Since Lake Mary upset Vero Beach on the final play of the 7A state title game last December, we have waited over the past eight plus months for the return of high school football.
Through months of conditioning, camps, combines and 7-on-7 events and nearly a month of preparation, we have finally reach the opening night of the regular season.
With teams having dreams of playing for a state title, the state of Florida will open the gates – for real – as programs are anxious to showcase their teams and new players.
Never before has their been such an active off season where players moved schools at a record pace, and while many have questioned the number of transfers, answers will come quickly with two Thursday night contests in south Florida that will feature programs with high hopes and several new faces.
With a number of games taking place on this Thursday, we will spotlight one in Miami-Dade and one in Broward County that features teams that are familiar to championship football.
Miami Columbus at Miami Southridge, 7. This opener will provide a barometer for the visiting Explorers, who had a disappointing season in 2025 under veteran head coach Dave Dunn and a Spartan squad that fell short in the state playoffs for the second straight season.
With Columbus getting plenty of off season attention for the elite prospects added to their roster, head coach Pierre Senatus and Southridge were relatively quiet, adding new players but nowhere near what some of the other Miami-Dade and Broward teams have.
Both programs have a challenging schedule – with the Explorers getting nationally rated Las Vegas Bishop Gorman and Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas along with rival Miami Palmetto in the coming weeks.
MIAMI CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS EXPLORERS 2026 SCHEDULE
8/20 - @Miami Southridge
8/29 – Las Vegas Bishop Gorman (Broward County National Football Showcase)
9/4 - @Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas
9/10 - @Miami Palmetto
9/18 - @Homestead South Dade
9/24 – Homestead
10/1 – Southwest Miami
10/9 - @Coral Gables
10/16 – GMAC Week
10/23 - @Miami Northwestern
MIAMI SOUTHRIDGE SPARTANS 2026 SCHEDULE
8/20 – Miami Christopher Columbus
8/28 - @Homestead
9/4 – Miami Palmetto
9/17 – Miami True North Classical Academy
9/25 – Hialeah Gardens Mater Academy
10/1 - @Homestead South Dade
10/9 - @Miramar Everglades
10/16 – GMAC Week
10/23 – Fort Lauderdale Dillard
10/30 – Miami Jackson
Hollywood Hollywood Chaminade-Madonna vs. Coconut Creek Monarch (Deerfield Beach), 7. In their 10th consecutive appearance in the state championship game, veteran head coach Dameon Jones and his Lions were upset by West Palm Beach Cardinal Newman. That loss did not sit well with this program.
While several players graduated and others departed, it was time for this national power to regroup and get things back into focus – and they did just that.
Coming off a convincing kickoff classic win against Miami Norland, this program is not only looking to make a splash in 2A, but also is one of those programs that has the talent and coaching to make it into the newly created “Open Division” with an amazing amount of talent on both sides of the ball.
For the Knights, last year was certainly not what this team wanted to accomplish, so like many other programs, they did something about it in the off season.
With several new faces along with impressive newcomers, they figure to make an impact this season.
Veteran Head Coach Calvin Davis knows that his team can make a statement tonight – with a competitive schedule looming this season.
HOLLYWOOD CHAMINADE-MADONNA LIONS 2026 SCHEDULE
8/20 - @Coconut Creek Monarch
8/27 – Sierra Canyon, California
9/4 – Plantation American Heritage
9/10 – Miami True North Classical Academy
9/18 - @Fort Lauderdale Cardinal Gibbons
9/25 – Boca Raton St. Andrew’s Academy
10/2 – Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas
10/9 - @West Palm Beach Cardinal Newman
10/16 – Hollywood McArthur
10/30 - @Coconut Creek
COCONUT CREEK MONARCH KNIGHT 2026 SCHEDULE
8/20 – Hollywood Chaminade-Madonna
8/27 – Miramar
9/4 - @Fort Lauderdale Cardinal Gibbons
9/18 – Sunrise Piper
9/25 – Deerfield Beach
10/2 - @Coconut Creek
10/9 – Boca Raton Olympic Heights
10/16 - @Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas
10/22 - @West Boca Raton
10/29 - @Pembroke Pines Flanagan
In addition to those two games this evening, here is a look at the rest of Thursday’s schedule and the first week of the 2026 season:
Deerfield Beach at Pembroke Pines Charter, 6
Fort Lauderdale vs. Coral Springs Taravella (Coral Springs), 7
Fort Lauderdale Dillard vs. Sunrise Piper (PAL), 7
Fort Lauderdale Pine Crest at Coral Springs Charter (Coral Glades), 7
Miami Beach at Tavernier Coral Shores, 7
Miami Norland at Homestead South Dade vs. Miami Norland (Harris Field), 6
Miami Westminster Christian at Miami St. Brendan, 7
North Miami Beach vs. Miami Lakes Barbara Goleman (Milander), 7
Oakland Park Northeast at Fort Lauderdale Calvary Christian, 7
Pembroke Pines Somerset Academy at Delray American Heritage, 7
South Miami at Miami Sunset, 3:30
Southwest Ranches Archbishop McCarthy at Royal Palm Beach, 7
Weston Cypress Bay at South Plantation, 7
FRIDAY, AUGUST 21ST
Boca Raton St. John Paul II at Miami Belen Jesuit, 7
Coconut Creek North Broward Prep at Cooper City, 7
Doral Academy at Naples Golden Gate, 7
Doral Ronald Reagan at Miami Varela, 3:30
Fort Lauderdale Cardinal Gibbons at Miramar, 7
Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas at Davie Western (Pembroke Pines Flanagan), 7
Hallandale at Davie Nova, 7
Hialeah American vs. Homestead (Harris), 7
Hialeah Gardens Mater Academy vs. Hialeah (Milander), 7:30
Hialeah Miami-Lakes at Hialeah Gardens, 3:30
Homestead Somerset Silver Palms at Miami Ransom Everglades, 7
Jacksonville Mandarin at Hollywood McArthur, 7 (Broward Showcase Game)
Lauderdale Lakes Boyd Anderson at Hollywood Hills, 4
Fort Lauderdale NSU University at Mount Dora Christian, 7
Miami Braddock at Miami Florida Christian, 7
Miami Carol City at Daytona Beach Mainland, 7
Miami Central at Orange Lutheran, California, 10
Miami Coral Park vs. Southwest Miami (Tropical), 7:30
Miami Coral Reef at Miami Archbishop Carroll, 3:30
Miami Edison vs. Miami Springs (Ives Park), 7
Miami Ferguson at Miami Gulliver Prep, 3:30
Miami Gardens Monsignor Pace at Naples St. John Neumann, 7
Miami High vs. Coral Gables (Curtis Park), 7:30
Miami Immaculata LaSalle vs. Miami Booker T. Washington (Curtis Park), 3
Miami Northwestern at St. Petersburg Lakewood, 7:30
Miami Palmetto vs. Miami Killian (Southridge), 7:30
Miami SmartEn Sports at Miami Palmer Trinity, 4
Miramar Everglades at Hollywood South Broward, 6:30
North Lauderdale Somerset Prep at Fort Lauderdale Westminster Academy, 7
North Miami at Clearwater Calvary Christian, 7
Plantation at Coconut Creek (Deerfield Beach), 7
Pompano Beach at Coral Springs Parkridge Christian, 7
Pompano Beach Blanche Ely at Coral Springs Coral Glades, 7
West Boca Raton at Plantation American Heritage, 7
MIAMI-DADE/BROWARD INFORMATION YEAR-ROUND. https://larryblustein.com/
For the past 56 years, we have spent more time on football fields than anyone in the country. From games to practices, camps, combines and 7-on-7 events, we get to as many events as possible to see the athletes LIVE. Follow us on Facebook (Larry Blustein), Instagram (OurBoyBlu) and Twitter (@PrepRedzoneFL). Contact us at: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..