The 2026 high school football schedule is full of marquee matchups in Sarasota and Manatee counties.
Booker has one of the toughest non-district schedules in the area, traveling to Washington D.C., and Georgia to face some of the best competition in the country. Defending Class 2A state champion Cardinal Mooney will also challenge itself as it seeks a second-straight title and third in the last four years. Coming off a Class 7A state semifinal loss, Venice hopes to return to glory and will test its ability against nine-time state champion Lakeland in the third week. Parrish Community and Palmetto will also challenge themselves against area competition.
Here is a week-by-week look at the top games for area teams.
KICKOFF CLASSIC
Friday, Aug. 14
Cardinal Mooney vs. St. Thomas Aquinas
While it doesn’t count toward the regular season, the preseason matchup will be Cardinal Mooney’s first test as the Cougars look to earn their second straight title and third overall in four years. Mooney returns Davin Davison, who led the Cougars to the 2025 state title. The 6-foot-7 signal caller received offers from Miami, Georgia and Notre Dome before committing to the Gators in April. Last season, St. Thomas Aquinas went 14-1, earning a Class 5A title — its seventh straight title and 17th overall. Cardinal Mooney is also coming off a championship season, finishing 14-1 and earning the title with a 52-28 win over Bolles. With the FHSAA’s new Open Division, the kickoff classic game could be an early preview of a possible postseason matchup. If the Open Division had been in place last year, both teams would have been in the top eight.
REGULAR SEASON
Friday, Aug. 21
Booker vs. Venice
Last season, Booker finished 12-2, falling to eventual 3A state champion Raines in the state semifinals. It will be a huge test for the Tornadoes against 7A powerhouse Venice, who returns receiver Tyree Mannings Jr. and running back Dorien Jones, with junior quarterback Noah Patton — who transferred from IMG — likely leading the offense. Booker lost many players from its 2026 class, including its starting quarterback, top two receivers and interception leader. Still, the Tornadoes have a bevy of talent. Running back Mike Peterson, who is entering his senior year, had a team-high 544 yards and nine touchdowns on 100 carries. Wideout Kobran Waters will take on a bigger role after recording 303 yards and three touchdowns on 18 receptions.
Palmetto vs. Clearwater Central Catholic
After taking over in 2024, head coach Eric Sanders has gone 19-4 over the last two seasons. The Tigers finished 10-2 in 2025, falling to Mitchell 9-7 in the regional semifinals. In his third season, Sanders is taking on perennial power Clearwater Central Catholic to open the regular season, a team that reached three consecutive Class 1A state title games from 2022 to 2024. Last year, Clearwater finished 10-3, losing to Carrollwood Day 30-28 in the regional final. Despite losing multiple seniors, Clearwater returns three-star cornerback Daveon Belhomme, who recorded 583 yards and five touchdowns on 31 receptions.
Friday, Aug. 28
Cardinal Mooney vs. Cardinal Newman
The teams are coming off state title seasons. While Cardinal Mooney won the Class 2A state championship, Cardinal Newman won the Class 1A title for the first-time in program history. Newman defeated Chaminada-Madonna 17-14. Quarterback Pedro Martinez is Newman’s signal caller, replacing quarterback Jyron Hughley, who threw for 2,018 yards and rushed for 1,528 for a combined 36 touchdowns last season. Hughley now plays at West Virginia. Martinez, who is a junior, transferred from Atlantic after passing for 2,238 yards and 33 touchdowns. He also accounted for 483 rushing yards and eight touchdowns, helping Atlantic reach the regional semifinals.
Palmetto vs. Booker
The powerhouse programs will have a big test during their second week. Palmetto went 10-2 last season and was ranked No. 83 in Florida, while Booker finished 12-2 ranked No. 34 in the state, according to MaxPreps. The two programs last played during the regular season in 2017, where Booker fell 28-0. But Palmetto will meet a new Booker program, which has transformed under former head coach Scottie Littles, who took over in 2022 after a winless 2021 season and a 3-24 stretch since 2019. In his first season, Booker head coach Carlos Woods continued the tradition.
Friday, Sept. 4
Venice vs. Lakeland
Four-time champion Venice will face a huge test against Lakeland — a program that has won nine state titles — in the programs’ first regular season matchup since 2020, where Venice won 41-20. The programs agreed to a two-year deal. Lakeland will host Venice this season, while the Indians will have the home advantage in 2027. The last time the two teams met was in December 2023, when Lakeland defeated Venice 60-48 for the Class 4S title. They also battled in 2022 for the 4S title with Lakeland emerging as the winner. Under head coach Marvin Frazier, Lakeland has competed in four straight state championships. Frazier returns four-star edge Santana Harvey, three-star cornerback Jordan Young and quarterback Kelin Hendrix. The senior signal caller passed for 1,796 yards and 22 touchdowns in 2025.
Cardinal Mooney vs. True North Academy
In 2025, Cardinal Mooney defeated True North 41-14 during its season opener. True North, which began its program in 2020, has become a formidable opponent after finishing 2-5 in its first season. Last year, True North went 10-3, falling to Chaminade-Madonna in the Class 1A regional finals. True North will look to give the Cougars a challenge, returning its star quarterback Zac Katz, who has over 10,000 passing yards and 120 touchdowns. But Cardinal Mooney has some familiar pieces as well, including running back Connail Jackson. The three-star has 21 offers, including ones from Auburn, Louisville, North Carolina and N.C. State. He was named The Herald-Tribune’s Offensive Player of the Year last season, rushing for 2,452 yards and 39 touchdowns.
Friday, Sept. 11
Palmetto vs. IMG Jr. National
The two teams last met in 2023, where Palmetto fell 34-10 to IMG Jr. National at home. Three years ago, the loss was a part of an average 5-5 season, but the Tigers have since changed directions. Over the last two seasons, Palmetto has finished 9-2 and 10-2.
Friday, Sept. 18
Manatee vs. Riverview
In the programs’ last two matchups, Riverview has edged Manatee. Last season, the 9-2-1 Rams routed the Hurricanes 63-42. In 2023, Riverview outlasted Manatee 21-14. Although six-time state champion Manatee finished 6-7 last year, the Hurricanes were plagued by injuries. But this year, the Hurricanes are stronger behind sophomore quarterback Nolan Downes. He transferred from IMG’s Jr. National team after passing for 2,175 yards and 26 touchdowns. The Hurricanes return Keith Smith and Caedon White who combined for over 1,400 rushing yards and 22 touchdowns. Manatee has a strong receiver core as well in Tavares Powell, who transferred from Southeast. Junior Elijah Christian and IMG transfer Deno Dalacas will play a big part in Manatee’s offense. With a strong offense, Manatee hopes to challenge Riverview.
Saturday, Sept. 19
Booker at St. Johns Cadets (Washington, D.C.)
Booker will face an early out-of-state test in the fourth week. Last season, the Tornadoes also scheduled opponents outside of Florida, traveling to Alabama, where Booker fell 24-6 to Auburn. In 2025, St. Johns went 6-5. Still, the Cadets are recognized at the national level, winning 13 conference titles and producing a bevy of Division I talent.
Friday, Sept. 25
Parrish Community vs. Palmetto
Parrish has lost its last two matches against Palmetto, falling 21-14 in 2024 and 38-8 in 2025. Last season, Parrish finished 9-2 while Palmetto went 10-2, but both squads didn’t make it far in the playoffs. Parrish was upset by East Lake 35-7 in the Class 6A regional quarterfinals, while Palmetto made it to the regional semifinals before a narrow 9-7 loss to Mitchell. This season, Parrish will also have a new head football coach, Kody McNear, who previously served as an assistant coach. It’s his first time as a head coach.
Friday, Oct. 2
Booker vs. Valdosta (Georgia)
Booker isn’t shying away from out-of-state talent. The Tornadoes will travel to Georgia to face 24-time state champion Valdosta. The Wildcats also have six national championships. The program’s 980 wins are the most nationally by a high school program, but the program hasn’t won a football state title since 2016. Last year, Valdosta finished 12-2, falling in the Class 6A Final Four.
Cardinal Mooney vs. Clearwater Central Catholic
Last season, Cardinal Mooney defeated Clearwater Central Catholic 49-28 in October. Clearwater eventually went 10-3 to finish the season, falling in the Class 1A regional final. Since 2015, Clearwater Central Catholic is 6-2 against Cardinal Mooney since 2015.
Friday, Oct. 9
Manatee vs. Palmetto
Since 2004, Manatee is 12-6, but last season the Hurricanes’ two-game win streak against the program ended on the road. Palmetto routed Manatee 31-13. The Hurricanes finished 6-7 while Palmetto went 10-2. The Tigers will hope to continue their streak while Manatee will work to strengthen its winning record.
Friday, Oct. 16
Riverview vs. Venice
The teams are two of the strongest in Sarasota County. Last season, Venice went 9-4 while Riverview finished 9-2-1. Venice has won night straight games against Riverview and 20 of the last 21. The Rams’ last victory was in 2019, but they will look to overcome the squad in October.
Friday, Oct. 23
Booker vs. Cardinal Mooney
While Booker and Cardinal Mooney are a local rivalry, the two programs will also be district foes this season. After the FHSAA’s reclassification following the 2025 season, Cardinal Mooney was added to Class 3A-District 12. The two teams will compete for a district title alongside bragging rights. The two programs last played in 2021, where Cardinal Mooney defeated the 0-8 Booker squad 36-0. But the Cougars will meet an improved, in-district Booker.
Parrish Community vs. Manatee
During the FHSAA’s reclassification, Parrish Community moved from Class 6A to Class 5A-District 10, joining the same region with Manatee. And with the matchup scheduled toward the end of the season, the two programs will faceoff in a game that could impact both the district title and standings.
Friday, Oct. 30
Booker vs. Riverview
The programs last played in 2024 with Riverview defeating Booker 41-30. Both teams will end the season with an out of district rivalry matchup that will serve as a final test ahead of playoff season.
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Must-watch high school football games for 2026 season in Sarasota, Manatee
Reporting by Emma Moon, Sarasota Herald-Tribune / Sarasota Herald-Tribune
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Emma Moon, Sarasota Herald-Tribune | USA TODAY Network
