The preseason action and hype has come to an end. Finally, we have reached Week 1 of the 2022 Florida high school football season. It includes some high-profile in-state contests – IMG Academy vs. Miami Central and Venice vs. Miami Northwestern, for example – but those games may take a back seat to some huge interstate matchups, two of which will be televised nationally on ESPN. With the national spotlight pointed at the Sunshine State, Week 1 might be considered a showcase for Florida high school football.
Let’s look first at those two interstate contests on ESPN, a doubleheader in Fort Lauderdale this Saturday. The eyes of the high school football world will be on Brian Piccolo Stadium when St. Thomas Aquinas takes the field at noon to play one of Pennsylvania’s top teams, St. Joseph’s Prep. Next up will be American Heritage colliding with a Los Alamitos (CA) team that’s led by five-stars Malachi Nelson at quarterback and Makai Lemon at wide receiver and boasts potentially one of the best offenses in the Golden State this season.
St. Thomas Aquinas isn’t the only defending state champion that will take on a prominent out-of-state opponent this week. Class 1M’s Chaminade-Madonna will face St. John’s of Washington D.C. in another national matchup, and 2M’s Cardinal Gibbons will take on Maryland’s DeMatha.
Florida teams will appear in a few other marquee interstate matchups across the Southeast as well. Keep an eye on Western and Miami Columbus, which will take on two teams from Georgia, John’s Creek and Benedictine, respectively, while Armwood will face a notable team from Alabama in Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa.
Clearly the national spotlight will be on Florida high school football in Week 1 of the 2022 season. It will be interesting to see how brightly those Sunshine State teams shine against some of the best out-of-state competition.
