Kickoff to high school fall sports season in Florida

Fall sports season is officially underway for high school athletes across Florida. The Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) announced its sports calendar for the 2025-26 academic year on July 28, signaling the return of competitive athletics. Preseason contests kick off on August 11 with events including cross country, football, golf, swimming and diving, and girls' volleyball, with regular-season play beginning a week later on August 18. Postseason tournaments are scheduled throughout October, with volleyball playoffs starting October 13-17 and regional matches following. The regional quarterfinals for classes 1A-3A are set for October 21, and for classes 4A-7A on October 22. All classes will have regional semifinals on October 25, leading to regional finals on October 28-29. The state championships will be hosted at Polk State College in Winter Haven from November 3 to 8. In previous seasons, teams like The Rock School and Branford have achieved national and state success, with Branford ending last year’s campaign with a 27-4 record after a narrow loss in the Rural Classification championship. Cross country district meets are scheduled from November 3-8, with region...