As Northeast Florida advances toward the high school football season’s kickoff in August, the top Jacksonville rivalries are growing closer by the day.
From the Battle of the Bridge to the Northwest Classic, the First Coast’s rivalry season is getting ready to roll full speed ahead once the Florida High School Athletic Association begins its schedule on Aug. 21.
Not all traditional rivalries from past years still appear on the annual schedule. The Jackson-Riverside series, inaugurated 99 years ago as Jackson-Lee, is now a preseason kickoff classic on Aug. 14, not a regulation game. And several other long-contested series, like Englewood-Wolfson and White-Westside (formerly White-Forrest), aren’t on the slate for 2026.
Here’s when 15 of the most intense gridiron rivalries around the Jacksonville area are scheduled to kick off this fall. Note that all game schedules are as currently listed, but are subject to change.
Baker County at Bradford
When: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 28
Last year: Bradford 24, Baker County 0
All-time record: Bradford leads 43-24-1.
Bartram Trail at Creekside (Battle of Longleaf Pine Parkway)
When: 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 18
Last year: Creekside 28, Bartram Trail 14
All-time record: Bartram Trail leads 16-3.
Beachside at Tocoi Creek (Surf-N-Turf Bowl)
When: 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 4
Last year: Beachside 45, Tocoi Creek 14
All-time record: Tied 2-2.
Bishop Kenny at Bolles
When: 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 11
Last year: Bolles 36, Bishop Kenny 0
All-time record: Bolles leads 42-12-1.
Clay at Fleming Island
When: 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 9
Last year: Fleming Island 42, Clay 20
All-time record: Fleming Island leads 14-6.
Fletcher at Sandalwood
When: 6:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 21
Last year: Fletcher 35, Sandalwood 0
All-time record: Fletcher leads 27-23.
Mandarin at Atlantic Coast (Principal’s Cup)
When: 6:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 28
Last year: Mandarin 54, Atlantic Coast 16
All-time record: Mandarin leads 11-4.
Ponte Vedra at Nease (Battle of the Bridge)
When: 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 23
Last year: Nease 38, Ponte Vedra 28
All-time record: Ponte Vedra leads 12-5.
Ribault at Raines (Northwest Classic)
When: 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 31
Last year: Raines 53, Ribault 0
All-time record: Raines leads 42-14.
Note: Although the schools display an Oct. 31 date on MaxPreps, the FHSAA lists Oct. 30 as the final date for regular season football competition.
St. Augustine at Palatka (Northeast Florida’s Oldest Rivalry)
When: 7 p.m. Friday, Aug. 21
Last year: St. Augustine 41, Palatka 0
All-time record: St. Augustine leads 60-43-3.
Stanton at Paxon (Brain Bowl)
When: 6:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 11
Last year: Paxon 35, Stanton 15
All-time record: Paxon leads 24-15.
Suwannee at Columbia (Old Oaken Bucket)
When: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 30
Last year: Columbia 42, Suwannee 6
All-time record: Columbia leads 60-23-3.
University Christian at Trinity Christian
When: 7 p.m. Friday, Aug. 28
Last year: Trinity Christian 27, University Christian 12
All-time record: Trinity Christian leads 26-12.
West Nassau at Fernandina Beach
When: 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 25
Last year: West Nassau 32, Fernandina Beach 21 (regular season); West Nassau 20, Fernandina Beach 10 (SSAA playoffs)
All-time record: West Nassau leads 30-28.
White at Riverside
When: 6:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 11
Last year: White 64, Riverside 45
All-time record: White leads 22-17.
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: When are Northeast Florida’s football rivalries? See the schedule here
Reporting by Clayton Freeman, Jacksonville Florida Times-Union / Florida Times-Union
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By Clayton Freeman, Jacksonville Florida Times-Union | USA TODAY Network
