This week marks the official start of the 2024 high school football season in Florida, with most of the games being played on Thursday, Aug. 22 and Friday, Aug. 23. Five high school teams in the western communities are in action during the first week of play.
Royal Palm Beach is looking to improve upon last year’s 3-7 record, which easily could have been a 5-5 slate. This year, the Wildcats open up on the road against Port St. Lucie High School. The game is scheduled for Friday, Aug. 23 at 7 p.m.
According to RPBHS head coach Chuck Kenyon, his team will be looking to continue the momentum following its big 52-7 win over Olympic Heights High School on Friday, Aug. 16 in a preseason kickoff classic game.
“We have a few areas that we still have to work on,” Kenyon said. “Special teams is an area we have to get better at. Our continuity with the offensive line is a must as well.”
In week two of the season, Royal Palm Beach will play its home opener against John I. Leonard High School on Friday, Aug. 30. That game will kick off at 6:30 p.m.
Wellington’s second-year head coach Ross Pryor is optimistic that the Wolverines will have a solid season following his team’s convincing 42-0 win over Suncoast High School on Friday, Aug. 16 in its preseason kickoff classic game.
“We still need to improve and use this win versus Suncoast to help us keep moving forward to the next game,” Pryor said. “Sometimes, we win like this, and we can lose focus on things we need to get better at. The emphasis will be on just keep getting better and to find ways to improve every day.”
Wellington played its season-opener at home against St. Lucie West Centennial High School on Thursday, Aug. 22. The results of the game were not available at press time. In week two of the season, Wellington will host the Trojans from Lake Worth High School on Thursday, Aug. 29 at 6:30 p.m.
According to Palm Beach Central High School head coach Kevin Thompson, his team must make big improvements in all areas now that the regular season has arrived. The Broncos had a tough 46-17 loss to Atlantic High School on Friday, Aug. 16 in their preseason kickoff classic game.
“We have to get better as a whole, both players and coaches,” Thompson said.
Palm Beach Central High School opens its regular season on Friday, Aug. 23 at Pahokee High School. The game has a 6:30 p.m. kickoff. In week two of the season, Palm Beach Central will travel to West Boca Raton High School on Thursday, Aug. 29 for a 6:30 p.m. game.
At Seminole Ridge High School, the Hawks are coming off a close 20-17 loss to Martin County High School in its preseason kickoff classic game on Friday, Aug. 16.
Seminole Ridge head coach Chad Chieffalo is optimistic that this year’s squad will learn from that loss against Martin County and have a memorable season, since he has so many senior playmakers on this year’s team who will lead by example.
“We have several key players this year,” Chieffalo said. “Obviously, senior Ty Jackson (linebacker/wide receiver/kick returner) is going to be a huge difference maker in all phases. But he’ll be getting help from guys like senior Preston Swope (defensive end/tight end), senior Daniel Pierre Louis (offensive tackle/defensive tackle) and senior Willie Young (running back/linebacker).
In the days leading up to this Friday’s season and home opener against Glades Central High School, Chieffalo and his staff have been establishing their rushing attack and improving the play of the Hawks’ defensive line.
“The points of emphasis this week are stopping their run game, while getting ours going early,” Chieffalo said. “Both of these offensive lines were up for the ESPN Top Offensive Line Award, with the [Glades Central] Raiders taking home the prize. I feel like our guys are out to prove the experts wrong this week. It will be a matter of whose D-line holds up the longest. Either way, we’re looking forward to a great season opener.”
The King’s Academy Lions, under the leadership of second-year head coach Dan Burak is expecting his team to follow in the footsteps of last year’s squad, which qualified for the Florida High School Athletic Association postseason playoffs.
The Lions had a strong showing on Friday, Aug. 16 when they defeated the Cobras from Park Vista High School, 49-7, in a preseason kickoff classic game. TKA opens the regular season at home on Friday, Aug. 23 against cross-county rival Saint Andrew’s School. Kickoff will be at 6:30 p.m. In week two of the season, TKA will travel to Fort Pierce Westwood Academy on Friday, Aug. 30 for a 6:30 p.m. game.
The Berean Christian School Bulldogs played Boca Raton Christian School in a preseason kickoff classic game on Thursday, Aug. 15. In that game, Boca Christian prevailed, 49-0. The Bulldogs don’t open their season until Friday, Sept. 6, when they travel to Orlando to play Central Florida Christian Academy. The game’s kickoff is set for 4 p.m.
