Northeast Fl- The 2026 high school football season officially gets underway Friday night when First Coast travels to Winton Drive to face Ribault in a Week 1 matchup that gives both programs an opportunity to start the season with a statement.
Kickoff is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. at Ribault High School. The game also brings back memories of last season, when First Coast opened its 2025 schedule with a preseason victory over Ribault before both programs took very different paths during the regular season.
First Coast Looks to Take the Next Step
First Coast finished 5-6 in 2025, including a 0-3 district record. While the Buccaneers finished below .500, they showed signs of progress and closed the season with several competitive performances. First Coast also defeated Sandalwood, Clay and Baker County during the season.
The 2026 season presents an important opportunity for the Buccaneers. First Coast moves into Class 6A, District 1, alongside Atlantic Coast, Creekside, Flagler Palm Coast, Sandalwood and Tocoi Creek.
No Small Feat: Marcus Small
The biggest name on the First Coast roster is Marcus Small, a 6-foot-7 offensive tackle in the Class of 2027.
Small has already committed to Syracuse, making him one of the top recruited offensive linemen in Northeast Florida. ESPN lists Small among its Florida Class of 2027 prospects, while Prep Redzone also has him among its ranked Florida players.
Small’s size and athletic ability is certainly obvious, but coaches and even Small himself understands that there is much more room to grow and get better. At the Baker’s Sports High School Media Day, Small said that he was “taking football to improve his physicality and pass protection, so that he can keep his quarterback safe”. His presence will be especially important against a Ribault defense looking to disrupt the Buccaneers’ offensive rhythm.
Raines completely overwhelmed the Bucs offensive line as a whole en route to a . Although First Coast won’t face teams with a defensive line like the defending state champs, they still need to shore up the interior to give their play-making quarterback time to find his athletes.
At quarterback,junior David Hunter returns bringing with him supreme athleticism at 6’2, 170lbs.Hunter currently has an offer from Tuskegee and showed in the kickoff classic versus Raines that he has a big arm to go with his wheels on the ground. Hunter hit his wide receiver Zerion “ZeZe Wilson” on a short comeback, but Wilson’s speed and quick cutting ability did the rest scoring on 60 yard touchdown pass. This connection looks promising this year for the Bucs.
My Touchdown against Raines !#6 @firstcoastbucs pic.twitter.com/Zx3lef4zG7
— Zerian Wilson (@ZerianWilson_) August 15, 2026
Another receiver Hunter will look to connect with is Jaylen Parks. The 6’2, 175lbs wide-out is a speedster, running the 110 meter hurdles as well as maintaining a 4.0 GPA.He is a big target and has trained hard for a big year. He is tagged as a breakout candidate this year.
On defense, First Coast Coach Jarvis Parker mentioned linebacker Sean Bridgewater (2028), and defensive end Jamon Hill as players to watch this year. “They’ve been putting in a lot of work”, said Parker. He is looking for them to make the next step.
Parker has built a relationship with players and he credits his “honesty” and love toward them as part of reasons why they have stayed at the school in a climate of high school transfers. After taking over for long time Coach Marty Lee, Parker has fully implemented his system and philosophy on the team.
With a roster coming off a five-win season, First Coast enters 2026 looking to push toward a winning record and compete for a playoff spot in its new district.
Ribault Looking for a Turnaround
Ribault enters Week 1 with a much different objective.
The Trojans finished 1-9 in 2025, with their lone victory coming against Westside. Ribault scored 78 points in the seven games while allowing 261, showing how much work remained on both sides of the football.
The good news for Ribault is that 2026 brings a fresh start, and their contest against Rickards (Tallahassee Florida) was a good test for them against a good program with lots of talent this year. Although the Trojans were outmatched, going against top recruited talent can prepare players for future opponents.
The Trojans will see those future opponents in a district that is now classified as Class 4A, District 3, with district games against Columbia, Ed White, Yulee, and Riverside. They will need all of the preparation they can get with those opponents.
Ribault also enters the season with several young players who could help change the direction of the program.
Ribault Trojans slogan for the year is ” Buy In, Lock In”, emphasizing everyone being on board with the New program and the direction.
Senior Jalen Peters is a 6’4, 225lbs athlete that is committed to Morgan State. Peters said at the Baker’s Sports High School Media Day that the Trojans are looking to shock some teams. “We have a lot of seniors, we’ve been working hard and the Trojans have something to say”, said Peters.
The Trojans also return a roster featuring several juniors and seniors, including wide receivers Ja’Marre James, Terrence Croley and Sedric Nelson, along with defensive end/tight end Jalen Peters.
Breaon Bethea is another name to look out for with the Trojans. Head Coach Michael Hunter said the 5’10 athlete is “my Travis Hunter” because the senior will play all over the field.
Ribault is one of Jacksonville’s proudest football programs, and the Trojans will begin their 2026 campaign at home.
A Chance to Set the Tone
For First Coast, Friday night is about building momentum toward a winning season.
For Ribault, it is about changing the conversation.
The Trojans lost 12-8 to First Coast in their 2025 preseason meeting, so they know they can compete with their Jacksonville rival.
First Coast has the advantage in returning proven production and recruiting talent, but Ribault has home-field advantage and plenty of motivation after a difficult 2025 campaign.
The Buccaneers will look to spread the field allowing their speed to create mismatches. Ribault’s best opportunity will be to create turnovers, make the game physical and keep the contest close into the second half. The winner of the game will start 2026 fast, looking forward to keeping W’s in the win column.
