High school football 2020: How Pensacola-area schedules are taking shape

The 2020 high school football picture is starting to take shape in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties. 

Numerous local schools published their submitted 2020 high school football schedules at the end of last week via school Twitter accounts and websites. 

Competition is scheduled to begin as early as Sept. 12 with team scrimmages while most schools are looking to begin the 2020 season on Friday, Sept. 18. 

In addition to the late start, the COVID-19 pandemic's effect on the 2020 season can be seen in the moving up of Senior Night festivities into early regular-season games on most local schedules. 

Escambia County schools also face limitations in scheduling schools beyond Northwest Florida counties. Select schools from Alabama counties such as Mobile and Escambia do appear on schedules. 

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It's been a hectic month for local administrators as uncertainty at the district and state level prevented programs from solidifying much of anything.

An FHSAA vote on Aug. 14 returned decision-making to individual school districts, and schools have since consolidated around a late September start after discussions of potential fall and spring seasons. 

"The waiting game and not knowing what the answer was going to be was probably the hardest part." Booker T. Washington athletic director Joe Williams said of scheduling fall sports.  "It was making sure you were open to whatever is coming.

"As I've said to a lot of people, head coaches, especially in a sport like football, aren't always the best at being told to sit on their hands and hold on." 

Published schedules can be found below, though several schedules have yet to be fully completed. 

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2020 High School Football Schedules

Booker T. Washington

Sept. 17 – Blue & White *

Sept. 25 – vs. Tate

Oct. 2 – vs. Escambia

Oct. 9 – at Crestview

Oct. 16 – at Pine Forest

Oct. 23 – vs. Pensacola

Oct. 30 – at West Florida

Nov. 6 – at Pensacola Catholic

*Looking for home regular-season game

Escambia

*Full Schedule Outstanding*

Gulf Breeze

Sept. 18 – at Pace

Sept. 25 – vs. Milton *

Oct. 2 – vs. Navarre

Oct. 9 – vs. Pensacola

Oct. 16 – at Mosley ^

Oct. 23 – vs. Choctaw

Oct. 30 – at Fort Walton Beach

Nov. 6 – vs. Tate **

*Senior Night

** Homecoming

^ 7 p.m. kickoff

Jay

*Full Schedule Outstanding*

Milton

Sept. 18 – at Navarre

Sept. 25 – at Gulf Breeze

Oct. 2 – vs. Pace

Oct. 9 – vs. Fort Walton Beach

Oct. 16 – at Crestview

Oct. 23 – vs. Mosley

Oct. 30 – vs. Niceville

Nov. 6 – vs. Choctaw

Navarre

Sept. 18 – vs. Milton  

Sept. 25 – at Pace  

Oct. 2 – at Gulf Breeze  

Oct. 9 – vs. Choctaw*

Oct. 16 – at Niceville ^

Oct. 23 – vs. Fort Walton

Oct. 30 – vs. Enterprise (AL)**

Nov. 6 – at Choctaw ^

*Senior Night

**Homecoming

^ 7 p.m. kickoff

Northview

Sept. 18 – at Baker

Sept. 25 – vs. Holmes County * 

Oct. 2 – at Escambia Academy  (AL)

Oct. 9 – at Walton

Oct. 16 – vs. South Walton

Oct. 23 – OPEN

Oct. 30 – vs. Chipley **

Nov. 6 – vs. Jay

*Senior Night

**Homecoming

Pace

Sept. 18 – vs. Gulf Breeze

Sept. 25 – vs. Navarre

Oct. 2 – at Milton

Oct. 16 – at Fort Walton Beach

Oct. 23 – vs. Crestview

Oct. 30 – at Choctaw

Nov. 6 – vs. Niceville

Pensacola

Sept. 18 – at West Florida

Sept. 25 – BYE

Oct. 2 – vs. Tate

Oct. 9 – at Gulf Breeze

Oct. 16 – vs. Pensacola Catholic

Oct. 23 – at Booker T. Washington

Oct. 30 – at Pine Forest

Nov. 6 – vs. Escambia

Pensacola Catholic

*Full Schedule Outstanding*

Pine Forest

Sept. 18 – at Tate

Sept. 25 – at Pensacola Catholic

Oct. 2 – OPEN (LOOKING FOR GAME)

Oct. 9 – at Baker (AL)

Oct. 16 – Booker T. Washington

Oct. 23 – at Escambia

Oct. 30 – vs. Pensacola

Nov. 6 – vs. West Florida

Tate

Sept. 18 – vs. Pine Forest

Sept. 25 – at Booker T. Washington

Oct. 2 – at Pensacola

Oct. 9 – vs. Pace 

Oct. 16 – vs. Escambia

Oct. 23 – at West Florida

Oct. 30 – vs. Pensacola Catholic

Nov. 6 – at Gulf Breeze

All 7:00 p.m. kickoffs

West Florida

Sept. 12 – Red/Black Scrimmage

Sept. 18 – vs. Pensacola High

Sept. 25 – at Escambia

Oct. 2 – at Catholic

Oct. 16 – at Choctaw

Oct. 23 – vs. Tate

Oct. 30 – vs. Booker T. Washington

Nov. 6 – at Pine Forest

FHSAA State Tournament Potential Dates

Nov. 13 – Play-in game state tournament

Nov. 20 – FHSAA region quarterfinal

Nov. 27 – FHSAA region semifinal

Dec. 4 – FHSAA region final

Dec. 10-12 – FHSAA state semifinal/final

Eric J. Wallace can be reached at ejwallace@pnj.com or 850-525-5087.