The Week 4 high school football slate in the Gainesville area is packed with pivotal district contests, featuring Buchholz and Columbia leading the charge while Hawthorne and Bradford remain unbeaten.
Buchholz capped its season with a 49-7 city championship victory over Eastside, improving to a 0-3 record for the Rams, and now travels to West Port for a showdown, while Columbia, now 3-0, opens district play in Jacksonville against Ribault.
District play gets underway
Newberry earned its first win of the season with a late touchdown to defeat state power Cocoa, and Santa Fe upset Chatfield, a top Colorado team, in a district matchup, while the Raiders enjoy an early bye before district action begins on Friday, September 11. In a rural district showdown, Fort White and Union County clash, with the Fightin’ Tigers aiming for their first loss, and Williston heads on a road trip to Fort Myers and Bishop Verot, while Bradford hosts Trinity Catholic at home.
The most anticipated game is Hawthorne hosting Miami-Northwestern, a rare visit from a Miami-Dade school to Alachua County, scheduled for Thursday at 7 p.m., followed by district games on Friday, September 11. Eastside and Gainesville High each travel to Belleview and Lecanto, respectively, as the schedule continues to build momentum.
With multiple undefeated teams and several programs seeking their first win, the district schedule promises high‑stakes competition that will shape the early season standings across the region.