Deshaun Watson passed for 372 yards and four touchdowns to lead Class AAAAA fifth-ranked Gainesville to a 49-6 win over Apalachee in Region 8-AAAAA acttion Friday night.
Riverside Military Academy fell behind quickly to Class AA sixth-ranked Washington-Wilkes and never recovered in a 50-14 loss to the Tigers in both teams' Region 8-AA opener at Maginnis Field.
Jacob Lewis threw for 121 yards and three touchdowns and ran for 111 yards and one touchdown to lead Jackson County to a 38-6 win over East Jackson Friday in both teams' Region 8-AAA opener.
Teams looking to see if they are pretenders or contenders in their respective regions may get an early look after Friday's matchups. Also, some intriguing non-region matchups offer fans a look at who may have what it takes to make it to postseason play.