Florida High School Football Games of the Week: August 29-31

It was an exciting season-opening slate in the Sunshine State last weekend as top teams from around the state of Florida tasted their first official action in 2024.

This week features a top-10 showdown between Miami Northwestern and Venice, while IMG Academy and Columbus face out-of-state opponents.

Below are the Florida high school football games of the week.

The On3 Massey Ratings — which were officially used during the BCS era and have generated college high school sports team rankings since 1995 — rank sports teams by analyzing game outcomes, strength of schedule and margin of victory.

CLICK HERE to watch your high school’s games on NFHS Network now!

Top high school football games in Florida

#1 IMG Academy at Bergen Catholic (N.J.) — Thursday, Aug. 29
IMG Academy went on the road to Corner Canyon (Utah) in week one and fell to the Chargers in a 35-34 heartbreaker. Ascenders quarterback and SMU commit Ty Hawkins threw for 260 yards and three touchdowns, also accounting for a score on the ground. Bergen Catholic comes into 2024 as the New Jersey Non-Public A defending state champions after the Crusaders downed Delbarton 24-14 in the title game last season. Four-star wide receiver Quincy Porter is a top-50 recruit nationally and committed to Ohio State, and he’s flanked by fellow Big Ten commits Naiim Parrish and Chris Vigna and four-star juniors Jermaine Kinsler and Jordan Thomas.

#24 Miami Palmetto at Booker T. Washington — Thursday, Aug. 29
Miami Palmetto took on Homestead last Friday and came away with a close 14-10 win. Palmetto’s Corey Pruitt came down with two interceptions for the Panthers, with Japhrece Joseph adding one more. Notre Dame defensive line commit Davion Dixon features for Palmetto in its senior class. Washington downed South Dade 28-6 with a strong defensive effort led by Florida four-star cornerback commit Ben Hanks Jr.

#6 Cocoa at Mainland — Friday, Aug. 30
Cocoa thrashed Titusville in week one with a 42-10 win over the Terriers. Michigan junior top-100 quarterback commit Brady Hart threw for 270 yards and three touchdowns — with 111 of those yards and one score going to UCF four-star wide receiver pledge Jayvan Boggs. Mainland fell to University 31-28 in the season opener after leading 21-10 at halftime.

#10 Northwestern at #4 Venice — Friday, Aug. 30
Miami Northwestern flattened Coconut Creek 45-0 in its first game under new coach Teddy Bridgewater. Junior quarterback Leon Strawder threw four touchdown passes for the Bulls, including two to elite junior wide receiver Calvin Russell. Venice pulled out a win in a high-scoring affair with a 63-40 win over formerly ranked opponent Tampa Bay Tech. James Madison running back commit Jamarice Wilder led the way for the Indians with three touchdowns on the ground. Three blue-chip recruits headline for Northwestern: Penn State commit Antonio Branch and top-100 juniors Calvin Russell and J’Vari Flowers. Vence four-star wide receiver Winston Watkins Jr. and junior athlete Asharri Charles both rank in the top 300 of their respective classes.

Good Counsel (Md.) at #12 Columbus — Friday, Aug. 30
Good Counsel will open up its 2024 season on the road at Columbus this Friday. The Falcons feature multiple Power 4 commits, including Ohio State top-50 defensive back pledge Faheem Delane and West Virginia offensive line commits Gavin Crawford and Eidan Buchanan. Columbus won a nailbiter last Thursday, 17-14 over Miami Southridge. Jason Barket connected with Khamari Marceus from 14 yards out with just 23 seconds left for the game-winning touchdown. The Explorers have a four-star Miami commit on defense in safety Bryce Fitzgerald.

Osceola at #13 Lake Mary — Friday, Aug. 30
Osceola got out to a 1-0 start on the season with a 21-7 win over Treasure Coast following a long weather delay. Miami four-star linebacker commit Elijah Melendez headlines a Kowboys defense that held Treasure Coast to just 31 total yards. Lake Mary came out on top against Cardinal Gibbons with a 49-20 win last weekend. Senior running back Isaiah Thomas ran for 149 yards and a touchdown for the Rams. Junior four-star Notre Dame commit Noah Grubbs runs the offense for Lake Mary and passed for two touchdowns against Cardinal Gibbons.