High School Football: Winners and Losers from Aug. 13-16

High school football is back, and the first major weekend of action didn’t disappoint. But the real story is more than just who won and lost. We’re looking at the players who stood out, the coaches who had a good start and the fans who are either celebrating or scratching their heads. This week, we’re highlighting the biggest winners and losers – the people and moments that made the weekend memorable.

WINNERS

Grayson Rams: Grayson‘s opener against Collins Hill was delayed by more than two hours due to weather, but that didn’t seem to bother the Rams. They jumped all over the Eagles and cruised to a 51-3 victory that finally, mercifully, ended at 12:40 a.m. Grayson head coach Santavious Bryant downplayed it after the game, but it definitely seemed like his players were focused on avenging their only loss from a year ago.

Miami Northwestern interim head coach Jaquatin Victrum: While former Miami Northwestern head coach Teddy Bridgewater was throwing touchdowns in the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ 16-14 preseason win over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Saturday night, his high school alma mater was taking care of business in Vero Beach against Lakeland. Though the result of this kickoff classic won’t count in the final standings, it was an impressive debut for Bulls interim coach Jaquatin Victrum, who took over a very difficult situation at Northwestern following Bridgewater’s departure. Victrum kept the roster together, helped his players block out the noise and led them to a 40-3 exhibition rout of the Lakeland Dreadnaughts. The games start counting for real next week, and Northwestern opens with a home date against one of California’s best teams, the Orange Lutheran Lancers.

IMG Academy head coach Greg Studrawa: IMG Academy faced questions about its dominance all offseason. How would the nationally-ranked program fare under first-year head coach Greg Studrawa? Did losses to Corner Canyon (Utah) and St. Frances Academy (Md.) last season signal the Ascenders were losing their edge? Well, Studrawa had his team in midseason form on Friday in a 41-6 preseason victory over an upstart The First Academy team looking to make its mark nationally. IMG Academy will officially open its high school football season Friday against Hoover (Ala.).

LOSERS

Fans at the Grayson-Collins Hill game: If you were one of the several hundred high school football fans that waited out a lengthy weather delay on Friday, you probably felt like your patience would be rewarded by a compelling high school football game. Welp. Only four other games in the state of Georgia were more lopsided than Grayson’s 48-point shellacking of Collins Hill. Rams fans, no doubt, had a great time. If you were an Eagles supporter or just a fan of high school football, it probably won’t go down as a highlight of the season.

Brookwood Broncos: Of all the Corky Kell + Dave Hunter Classic games played at the Atlanta Falcons’ Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Saturday, Brookwood faced the biggest heartbreak to start the season. Up against a very good Houston County Bears’ club, the Broncos battled back and forth to tie up the game late. Overtime seemed assured until with, less than fifteen seconds remaining, the Brookwood defense broke down and Houston County quarterback Ryan Maxwell found a wide-open Jase Jordan for a go-ahead 17-yard touchdown.

Lakeland Dreadnaughts faithful: High school football fans from around the 863 had a lot of renewed hope heading into this 2025 season after the Dreadnaught’s disappointing 34-0 loss to St. Thomas Aquinas in last year’s Class 5A state championship game. The standard is the standard at Lakeland when it comes to winning and it’s been a bit since the Dreadnaughts last won. The team’s last three games – official or unofficial – have all been losses: St. Thomas Aquinas in the state title game, Tampa Jesuit in the spring game and now Miami Northwestern in the kickoff classic. Lakeland won’t have to wait much longer to get back on track as it will open its season on Thursday night against Auburndale.