For years, the Kaylee Scholarship Association, which was founded in 1991, has organized football games, bringing teams from across the nation to compete in the Orlando area.
Read more Bishop Moore seeks 200th career win for football coach Matt Hedrick on Friday
On Thursday night, there will be five KSA Events Football Program games in the Orlando area to kick off the 2026 regular season. Revenue gained from events is reinvested into academic and athletic financial aid.
West Orange will host Archbishop Hoban out of Akron, Ohio, a team that finished 10-2 last season, losing in the regional championship game.
DeLand starts No. 1 in Sentinel Super 16 football coaches poll; Jones second
Seminole will host Mountain Vista High, from Highlands Ranch, Colorado, which is part of the Denver metro area. Mountain Vista was 12-1 last season, losing in a state semifinal.
Oak Ridge will take on Chicago suburban South Elgin High at Austin-Tindall Sports Complex in Kissimmee. South Elgin was 7-3 a year ago and lost in the first round of the Illinois state playoffs.
University High of Orlando will host Magnolia out of Anaheim, California. Magnolia was 3-7 last year.
East River will host Heritage of Littleton, Colorado, another Denver metro school. Heritage was 9-4 and made the state semifinal round a year ago.
Here’s the take on big games. Rankings are from the preseason Sentinel Super 16:
Archbishop Hoban at No. 9 West Orange
West Orange features junior quarterback AJ Chung and a host of talented receivers, led by senior Yuto Kawamura-Johnson. Chung threw 41 touchdown passes and led the Warriors to a 10-2 record last season. The offense is potent, with additional receivers Sean Tulloch and Mikel Victor, and running back Jayden Ammons. Defensively, Matheus Kaminski-Cordeiro is the leader.
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Mountain Vista at No. 11 Seminole
The Seminole defense showed it is going to be a force this season after forcing Lake Nona to turn the ball over eight times last week in a preseason victory. RJ Hampton and Jojo Watson at the corners lead the way for Seminole. Quarterbacks Isaiah Taylor and Daniel Provenza will be looking to get some offense going. Seminole did not score a touchdown last week.
Orlando-area 2026 High School Football Transfer Tracker
No. 5 Evans at No. 13 Lake Nona
This could be the dubbed the Transfer Bowl. Evans has 20 new faces, led by quarterback Will Jackson, receiver Brian Dillard and corner David Coleman. Lake Nona gained more than 10 transfers, including quarterback Elijah Nickerson, receiver Josiah Hall and safety Taebor Williams. The Lions’ defense was impressive last week, holding Seminole out of the end zone, but the Lions offense had trouble taking care of the ball.
Hawthorne at No. 6 Bishop Moore
It’s a battle of Hornets as Hawthorne brings its Rural Division state championship team to Orlando. Hawthorne has reached the state final in each of the past six seasons and also won championships in 2022 and 2023. Junior quarterback Richard Roundtree Jr. threw for 2,581 yards and 30 touchdowns as a sophomore. Bishop Moore had its own super soph QB, Blake McCullough, who threw for 3,477 yards and 37 TDs.
No. 2 Jones at Santa Margarita (California)
Jones, which had offensive troubles last week at Miami Central, will face a very difficult task in traveling across the country to face a team that won California’s Open Division state championship a year ago. The Eagles, coached by 15-year NFL quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner Carson Palmer, lost three regular games to nationally-ranked powers, but dominated the CIF’s top tier playoff bracket.
No. 12 South Lake at East Ridge
It’s battle for Lake County supremacy for rivals that sit only 8.6 miles apart. South Lake had to rally from a 35-21 halftime deficit last year, scoring 28 unanswered points to win 49-35.
Week 1 Schedule
(All games are set for 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted)
Thursday’s Super 16 Games
Archbishop Hoban (Ohio) at No. 9 West Orange
Mountain Vista (Colo.) at No. 11 Seminole
Thursday’s Other Games
Heritage (Colorado) at East River
South Elgin (Ill.) vs. Oak Ridge*
Magnolia (Calif.) at University (Orlando)
Friday’s Super 16 Games
No. 1 DeLand at Lake Wales
No. 2 Jones at Santa Margarita (Calif.)
No. 3 Edgewater at Ocoee
No. 5 Evans at No. 13 Lake Nona
Hawthorne at No. 6 Bishop Moore
No. 16 Dr. Phillips at No. 7 The First Academy
No. 8 Osceola at St. Cloud
No. 10 Oviedo at Titusville
Mountain Vista (Colo.) at No. 11 Seminole
No. 12 South Lake at East Ridge
No. 14 Winter Park at Windermere
Hernando at No. 15 Lake Brantley, 7:30
Friday’s Other Games
Apopka at Boone
CFCA at Trinity Prep
Colonial at Olympia
Cypress Creek at Wekiva
Eustis at Leesburg
Faith Christian at Tradition Prep
Foundation Academy at Cornerstone Charter
Freedom at Lyman
Hagerty vs. New Smyrna Beach*
Lake Buena Vista at Horizon
Liberty at Harmony
Pine Ridge at Deltona
Poinciana at Celebration
South Lake at East Ridge
Timber Creek at Innovation
Palm Bay at Nova Lakes
St. Edwards’s at Lake Highland Prep. 6 p.m.
Winter Springs at Lake Howell
Lake Minneola at Mount Dora
Master’s Academy (Vero) at The Master’s Academy, 7:30 p.m.
NSU University at Mount Dora Christian, 7:30 p.m.
Palm Beach Christian Prep at Orangewood Christian
Tavares at Dunnellon, 7:30 p.m.
Tohopekaliga at Astronaut
Umatilla at Space Coast
Sebastian River at University (Orange City)
Taylor vs. West Oaks, 6 p.m.*
Seffner Christian at Legacy Charter
Saturday’s Games
Geneva at Seven Rivers Christian, 6 p.m.
Friday’s 8-Man Games
Real Life Christian at City of Life Christian
Lakeside Christian at First Academy-Leesburg
Orlando Christian Prep at Bradenton Christian
(* New Smyrna Beach game at NSB Sports Complex; Oak Ridge at at Austin-Tindall Sports Complex; West Oaks at Northwest Sports Complex, Apopka).
(OPEN DATE: Gateway, Lake Mary, Windermere Prep, Cornerstone Charter, Eastland Christian, Lake Mary Prep, )
Read more Daily Horoscope for August 20, 2026
Chris Hays can be found on X.com @OS_ChrisHays.