2023 Ultimate season pass: How to see the best high school football teams and recruits

Let’s gas up the car and see some great football.

It’s time for the USA Today Florida Network’s third annual Ultimate Season Pass.

It’s one game each week that gives fans the opportunity to watch the top teams and top recruits in the state.

The rules are simple. You can only see one game each week. It has to be a game featuring two in-state teams. You can only see each team once this season.

Obviously, that gets pretty tricky. We have to thread a very thin needle and it limits us to seeing just 24 teams in 12 weeks (Kickoff Classic plus 11 weeks of the regular season), so there will be some outstanding teams that unfortunately didn’t make the list simply because the schedules didn’t line up.

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Alright, you get the basic idea. Here we go.

Kickoff Classic: American Heritage at Booker T. Washington (Aug. 18)

American Heritage was the Class 2M runner-up last season and boasts a strong skill position group with junior RBs Byron Louis and Deandre Desinor and sophomore WRs Malachi Toney, Brandon Bennett and Zamarii Sanders. Booker T. Washington was a regional semifinalist in the ridiculously deep Region 4-2M in 2022. They have a strong roster with senior edge rusher Jamorie Flagg (Florida State commit) senior running back Gerald Modest Jr., and junior defensive backs Ben Hanks Jr. and Antonio Branch.

More: Florida State football adds verbal commitment from in-state defensive line recruit Jamorie Flagg

Week 1: Miami Norland at Lakeland (Aug. 25)

The official start of the Marvin Frazier era as Lakeland’s coach begins with a loaded Miami Norland squad. Both teams begin the season ranked nationally. Norland’s defense includes LB Jeremiah Marcelin (Pitt commit), DEs Tyclean and Tycoolhill Luman (Rutgers commits) and Dimitry Nicolas and DB Larry Tarver (Maryland commit). Lakeland, the defending Class 4S champion, once again has a talented core with senior RB D'Marius Rucker, senior ATH Carlos Mitchell, junior QB Zander Smith and a deep secondary with Brayshon Williams, Keon Young and Jameson Young.

More: 'The same grit, grind that he had in '79': Lakeland's Frazier adds voice to winning ways

Week 2: Bolles at Mandarin (Sept. 1)

Two of the best teams in Jacksonville — and state contenders — face off in this early season battle. Bolles, a Final Four team each of the past four seasons, returns a talented squad with senior QB DJ Moore (Coastal Carolina commit), sophomore WR Naeem Burroughs, senior DL Garrison Butler (Cincinnati commit) and senior LB Trent Carter (Louisville commit). Mandarin is primed for a deep postseason run with the passing duo of QB Tramell Jones (FSU commit) and WR Jaime Ffrench (Alabama commit) and arguably the best secondary in the state with Penn State commits Jon Mitchell and Antoine Belgrave-Shorter and junior Hylton Stubbs.

More: Exclusive: Bolles three-star DL Garrison Butler announces college decision

More: Five-star decision: Jaime Ffrench, Mandarin wide receiver, announces college choice

Week 3: Cocoa at St. Thomas Aquinas (Sept. 8)

Cocoa, the defending Class 2S state champion, travels to Fort Lauderdale to take on Aquinas, the defending Class 3M state champion. Aquinas beat Cocoa 42-14 at home last season. Cocoa has a pair of standout juniors in EDGE Javion Hilson and WR Jayvan Boggs as well as sophomore QB Brady Hart and senior DT Loren Ward (FAU commit). Aquinas is one of the top teams in the nation with WRs Chance Robinson (Miami commit) and James Madison (Missouri commit) and RBs Stacy Gage (UCF commit) and Jordan Lyle (Ohio State commit).

More: Football: What colleges did the best job recruiting Florida in July?

Week 4: Jones at Edgewater

The winner of this game will have the inside track to the District 3-3M title and possibly home field advantage in the regional playoffs. Edgewater beat Jones 14-13 during the regular season last year, but Jones got its revenge in the regional championship with a 42-13 road win against the Eagles. Jones has two outstanding QBs — senior Trever Jackson and sophomore Dereon Coleman — as well as senior DT D’Antre Robinson (Texas commit) and junior WR Vernell Brown III. Edgewater is led by senior CB Cai Bates (LSU commit), senior EDGE Josh Alexander-Felton, senior RB Kaden Shields-Dutton (FAU commit), junior ATH Semaj Jackson and sophomore QB Michael Clayton II.

More: Exclusive: Edgewater RB Kaden Shields-Dutton announces college decision

Week 5: Chaminade-Madonna at Miami Central

If these two teams come into this game undefeated — which is far from a sure thing considering how tough their early-season schedules are — the winner will have a strong case for to be national champion in 2023. Chaminade-Madonna, the defending Class 1M champion, is loaded at the skill positions with WRs Jeremiah Smith (Ohio State commit) and Joshisa Trader (Miami commit), QB Cedrick Bailey Jr. (NC State commit) and RB Davion Gause (North Carolina commit). Miami Central, the defending Class 2M champion, should have an outstanding defensive line with T.A. Cunningham (Penn State commit), Armondo Blount, Randy Adirika and T.K. Cunningham as well as senior WR Lawayne McCoy (FSU commit) and senior LB Vincent Shavers (Miami commit).

More: 'Yeah... he's next': Jaxon Smith-Njigba praises Ohio State five-star commit Jeremiah Smith

Week 6: Apopka at Seminole

One of these two teams have been in the state championship game each of the past four seasons and they’ve met in the postseason twice during that time. Now, it’s a District 2-4M game – and possibly a regional playoff preview. Apopka won last year’s game 24-23 on a last-second field goal. The Blue Darters were the Class 4M state runner-up last year and return sophomore QB Tyson Daniels, DL Lorenzo Payne and Kevin Roberts and senior DB Malachi Davey. Seminole has a loaded defense with junior LB Ethan Pritchard, senior DL Preston Watson (Duke commit), senior CB Chasen Johnson (UCF commit) and should get a boost from returning QB Karson Siqueiros-Lasky (Penn commit).

More: UCF closes June by adding DBs Jashad Presley, Chasen Johnson to '24 recruiting class

Week 7: Homestead at Columbus

Another matchup of South Florida teams that begin the season ranked nationally in the top 100. Homestead was the Class 3M state runner-up last season and have outstanding offensive skill players with senior RB Isaac Brown (Louisville commit), senior WR James Randle, junior WR Cortez Mills and senior QB Joshua Townsend. Columbus, the defending Class 4M champion, boasts a strong roster with senior EDGE Dylan Stephenson (Stanford commit), senior LB Willis McGahee IV (Nebraska commit), senior DL Daylen Russell (Miami commit), junior ATH Bryce Fitzgerald and senior WR Jose Leon (Appalachian State commit).

Week 8: Pine Forest at IMG

Pine Forest, which was the Class 6A state runner-up in 2021 and went wire-to-wire as the top-ranked team in Class 3S during the regular season, travels to Bradenton to play one of the nation’s top teams. The Eagles return standout offensive lineman Jonathan Daniels (FSU commit), RB Miequle Brock and DL Ryan McVay. IMG, which plays just three in-state opponents this season, is looking for its first national title since 2020. The loaded roster includes senior DL David Stone, senior CB Ellis Robinson IV (Georgia commit), senior RB Jerrick Gibson (Texas commit) and senior OLs Jordan Seaton and Jimothy Lewis.

More: 'Where I'm supposed to be': Pine Forest's Jonathan Daniels discusses commitment to Florida State

Week 9: Osceola at Mainland

A late season non-district matchup of two Suburban squads with state title hopes. Osceola was a Class 4S state semifinalist last season while Mainland was the Class 3S state runner-up. Osceola returns one of the state’s top RBs in junior Taevion Swint (UCF commit) as well as an outstanding LB group led by juniors Elijah Melendez and Robert Lee. Mainland returns several of its impact players from last fall, including senior EDGE LJ McCray and senior DB Zavier Mincey along with additions like CB Ezaiah Shine and LB Rodney Hill (Tulane commit).

More: Three Florida schools among Mainland D-lineman LJ McCray's final 5 choices

Week 10: Armwood at Tampa Bay Tech

Two Tampa-area rivals face off in this late-season battle. Tampa Bay Tech has won the past three meetings in this series. All three games were decided by a single score, including two one-point games.  Armwood has a strong core with senior WR Kason Stokes (UCF commit), senior DB Rashad Godfrey Jr. (Iowa commit), junior RB Girard Pringle and sophomore DB Jaelen Waters. Tampa Bay Tech, the 2021 Class 7A state runner-up, has talented skill position players including junior WRs Dallas Wilson (Oregon commit) and Santonyo Isaac, senior RB Rod Gainey (Charlotte commit) and senior DB Camren Campbell (Michigan State commit).

More: Armwood WR Kason Stokes becomes 4th UCF football commit for 2024 recruiting class

Week 11: Clearwater Academy International at Venice

The regular season wraps with two of the most talented squads in the state. CAI went 10-1 last season, including a 26-20 win at Venice in the regular season finale. The Knights roster includes senior C Jason Zandamela (USC commit), senior DL Sean Sevillano Jr. (Notre Dame commit), senior S Isaiah Thomas (Miami commit), senior QB Evans Chuba (Washington State commit) and several other Power 5 commits. Venice, the 2022 Class 4M state runner-up, features several impact players such as senior CB Charles Lester III (FSU commit), WR Zycarl Lews Jr. (Colorado commit), CB Deylan Platt and senior QB Jadyn Glasser (Central Michigan commit).

More: Lester's Florida State commitment a win over FSU legend-turned-rival Deion Sanders

Jon Santucci is the high school recruiting reporter for the USA Today Florida Network. He can be reached at jsantucci@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Ultimate season pass: See the best high school football teams and recruits