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Friday night brings another busy slate of high school football across Pinellas County. Several teams enter the night with strong starts to the 2026 season. Others need a victory to change their direction. There are nine games involving Pinellas County programs this Friday, September 18. Seven of those matchups feature two Pinellas teams. Two county teams will travel outside the area for road games. Here is a look at every game involving a Pinellas County program.
Boca Ciega vs. Countryside
Boca Ciega hosts Countryside in one of Friday’s district matchups. The Pirates enter the game at 2-1 this season. Countryside brings a 3-1 record into the matchup. Boca Ciega continues building around quarterback Noah Walstad. The Pirates also have several playmakers at receiver and running back. Countryside enters the game after showing improvement during coach AJ Sattinger’s second season. The Cougars have bought into his program and defensive identity. This matchup should provide another test for both programs. It also carries important district implications later in the season.
Lakewood at Northeast
Lakewood travels to Northeast for another intriguing Pinellas matchup. The Spartans enter Friday with a 1-2 record. However, last year’s 11-2 season shows their potential. Lakewood still has plenty of offensive talent. Quarterback Kreg Brown leads the offense this season. Northeast enters at 2-2 after a challenging start. The Vikings have dealt with major roster turnover since last season. Coach Auggie Sanchez hopes his defensive front can keep Northeast competitive. The Vikings also need their Wing-T offense to find consistency. Lakewood needs a strong performance to regain momentum. Northeast can make a statement with an upset win.
Clearwater at Largo
This could be the biggest game on the Pinellas schedule. Both teams enter Friday with perfect 4-0 records. Largo hosts Clearwater in a matchup featuring two unbeaten teams. Clearwater won a district championship last season. The Tornadoes return plenty of talent at the skill positions. Quarterbacks Tyrone Benjamin and Jaysean Glenn give Clearwater options. Running back Kemariae Bullard also returns after a productive 2025 season. Largo enters with plenty of confidence as well. The Packers return 15 starters across both sides of the football. Quarterback Carmelo Dixon leads an offense with plenty of experience. Largo also has a strong group of receivers and running backs. This game should attract plenty of attention around the county. The winner will leave Friday night with serious momentum.
Clearwater Central Catholic at St. Petersburg Catholic
Clearwater Central Catholic travels to St. Petersburg Catholic for a major matchup. The Marauders enter the game with a 3-0 record. The Barons sit at 2-2 heading into Friday. CCC wants another deep playoff run after reaching three straight state championship games. The Marauders missed that opportunity last season. Quarterback Khayse Barrett returns to lead an experienced passing attack. CCC also brings plenty of speed and physicality on defense. St. Petersburg Catholic remains one of Pinellas County’s most intriguing teams. Quarterback Chase Burrill returns after setting the county record with 53 touchdown passes. Running back Larry Christian III also returns to lead the rushing attack. The Barons reached the regional final last season. They hope Friday starts another run toward the state championship.
Palm Harbor University at Hollins
Palm Harbor University travels to Hollins for another Friday night matchup. The Hurricanes enter with a 1-2 record. Hollins enters the game at 0-4. Palm Harbor University continues developing its offense around a quarterback competition. Jackson Taylor and Anthony Noia battled for the starting job entering the season. The Hurricanes also need four new offensive linemen to develop quickly. Hollins enters a rebuilding season under coach Jason Stokes. The Royals are relying heavily on young players. Defensive end Mateo Itric provides one of the team’s biggest defensive threats. Hollins needs a strong defensive performance to slow the Hurricanes. Meanwhile, Palm Harbor University wants to use Friday’s game to build confidence.
St. Petersburg at Gibbs
St. Petersburg travels to Gibbs for a matchup between two teams seeking momentum. The Green Devils enter Friday at 1-2. Gibbs brings a 1-3 record into the game. St. Petersburg returns quarterback Cole Underwood. He threw for more than 1,100 yards last season. Wide receiver Blake Dickinson also returns after catching nearly 500 of those yards. Gibbs has experience at quarterback and running back. Jordan Calvin and Steven Alexis both return after strong 2025 seasons. Alexis rushed for 1,113 yards last season. Calvin also enters his third season as the team’s starting quarterback. Both teams need this win as district play becomes increasingly important.
Tarpon Springs at East Lake
Tarpon Springs travels to East Lake for another important county matchup. The Spongers enter Friday at 3-1. East Lake enters with a 2-1 record. East Lake finished 8-3 last season and reached the regional semifinals. Running back Brian Ford returns after leading the Eagles in rushing. Quarterback Jace Delk takes over the offense this season. East Lake also returns important players on defense. Tarpon Springs enters with plenty of confidence after its strong start. Coach Jeremy Frioud continues building a physical program. Senior leadership should help the Spongers handle another tough matchup. This game could become one of the night’s most competitive contests.
Northside Christian at Seffner Christian
Northside Christian is the first Pinellas team traveling outside the county. The Mustangs visit Seffner Christian on Friday night. Northside enters at 0-4, while Seffner Christian owns a perfect 4-0 record. Northside needs to find offensive consistency after losing quarterback Jack Griffin. Three quarterbacks competed for the starting job during the offseason. The Mustangs still have talent at wide receiver. Zion Watson produced more than 1,000 receiving yards last season. Seffner Christian presents a major challenge. The Mustangs will need a strong defensive effort to stay competitive. A road victory would provide Northside with a much-needed boost.
Seminole at George Jenkins
Seminole also travels outside Pinellas County on Friday. The Warhawks visit Lakeland George Jenkins at 7:30 p.m. Seminole enters the matchup with a perfect 3-0 record. That start represents a major change for a program that went 0-10 last season. Coach Thomas Pipkins returns for his second season. The Warhawks also have 14 rising seniors in high school providing additional experience. Ryan Abbott can contribute at quarterback and athlete. Trenton Vaughan also provides a weapon on both sides of the football. George Jenkins enters at 2-1. Seminole can continue its impressive turnaround with another victory. This road game could provide the Warhawks with their biggest test yet.
A Big Friday Across Pinellas
Friday’s schedule offers something for nearly every high school football fan. The Clearwater-Largo matchup features two unbeaten teams. CCC and St. Petersburg Catholic also bring major playoff aspirations into their game. Meanwhile, Tarpon Springs and East Lake have both started well. Boca Ciega and Countryside also meet with plenty at stake. Several other programs need victories to change their momentum. That makes Friday night important across the county. The nine Pinellas programs playing this week face different challenges. However, every team has something to prove. By late Friday night, several teams should have clearer playoff paths. Others could find themselves needing a major turnaround. Either way, Pinellas County should have plenty of football excitement under the Friday night lights.
Another big week in high school football in Pinellas County.
Author Profile
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Bradley Walker (VP) and Head of our Florida operations for NGSC Sports, bringing extensive experience across collegiate, professional, and amateur athletics. His coverage spans USF Athletics, including football, baseball, lacrosse, and softball, as well as University of Tampa baseball.
Bradley also provides coverage of minor league baseball with the Clearwater Threshers and Major League Baseball with the Tampa Bay Rays. On the national stage, he covers college football bowl games and conference championship matchups, along with premier golf events across the PGA Tour, LIV Golf, and LPGA Tour.
In addition to his reporting work, Bradley is the play-by-play announcer for Pinellas Park High School Patriots football, lending his voice and insight to Friday night lights.
He is also an active podcast host and contributor, serving as a host on The Walker Report, where he delivers in-depth sports analysis, interviews, and coverage across multiple levels of competition.
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