High School Football: Winners and Losers from Nov. 6-Nov. 8

Now that the high school football regular seasons for most of the country have wrapped up, coaches and players turn their attention to the postseason. The week of Nov. 6-Nov. 8 provided more surprises and upsets around the country as games become that much more important around this time of the year. We’re looking at the players who impressed, the coaches who stood out 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 past weekend memorable.

WINNERS

Florida high school football coaches: We’ll preface this all by saying nothing is absolutely set in stone when it comes to high school football coaches out of the Sunshine State are definitely getting raises, but we will say it’s looking up for them. Last week, Dr. Andrew Ramjit, Executive Director of the Florida Coaches Coalition, met with Florida’s Senate education committee last week in Tallahassee to present evidence of the need for higher pay when it comes to the state’s high school sports coaches. Needless to say, it looks like the meeting was met with a strong positive response and momentum continues to grow towards coaches in Florida to get minimum wage when it comes to their stipends. “Extremely encouraged. If you look over the last 40 years, when we’re talking about coaches, coaches compensation, you haven’t seen movement or momentum like we have right now,” Ramjit said via a News4JAX report. Rivals spoke to Ramjit over the weekend and next up is legislators putting together a bill and having it presented, which could come as early as the beginning of 2026.

Kahuku Red Raiders (HI): For the 31st time in team history, Kahuku was taking home another Oahu Interscholastic Association (OIA) title from over the weekend. Difference was this was the first of its kind as it was the first-ever Open Division championship. What the Red Raiders had to do in order to beat a formidable Kapolei bunch was hold strong at the goal line to secure a 12-7 victory. Under the direction of interim coach Nihoa Pule all throughout the season, Kahuku opened the 2025 campaign with a 20-0 loss to St. Louis, leaving some to believe this might be another year without a title for the Red Raiders. Instead, Pule, who was the defensive coordinator before assuming the role of interim coach, pulled Kahuku together and was able to lead the team on the road to another state crown. Now, was it enough for the school to remove the interim tag for Pule? Only time will tell.

Bullock County Hornets (Ala.): We highlighted this feat on Saturday, but it’s such an accomplishment, it deserves to be on our winners list. When Bullock County defeated Oak Grove on Friday night, 21-7, history was made in the state of Alabama. For the first time ever, in 118 years as a school, Bullock County had won a high school football playoff game. Now yes, the Yellowhammer State has only had postseason games since the 1960’s, but we also have to take into account how long the school has been around and that’s since Theodore Roosevelt was in office. Bullock County coach Jeremy Vines has done a tremendous job in what is a historic season for the Hornets and now he and his team look to make more history as they take on Mobile Christian School in Alabama’s Class 4A playoffs this week.

LOSERS

High school football fans that wanted to see IMG Academy–St. Frances Academy play each other: You might’ve heard about it, but the highly anticipated high school football matchup between the Ascenders and Panthers isn’t happening. After IMG Academy put out a statement last week that the game was not going to be played as scheduled, they announced Friday that the contest against St. Frances Academy wouldn’t be rescheduled at all. The game that was originally scheduled for Nov. 7 was tabled and then canceled by IMG Academy due to player safety concerns, which everyone can understand that a month-plus long break that extends past Early National Signing Day might be a stretch. So why not play next week or the week after? Why does this game have to be totally, one hundred percent off the table? The losers here are high school football fans that would’ve traveled to Baltimore or Bradenton to see this titanic matchup between arguably the top two teams in the country. Instead, everyone is left to wonder what could’ve been.

Tabor Academy Seawolves (Mass.): We’re not saying that rematches are not somewhat interesting, but when it’s of a blowout from the week before and it’s a bowl game, it has to lose a little bit of its luster, right? That is the case that Tabor Academy (8-0) of the New England Preparatory School Athletic Council (NEPSAC), which announced its 2025 bowl games on Sunday. The Seawolves, led by Michigan commit Peter Bourque, just played Buckingham Browne & Nichols School last week and it wasn’t close as they ran away with a 45-6 victory. The matchups were announced and though many knew this might be the case, the two teams will go head on in the John Papas Bowl this Saturday in Massachusetts. Can it be a bit closer this time around? Sure, I mean the cliche adage says it’s hard to beat the same team twice. Thing is, beating a team like Tabor Academy is difficult, period, and a matchup against a different team, of let’s just say Connecticut’s Avon Old Farms, might’ve been just a bit more intriguing.

Florida’s FHSAA Class 1A, Region 2 bracket: We have to revisit the Sunshine State because there was more news that came out of it than just IMG Academy and the Pay Coaches Coalition. There was also the case of the Florida High School Athletic Association’s (FHSAA) Class 1A, Region 2 bracket, which consists of teams like Clearwater Central Catholic, Carrollwood Day, Lakeland Christian, Orlando Christian Prep and oh yeah, The First Academy. The last team mentioned had a legal injunction filed and a Orange County judge had the Royals playoff ban temporarily lifted, which the FHSAA in their playoff bracket reveal last week on Thursday, announced the delay of the aforementioned region due to legal action taken by a member school. Florida is obviously highly competitive when it comes to high school football and teams are looking to find out who they may end up facing in the postseason. With a hearing scheduled for Monday, a judge will rule if TFA’s temporary ban is upheld or dismissed, which will determine their playoff fate. If TFA is in, that will bounce one of the eight teams in the region out of playoff contention. On its face, it just seems like an overall tough situation for all involved, but the delaying of the bracket is ultimately a setback for teams in the region.

How to Follow National High School Football

For high school football fans looking to keep up with scores around the nation, staying updated on the action is now easier than ever with the Rivals High School Scoreboard. This comprehensive resource provides real-time updates and final scores from across the state, ensuring you never miss a moment of the Friday night frenzy. From nail-biting finishes to dominant performances, the Rivals High School Scoreboard is your one-stop destination for tracking all the gridiron excitement across the country.