- August 5, 2026
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In two short weeks, the sounds of pads clashing on the field will ring across West Orange and Southwest Orange as the 2026 high school football season kicks off.
After far too long, Friday night lights are back.
The lineups across the gridiron will look different following the Florida High School Athletic Association’s December decision to remove Class 7A, bringing the classes down to six. Rather than Ocoee and West Orange high schools facing off and Dr. Phillips taking on Olympia for their respective district crowns, Dr. Phillips, Olympia and West Orange now are pooled together in Class 6A Region 2 District 6. Ocoee and Horizon now will become foes in the district competition in Class 6A Region 2 District 7.
In addition, excitement is brewing for Independent Division schools, which now will have the chance to compete for a postseason title after the FHSAA named its inaugural Independent League. Lake Buena Vista and Windermere high schools will be pooled together in Independent’s Pool A, North bracket. They will play a regular schedule, and their records will determine the standings for the postseason championship run.
This week, we will take you onto the practice fields at the seven public high schools in West Orange and Southwest Orange. Next week, we will do the same for the private schools.
6A Region 2 District 6
Head coach: Caleb Walls, first year
Games begin at 7 p.m.
Friday, Aug. 21, at The First Academy
Thursday, Sept. 10, at Timber Creek
Friday, Sept. 18, at Winter Park
Friday, Sept. 25, at Olympia*
Friday, Oct. 2, vs. Osceola
Friday, Oct. 9, vs. West Orange*
Friday, Oct. 16, vs. Windermere
Friday, Oct. 23, vs. Edgewater*
Friday, Oct. 30, at Evans
* District game
Rivalry game:
West Orange High, Friday, Oct. 9
Name: Ole Orange Crate game for the orange crate
2025 result: Lost 28-19
Dr. Phillips might have a new face leading its program, but that doesn’t mean one should look at the longstanding dominating force in the football scene any differently. First-year head coach Caleb Walls and his new coaching staff is made up of many other former Panthers who experienced the sweet taste of a state championship appearance , and they are prepared to continue DP’s legacy of production. They are the last Orange County team to win a state championship, which came in 2017.
“The expectations are still the same,” Walls said. “Dr. Phillips has a standard. We want to keep that standard going and elevate it. Our goal is to win every game. That’s why we work and that’s why we prepare for these games. This offseason’s been big for us. So we’re going to continue doing what we got to do to make sure Dr. Phillips football stays Dr. Phillips football.”
The Panthers’ motto remains: All in. Every time a player or coach walks through the doors, through the weight room and onto the field, they are expected to put in everything they have. It’s the team’s standard and it will be their job to uphold it. Everyone understands it and that’s what will pave the way for their success once again.
“Being a player at Dr. Phillips means there’s always a standard you have to live by,” running back Justin Felton II said. “No matter how hard it gets, you always have to put in the grit and the work to get it.”
Felton is in position to become one of the starting rotating RBs for the Panthers’ lineup after its No. 1 running back graduated. Outside of a new coaching staff and some new pieces, the core of DP is remaining the same and will carry over their understanding of each other into every Friday night. Quarterback Tien Williams, who played in DP’s two-man QB rotation last year and threw for more than 600 yards, became a student of the game over the summer. Williams took the “all in” motto to heart, working in the weight room as well on his footwork to help the Panthers return to a state championship.
6A Region 2 District 7
Head coach: Dennis Thomas, sixth year
Games begin at 7 p.m.
Friday, Aug. 21, vs. Lake Buena Vista
Friday, Aug. 28, at West Orange
Friday, Sept. 2, vs. Olympia
Thursday, Sept. 10, at Cypress Creek
Friday, Sept. 18, at Apopka
Friday, Sept. 25, vs. Ocoee*
Friday, Oct. 2, at Boone
Friday, Oct. 9, at East Ridge
Friday, Oct. 23, at Celebration*
Friday, Oct. 30, vs. Windermere
* District game
Rivalry game:
Windermere High, Friday, Oct. 30
Name: Battle of the Grove for the Smudge Pot
2025 result: Lost 48-15
For the past six years, Horizon’s football team has been built from the ground up, starting with training at Bridgewater Middle School and using portables as locker rooms to now having a shiny new weight room. The Hawks have all the pieces needed to find production and will use those tools as the team pursues its goal to keep elevating. Head coach Dennis Thomas said that’s been the Hawks’ motto from the beginning. His squad is putting its best foot forward to get back to its best season which was 7-3 in 2022-23, although they’re striving to do even better.
“Our goal is the playoffs, and once we reach that, then we’ll have another goal,” he said. “Elevated pursuit is our motto. The creed is to look to the horizon. We’re just going to keep going.”
Players such as senior running back Rodrigo Tolentino are stepping up. Tolentino didn’t see much playing time as a RB last year, when the Hawks had their go-to dual-threat player, senior Kaio Oliveira. Now the No. 1 man is gone, and former sophomores and juniors like Tolentino are stepping up.
“This year’s team, first of all, is a strong team; we have two regional (weightlifting) champions,” Thomas said. “We aren’t playing around in the weight room, and we have some additional guys who we think are going to be amazing for us.”
Independent Pool A, North
Head coach: Shawn Holmes, first year
Games begin at 7 p.m.
Friday, Aug. 21, at Horizon
Friday, Aug. 28, vs. Wekiva
Friday, Sept. 11, at Innovation*
Friday, Sept. 18, at Cypress Creek*
Friday, Sept. 25, vs. Colonial*
Friday, Oct. 9, at Freedom*
Friday, Oct. 16, vs. University*
Friday, Oct. 23, vs. Oak Ridge*
Friday, Oct. 30, at Braden River
* District game
Lake Buena Vista is beginning the season with a new staff. The Vipers will be a small but mighty squad, with only 26 players on the roster. It will be crucial for each of them to have a development mindset and adaptability through every snap of the game. Many of the players only have played in one game prior to joining Lake Buena Vista’s team. The smaller numbers mean they will prioritize having a faster transition to maintain the ball on offense and tire out their opponents’ defense before the Vipers themselves become fatigued. Summer workouts prioritized exactly that, with an emphasis on higher energy, too.
“Competitive focus is like a muscle, and we train it like one,” head coach Shawn Holmes said.
Holmes entered a program in a rebuilding year. Many of the players from last year left after mid-season coaching changes. This year is about building a culture from scratch that can sustain success for the next 10-plus years. The Vipers’ four core values are pride, attitude, integrity and discipline, and they will work toward achieving those in everything they do. It applies to football, class and all aspects of life.
While the Vipers will continue to work toward discovering their identity with many new faces, one is coming in with experience and an understanding of Holmes — his son, Preston Herring. Herring and his dad both are coming from Bronson High, and Herring is bringing with him two years of experience. He will primarily play linebacker and tight end for the Vipers, along with other physical players on the linebackers front.
Holmes said the team has everything it needs to have a productive year, and he already has seen improvements in the players who are experiencing their first year of high school football. The Vipers will aim to beat out their opponents through their blocking and tackling.
6A Region 2 District 6
Head coach: Travis Gabriel, eighth year
Games begin at 7 p.m.
Friday, Aug. 21, vs. Colonial
Friday, Aug. 28, at Timber Creek
Friday, Sept. 4, at Horizon
Thursday, Sept. 10, vs. Apopka
Friday, Sept. 18, at Windermere
Friday, Sept. 25, vs. Dr. Phillips*
Friday, Oct. 2, vs. Oak Ridge
Friday, Oct. 9, at Edgewater*
Friday, Oct. 23, at West Orange*
Friday, Oct. 30, vs. East River
* District game
Rivalry game:
West Orange High, Friday, Oct. 23
Name: Backyard Bowl for the fence
2025 result: Lost 48-0
Last year, the injury bug bit Olympia as crucial players went down early. But in the offseason, Olympia prioritized health and recovery.
Head coach Travis Gabriel’s core group of senior captains — Russell Britt, Colton Showley and Noble Davis — are prepared to step into their roles as leaders both on and off the field. They won’t talk down or yell at their teammates, but rather build them from the ground up.
“They’re just going to gel together as a team,’’ Gabriel said. “I don’t think there’s any individualism going on within the team. I think they all just working hard and they just want one goal. The only number that matters is the win. They don’t care who is doing what. They just want to compete and fight with each other.”
Last season, the Titans lost close games they should have won had they been more disciplined. This year, discipline no longer will be an issue — the players have recognized the errors and are ready to make a real change. The Titans’ mindset has shifted and they’re trusting in their experienced coach.
What hasn’t shifted is its pieces on the field that will pave the way for success. Davis, who started in the quarterback slot for Olympia last year, once again will return to attack the air for the Titans. The QB recorded more than 1,000 yards in 2025 and hopes to exceed that this season.
6A Region 2 District 7
Head coach: Buck Gurley, fourth year
Games begin at 7 p.m.
Friday, Aug. 21, at Edgewater
Friday, Sept. 4, at Apopka
Thursday, Sept. 10, at West Orange
Friday, Oct. 2, vs. Jones
Friday, Oct. 9, at Celebration*
Friday, Oct. 16, at Boone
Friday, Oct. 23, vs. East Ridge*
Friday, Oct. 30, at Winter Park
* District game
Rivalry Game:
West Orange High, Thursday, Sept. 10
Name: Battle for the Shield
2025 result: Lost 21-14
Ocoee has one main goal: finish. In 2025, the team always started each of its games strong, but looking through the stats, the Knights always lost in the fourth quarter for most of its six losses.
The Knights hope to put an end to that trend. The work to change the trajectory began through the summer workouts. Head coach Buck Gurley said the players did a wonderful job about turning up through their break from classes, averaging 128 players at every workout.
“The guys that we have now — they are excited,” Gurley said. “They’re playing with a lot of intensity right now, so we’re going to see something different. We’re still young, which is what I like. But we’re going to see something completely different with these guys this year.”
The Knights have had major swings in its roster, with a rampant transfer portal and new names, including new quarterback Nathanial Watkins, who is aiming to throw for more than 2,500 yards per game. One of the biggest new names the Knights brought in to help elevate the team to the next level didn’t come from the players roster but rather the coaching staff. Ocoee now has Sammy Watkins, a former Super Bowl champion, as its wide receivers coach.
“Sammy is a huge part of the puzzle that we’re trying to build at Ocoee,” Gurley said. “We’re trying to get guys (who) are willing to teach these young guys what it is to play the game and how it’s lifting, making it to that next level.”
Watkins’ knowledge combined with the other members of the staff and Gurley, who also played in the NFL, will be fused together to teach the young men consistency.
“We’ve always been consistent,” Gurley said. “We just haven’t had that finish mentality. Now we’re to the point where we’re just kind of tired, 5-5 doesn’t work. Now we have to get out of that habit.”
6A Region 2 District 6
Head coach: Geno Thompson, sixth year
Games begin at 7 p.m.
Thursday, Aug. 20, vs. Archbishop Hoban
Friday, Aug. 28, vs. Horizon
Friday, Sept. 4, vs. Wekiva
Thursday, Sept. 10, vs. Ocoee
Friday, Sept. 18, at Lake Mary
Friday, Sept. 25, at Edgewater*
Friday, Oct. 9, at Dr. Phillips*
Friday, Oct. 16, vs. South Lake
Friday, Oct. 23, vs. Olympia*
Friday, Oct. 30, at Jones
* District game
Rivalry games:
Dr. Phillips High, Ole Orange Crate Game, Friday, Oct. 9
2025 result: Won 28-19
Ocoee High, Battle for the Shield, Thursday, Sept. 10
2025 result: Won 21-14
Olympia High, Backyard Bowl, Friday, Oct. 23
2025 result: Won 48-0
West Orange once again has set itself up to be a dominating force on the gridiron. Quarterback AJ Chung, who set records with his powerful sophomore season with 41 passing touchdowns, is ready to start his junior campaign and rewrite his own records. His right-hand receiver, Yuto Kawamura-Johnson, who averaged 63.8 yards per game, will be back in the blue-and-orange gear. The Warriors’ hammer, running back Jayden Ammons, who averaged 61.5 yards per game last season and led the team with 12 total touchdowns, also is making his senior-year return.
“I want to hit that second level, and nobody will be able to catch me, so I’m working on finishing plays, not necessarily getting bigger but getting faster in the pace of my game,” Ammons said of his offseason preparation.
With many returning faces on the offensive side of the ball, the Warriors’ offense, which averaged 4.4 touchdowns per game, is in prime position to maintain its history of success and present a competitive front in the postseason.
The Warriors’ turnover mostly has come on the defensive side, but the team’s secondary is solid. Linebackers are playing at a high level, and new faces will make their way onto the field.
“(Thompson) makes it really easy for us to play football at a high level and our expectation for next year is going to be really high because … the people that graduated, they left us (with) a high expectation for our performance last year and how they carry themselves at the school,” edge rusher Matheus Kaminski said.
Independent Pool A, North
Head coach: Riki Smith, fifth year
Games begin at 7 p.m.
Friday, Aug. 21, vs. Winter Park
Friday, Sept. 4, at Edgewater
Thursday, Sept. 10, vs. Wekiva
Friday, Sept. 18, vs. Olympia
Friday, Sept. 24, vs. Liberty
Friday, Oct. 9, at St. Cloud
Friday, Oct. 16, at Dr. Phillips
Friday, Oct. 23, vs. Freedom*
Friday, Oct. 30, at Horizon
* District game
Rivalry game:
Horizon High, Friday, Oct. 30
Name: Battle of the Grove for the Smudge Pot
2025 result: Won 48-15
The Wolverines found themselves in position to celebrate back-to-back 10-0 seasons. An incredible feat, but entering this year, the team is erasing its memory. The past helped teach Windermere what it could be, how to find success within themselves. Now, as the team takes the field against dominating forces across the football landscape, it will combine its previous knowledge to show up against those names such as Edgewater and Dr. Phillips. The team’s winning culture and team-first mindset will be set as it takes on the field for its inaugural season in the North of Independent division.
Now their focus is about development.
Head coach Riki Smith saw the most summer participation from his new squad. Any losses the team might take are lessons for the bigger picture: a state championship at the end of the season. Smith worked at DP for 14 years, and he’s earned a championship ring. But rather than chasing another title, he is working on getting the boys in shape for their year to come and the years that will follow.
Despite losing 29 seniors, new pieces already have fallen into place. Smith said he sees a new sense of determination and understanding on the team. Previous rosters understood the situation they were in — no championship ring to chase — and they were fine with it. This year’s team also understands the scenario they’re in and the postseason stakes with which they’re presented.
Likewise, Smith is eager to see how his Wolverines stack up against the “big boys.” They will win through the little tasks. Win in the weight room, the recovery process, training and nutrition. Those baby steps are how Windermere will approach its year.
“Adversity is inevitable,” Smith said. “It’s how you respond.”
