Week-by-week guide to 2023 high school football season in Palm Beach County
The 2023 football season is going to be one of Palm Beach County's most exciting yet.
From under-the-radar freshmen to four-star seniors, the area is stacked with talent. If you're not a player, coach or parent, deciding which bleachers should be graced with the presence of your fandom could be a tough task.
It's high school football, so anything can change by Week 5 or Week 10, be it an unexpectedly injury-laden roster or a dark horse entering the mix. However, should you find yourself needing some way-too-early guidance on this fall's most appetizing in-county matchups, look no further than this week-by-week schedule breakdown as high schools hold their first practices on Monday.
Every game for Classes 3M and 4M: All big-school football schedules for 2023 season
Every game for Classes 1M, 2M, and more: All small-school schedules for the 2023 football season
Week-by-week schedule breakdown
Week 1: Atlantic at Palm Beach Gardens
Looking for that edge-of-your-seat feeling to accompany the excitement of Week 1? Look no further than a meeting between two of last fall's top postseason contenders.
Last year's game ended in a 39-38 overtime road win for the Gators. In 2021, Gardens took the dub with a field goal. Time and time again, there's no better place to kick off the season than wherever Atlantic and Palm Beach Gardens are meeting.
Date/Time: Aug. 25, 6:30 p.m.
Week 2: Glades Central at King's Academy
Although King's shiny 8-3 record ultimately gave the Lions the district title, this competition ended up being one of two victories the Raiders had all season, Glades Central winning 14-7.
You may ask: Why are you telling me to go to this football game?
Because some people like defense.
It's an early-season game with unexpectedly high stakes. Specifically, a guaranteed spot in the playoffs.
Date/Time: Sept. 1, 7 p.m.
Week 3: St. Andrew's at West Boca Raton
St. Andrew's claimed a 42-7 win in this matchup in 2022. Again, you may ask: Why are you telling me to go to this football game?
The West Boca team that finished 6-4 isn't the one-win West Boca we've known in recent years, returning a number of rising stock. One such player is Javian Mallory, the Power Five running back prospect named a Freshman All-American by MaxPreps after a standout debut campaign despite injury. On the other hand, St. Andrew's brings back its own lot with 2025 star playmaker Teddy Hoffman, but without quarterback Jacob Cashion, who signed with Stetson, and now-Army running back Bill Young.
It'll be early to tell. Still, I think Week 3 is going to be a good measure of where both programs stand after reinventing themselves last season.
Date/Time: Sept. 8, 6:30 p.m.
Week 4: Cardinal Newman vs. Catholic Memorial
For starters, this game has an early kickoff because Catholic Memorial has to hightail it back to Massachussetts, meaning you can go to whichever game — or Duffy's — your heart desires after the horn.
That being said, this game requires a warm South Florida welcome for the Knights, arriving in Palm Beach County off of an undefeated run to an MIAA state championship in 2022.
Date/Time: Sept. 15, 2 p.m.
Week 5: Atlantic at Cardinal Newman
A Twitter discourse has brought us another good week of football. Better a late addition than never.
Newman's Devon Byrd will welcome his former teammates to his new stomping grounds as two quick-strike offenses and dynamic defenses come together for a marquee matchup certain to be worth the hype.
Date/Time: Sept. 22, 7 p.m.
Week 6: Pahokee at Dwyer
The locker room video heard around Palm Beach County followed this 14-12 win for the Panthers last fall.
With the repeat region finalist Blue Devils going back to the blueprint after Ole Miss claimed quarterback Austin Simmons and linebacker DeeJay Holmes, a Dwyer win seems more within reach than last season. Better yet, Pahokee may look a little more recognizable at the midway point of the season.
Date/Time: Sept. 29, 6:30 p.m.
Week 7: Benjamin at Palm Beach Central
We don't always get the chance to see 1M vs. 4M faceoffs, but I have no doubt that the home of the Broncos will host one for the books.
Benjamin won its most recent squaring with a 4M program, a thrilling 20-18 Kickoff Classic against Palm Beach Gardens. Class 3S Jensen Beach was the largest team on the Buccaneers' 2022 regular-season schedule, which saw a 49-30 win over the region finalist Falcons.
Returning state semifinalist Palm Beach Central will be a new beast to conquer for the Bucs on a revenge tour after a 5-5 finish last fall.
Date/Time: Oct. 6, 6:30 p.m.
Week 8: St. Andrew's at Boynton Beach
St. Andrew's wasn't the only program to graduate some impactful positions on the roster.
Boynton Beach lost a number of critical senior starters from the team's 9-3 run to region semifinals, stopped by state runner-up American Heritage-Plantation. Bobby "Fat" Smith will be back after posting a team-high 1,481 total yards in 2022, but the Tiger offense will be down two 1,000-plus-yard rushers, plus dual-threat QB Tyrone Smith.
With each squad scoring 21 points in the third quarter, a 40-35 final saw Boynton take the district title last fall, undefeated against St. Andrew's, Somerset Canyons and American Heritage-Delray. It'll be interesting to see who swipes the championship.
Date/Time: Oct. 12, 6:30 p.m.
Santaluces at Boca Raton
When reclassifications hit last season, just as Boca Raton was granted the joy of not belonging to the same district as Deerfield Beach, a revived Santaluces program and Chiefs coach Hector Clavijo III announced the arrival of the "New Santa."
Again, the Bobcats found themselves district champs scorned, just two points away from a fourth-quarter victory until a game-winning pass from now-Arkansas quarterback Will Prichard. This year, Santaluces will start in the hands of former Dwyer quarterback Shyeia Deveaux, while Boca Raton returns a highly touted sophomore in Chaunce Routson who impressed throughout the offseason.
Date/Time: Oct. 13, 6:30 p.m.
Week 9: Palm Beach Central at Palm Beach Gardens
Records trend toward a Central victory. But I think this year's regular-season meeting is going to be a bit more nippy than usual.
Gardens claimed its last win over the Broncos in 2016. Last year's region final loss was a significant improvement from the 35-14 defeat shortly before in Week 8. Above all, the scoreboard, just four points away from a tie and a different outcome, served as proof that the Gators have the potential to make it to December.
OR Benjamin at Cardinal Newman
Another tradition. More importantly, a preview that allows local football fans to size up which local 1M power will be the one to advance to region finals against likely opponent Chaminade-Madonna.
And Florida State commit Ricky Knight III meeting old pals from his past three seasons spent at Benjamin? Sign. Me. Up. However, if this season's matchup starts looking like it may take more than two days, I'm not the one who told you to go.
Date/Time: Oct. 20. Kickoff scheduled for 6:30 p.m. at Gardens. Kickoff scheduled for 7 p.m. at Newman.
Week 10: Seminole Ridge at Dwyer
Palm Beach Central at Wellington is an option for Week 10. But Seminole Ridge at Dwyer is your best bet for a game that won't be decided until the last quarter.
The district runner-up Panthers scored eight points in the last minutes, overcoming a 17-12 deficit at the end of the third quarter. Ultimately, Dwyer made its return to playoffs with former Palm Beach Lakes coach Al Shipman. As for the Hawks, Seminole Ridge missed the postseason for the first time since 2018.
Preseason reviews suggest the Hawks' offense is back together after finding itself rocked by last year's unexpected transfer of the team's standout running back. That being said, this could be a fun one that determines whether a team will survive and advance.
Date/Time: Oct. 26, 6:30 p.m.
Week 11: Newman at Palm Beach Central
Yes, the Muck Bowl is still happening in Week 11, but this Newman vs. Central game is what Palm Beach County high school football dreams are made of.
Closing out the regular season, the strength-of-schedule points granted from this matchup could be the difference in the squads being postseason hosts for classes 1M and 4M.
Also, my crystal ball (and the fact that both crews fielded a Player of the Year) says that Central and Newman will be duking it out to be the area's No. 1 team. That rank includes some pretty gnarly bragging rights in the prize package.
Date: Nov. 3, 6:30 p.m.
Emilee Smarr is the high school sports reporter for The Palm Beach Post. She can be reached via email at esmarr@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Palm Beach County high school football: Week-by-week guide to 2023 season
