarterback Greg Ross, who's an exciting playmaker. The Bucs' defense was anywhere from good to brilliant last fall, and Mainland still hangs their hats on that stellar defensive unit.

People are talking 5A state championship game for this bunch, and while there are always bumps along the way, a trip to the Citrus Bowl is a definite possibility.

Mainland Buccaneer fans, let's get the discussion going? Are the Bucs going to state? How many games can they win this year? Blog away, and don't forget to check out Fox Hilites Friday nights during Fox 35 News at 11!