Friday nights in St. Johns County just got a national stamp of approval.
Two of the county’s most prominent high school football programs — St. Augustine and Nease — have earned national recognition ahead of the 2025 season.
Both schools were named to the High School Football America Preseason Top 300, an influential list that highlights the top high school football teams from across the country.
St. Augustine is ranked No. 147, while Nease comes in at No. 158.
With more than 14,000 high school football programs across the United States, earning a place in the top 300 places each team among the top two percent across the country in an increasingly competitive landscape.
WHICH ST. JOHNS SCHOOL MADE FLORIDA”S TOP 25 FOR OVERALL ATHLETICS?
St. Augustine is led by head coach Brian Braddock, who played for the Old City Jackets in the 90s and began his head coaching stint in 2016.
The Yellow Jackets finished the regular season with a 9-1 record last year and has cemented themselves as one of the most consistent programs in Northeast Florida, with deep playoff runs and regular district titles over the past two decades.
The St. Augustinians have also produced a steady parade of top-tier college recruits to some of the premier college programs across the nation.
Led by ascending head coach Collin Drafts, the Panthers also sent a resounding message as to the Ponte Vedra program’s trajectory with an undefeated 9-0 record last year.
In total, 53 teams from Florida made the national Top 300 list, the most of any state.
That includes several programs from neighboring Duval County. Mandarin, Raines, and The Bolles School were all among the Sunshine State teams recognized in the rankings.
The top five teams in the High School Football America Preseason 300 are Mater Dei (California) at No. 1, followed by St. John Bosco (California), Bishop Gorman (Nevada), Grayson (Georgia), and IMG Academy (Florida).
