Call is it an upgrade for the Oakleaf Knights.
That is because this upcoming season, the Knights will get to play and host their first ever opponent from out-of-state, despite the fact the young program has yet to taste the postseason.
Head Coach Derek Chipoletti told FloridaHSFootball.com, that his will play Wayne County, Georgia at home Week 3 for this season. The Knights will reciprocate in 2015 and make the return trip up to Georgia.
The matchup with Wayne County will replace Deltona Pine Ridge on the schedule, which decided to seek a new opponent for their 2014 schedule.
However, the switch of opponents for this season is being seen as a positive one for the Knights.
“I didn’t feel we knew where we stood last season going into district play. After this game [against Wayne County] we should be able to tell where we stand going into district play,” Chipoletti said.
Oakleaf plays in District 7A-3, which could be viewed as one of the toughest districts in the state. Teams in the district include perennial playoff contenders including Fleming Island and Fletcher. Both of those teams alone went 20-3 overall last season and made the playoffs. The Knights will open district play against Atlantic Coast on Friday, September 19, with that tilt being another home game.
Wayne County, located in Jesup, Georgia, was one of the top teams in Georgia’s Class AAAA this past season. The Yellow Jackets were the second best team in Region 2 of Class AAAA and made it all the way to the state semifinals before falling to eventual State Champion Griffin. They went 11-3 during the 2013 season, but was not nationally ranked by any poll to end the season.
Oakleaf opened as Clay County’s seventh overall high school back in August of 2010, relieving overcrowding at Middleburg, Orange Park and Ridgeview High Schools. The school has since become the second largest high school in Clay County with nearly 2,100 students, according to the 2013 FHSAA Student Population report.
The tilt with Wayne County for this season is set for Friday, September 12 with a kickoff slated for 7:00 PM, Eastern Time on the campus of Oakleaf High School in Orange Park.
VARSITY MESSAGE BOARD: What do you think of Oakleaf’s big scheduled matchup with Wayne County?
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