MIAMI, Florida, Aug. 21 — The Florida high school football season was supposed to kick off at 4 p.m. this afternoon with two Miami powerhouses going head to head.
But Mother Nature intervened, and after an hour-long delay, game officials decided to try again this weekend. The game between the Columbus Explorers and the Southridge Spartans is now scheduled for 10 a.m. Saturday at Columbus High School.
Columbus plays in Florida's FHSAA Class 7A ranks while Southridge is a member of Class 6A. Both programs were state semifinalists in their respective classifications a year ago with Southridge losing a 14-11 thriller to the eventual undefeated 6A state champion West Boca Raton [Boca Raton] Bulls. Columbus was tripped up by the eventual 7A champion Venice Indians in similarly close fashion in a 33-27 defeat.
Game was just postponed. Will now be played Saturday at 10 AM at Columbus https://t.co/xQ7eMIHZtE
— Clay Ferraro (@ClayWPLG) August 21, 2025
Two-and-a-half months prior to those December nailbiters, the Explorers and the Spartans staged an exciting duel of their own in the 2024 season opener with Columbus forcing a late turnover to escape Southridge with a 17-14 win.
Both teams expect to be competitive at the state level again this fall, and they'll each get their first look at a high-caliber opponent when they face off with Columbus serving as the host in a game that will now be played this weekend.
That is, if Mother Nature is in a cooperative mood.
How to watch Columbus vs. Southridge football
- TV channel: N/A
- Live stream: NFHS Network
- Date: Thursday, August 21, 2025
- Time: 4 p.m. EST local
Columbus vs. Southridge will not be broadcast on traditional television, but it will be streamed live by the NFHS Network.
NFHS Network is the leader in streaming live and on-demand high school sports from across the country. Sign up today to watch the game live or on demand.
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Refresh for updates.
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|| PREGAME ||
But, alas, it was not to be.
Officials have decided not to try and play the game tonight. It has officially been moved to 10 a.m. Saturday at Columbus High School.
We appreciate you following along while we tried to get the 2025 season started in Florida! We've got a full slate of games for you tomorrow night and Saturday, and if you're looking for some football, they'll be trying to play over in Alabama tonight when the Carver Montgomery [AL] Wolverines visit the No. 16 Thompson [Alabaster, AL] Warriors.
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The National Weather Service is reporting that it's 92 degrees and cloudy in Miami (Miami International Airport), but we do have reports that it was raining hard at Tropical Park. And we have video of that below.
It was supposed to be mostly sunny and only a 30 percent chance of thunderstorms in the afternoon, but obviously, that 30 percent has come to fruition at the moment.
We'll keep you posted as we learn more on the status of the game. Fortunately it was an early 4 p.m. start so we should be able to get past this at some point and get the game kicked off.
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We do have a rain delay in Miami, and we're working to get updates on that. We do have some video, though.
Students scrambling after a False start here at Tropical Park 😂.
— Clay Ferraro (@ClayWPLG) August 21, 2025
Columbus-Southridge was supposed to start at 4, now being delayed by rain and lightning. pic.twitter.com/LuX7dURFnb
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Just a reminder, too, that this game is being streamed on the NFHS Network It does require a subscription, but NFHS delivers an excellent experience when it comes to their streaming platform. Details are above if you want to tune in with us.
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KEYS TO THE GAME ...
Last year these two teams played to a near draw with Columbus escaping with a 17-14 win thanks in large part to a late turnover.
And, it sounds cliche sometimes to talk about turnovers being a key to the game. But when you've got two fairly evenly matched teams like we've got here today, it honestly is one of the most important factors. MaxPreps has Southridge ranked No. 17 in Florida with Columbus at No. 20 so with the weather looking good, it really will probably come down to not just turnovers, but mistakes in general.
Or missed opportunities. It was a low-scoring affair a year ago so if one of these teams is able to gain an advantage by finishing drives in the red zone, that could be enough to make the difference.
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TEAM INFO ...
Both of these teams were state finalists a year ago. Columbus finished 9-4 in 2024 during their march to the FHSAA Class 7A semifinals while Southridge fashioned a 12-3 record out of their similar ride to the 6A final four.
Southridge has two ranked 3-star Class of 2026 prospects playing today. IOL Ryan Miret (6-4, 290 lbs.) is committed to Ole Miss, and edge rusher Kamron Wilson (6-5, 210 lbs.) is headed to Syracuse after high school.
Columbus has 3-star safety Tedrick Lee who is still uncommitted.
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WEATHER AND MORE ...
Alright, we're getting hyped for this big season opener in Miami, Florida! Time for a peek at the weather down there in the Sunshine State, and that's what we're hoping for, is plenty of sunshine. Georgia's opening weekend was affected by some serious storms and delays, but we're hoping to get out of the gate tonight in Florida with some good weather.
We do have rain in the Miami area at the moment delaying the start of the game, and we're working to get you an update.
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TOP 25 AND THE GAME OF THE WEEK ...
While you're getting ready for tonight's big game, get yourself up to speed on the preseason edition of The Sporting News High School Football Top 25.
Then check out our TSN Game of the Week Recap featuring the No. 14 Milton (GA) Eagles at the No. 12 Buford (GA) Wolves on Thursday, August 14, 2025.
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OUR PRESEASON ALL-AMERICA TEAMS ...
Finally, don't miss out on The Sporting News Preseason All-American Teams that just debuted today!
The Sporting News High School Preseason All-American Offense 2025
The Sporting News High School Preseason All-American Defense 2025
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We'll check back in here in a while with a look at some more storylines and an update on the weather in the greater Atlanta area.
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