Anyone who has time on his hands should ask the boys on the Creekside and Bartram Trail football teams how many players on the opposing sideline are friends of theirs.

“It’s all talk until we get to the field and then show them how we do things,” Wood said with a sly grin. “It’s really highly anticipated.”

Source: Creekside, Bartram Trail kick off District 3-7A play | St. Augustine Record

Creekside at Nease

Kickoff: 7 p.m.

Radio: 103.9 FM (WSOS)

Records: Creekside 2-1, Nease 1-2

Last year: Game canceled

Last game: Creekside defeated Paxon 56-12 on Sept. 7; Nease lost to Bishop Kenny 21-20 on Sept. 7.

Players to watch: Creekside — WR J.T. Wood was moved into the offensive backfield against Paxon to guarantee his touches after Ridgeview double-teamed him the week before. The senior responded with 59 yards rushing and two catches for 87 yards. He scored on a 6-yard run and a 75-yard pass from Tai Lavatai. Nease — Zach Sheffer spearheaded the Panthers’ feverish comeback against Bishop Kenny that fell one point short. The LSU commitment forced a fumble, had a tackle for a loss, ran for 33 yards and scored two touchdowns — all in the fourth quarter. His 9-yard TD run pulled the home team to within a point with 19 seconds left, but the Panthers’ two-point conversion attempt for the win came up short.

Game info: Both teams have shown a willingness to adapt. With starting quarterback Preston Staples suffering an injury, Nease has gone to a single-wing offense with receiver Ashton Wood taking most of the snaps, and the Panthers came close to winning two games since the switch. Creekside moved J.T. Wood to tailback and the Knights responded with a 56-point game. Junior quarterback Lavatai is having a breakout year after sharing time at QB the past two seasons. Lavatai accounted for five TDs passing and receiving against Paxon.

Source: Week 5 high school football previews | St. Augustine Record

Junior quarterback Tai Lavatai accounted for five first-half touchdowns — three passing and two rushing – as Creekside (2-1) scored on its first eight possessions in a 56-12 victory at Paxon (2-1). Lavatai had 221 yards total offense in the first half and has passed for nine TDs with no interceptions in three games this season.

Source: Lavatai throws 3 TD passes, runs for 2 scores in Creekside’s 56-12 win over Paxon

CREEKSIDE AT PAXON

Kickoff: 6 p.m.

Records: Creekside 1-1, Paxon 2-0.

Last week: Ridgeview beat Creekside 49-17; Paxon defeated Wolfson 40-13.

Last year: Teams did not play

Players to watch: Creekside — J.T. Wood has 7 catches for 115 yards and 3 TDs, including 3 for 37 and a TD last week. Coach Sean McIntyre said Ridgeview had a high-low combination on the dangerous receiver every single play. This week the Knights will try to make sure Wood touches the ball more. Paxon — The 6-1, 220-pound Elijah Shingles rushed for 151 yards and two TDs on 11 carries last week and added six tackles.

Game info: Already this season, Creekside has learned how to win (snapping a 22-game losing streak in Week 1) and that winning doesn’t get any easier the second time around. “We had a big letdown after a big win,” McIntyre said. “We weren’t ready to play and that was my fault as a coach.” The Knights will need to tackle better and line up correctly on a consistent basis against the Golden Eagles.

Source: Week 3 high school football previews | St. Augustine Record

Injuries forced Creekside co-captain Ben O’Brien to move from tight end to left tackle. The switch helped the Knights gain 380 yards of offense on the way to their first win since October 2014.

Source: Creekside’s O’Brien getting last laugh at left tackle

J.T. Wood was a scrawny freshman sitting in the top of the stadium stands as a junior varsity player and spectator in 2014 the last time Creekside won a football game. On Friday, the senior shook off three years of frustration with two touchdown receptions and a decisive kickoff return score to lead Creekside to a 48-21 victory over Class 8A Winter Springs, ending the Jacksonville area’s longest losing streak at 22 games and starting a new tradition for the Knights.

Source: Creekside tops Winter Springs, snaps 22-game losing streak | St. Augustine Record