2025 FOOTBALL SCHEDULE ANALYSIS: Beachside stares down familiar foes after first successful year in the FHSAA State Series

OVERVIEW

Beachside proved they belonged in the playoffs in the first year of eligibility in the FHSAA State Series in 2024. Under Pete Duffy’s leadership, the Barracudas have quickly risen to become a team to watch in St. Johns County and Northeast Florida. Has anything changed from last year’s schedule? As Beachside will see many familiar foes again in 2025, let's look deeper at what we could see.

2025 SCHEDULE

Kickoff 7:00 pm unless noted

* – District

Week 1 – Fri. 8/22: at Orlando Christian Prep

Week 2 – Fri. 8/29: vs. Englewood (Jacksonville)

Week 3 – Fri. 9/5: at Menendez (St. Augustine)

Week 4 – Fri. 9/12: vs. Ponte Vedra*

Week 5 – Fri. 9/19: vs. Bishop Kenny (Jacksonville)

Week 6 – Fri. 9/26: BYE WEEK

Week 7 – Fri. 10/3: vs. Tocoi Creek (St. Augustine)

Week 8 – Fri. 10/10: vs. Fleming Island*

Week 9 – Fri. 10/17: at Middleburg*

Week 10 – Fri. 10/24: at Orange Park*

Week 11 – Fri. 10/31: at Nease (Ponte Vedra)

STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE

The Barracudas will come into season with an SOS rating of .509, but who is the most formidable opponent they will face? We could go several different directions when we look at who is on the schedule, but we think the Week 11 matchup against Nease will be the toughest of those matchups. The matchup against Nease would be a good tune-up test before another potential playoff berth for the Barracudas. Matchups against Englewood or Menendez could be the easiest foes for Beachside in 2025, but if we want to choose which game will be the easiest, it is the game against Englewood, considering that Menendez reached the playoffs last year.

KEY GAMES & MUST-WATCH MATCHUPS

With Beachside still relatively new, the rivalry has come against Tocoi Creek, which opened just one year before Beachside's opening. Thus, a rivalry has been established between the two newest high schools in St. Johns County, and the game has quickly become the biggest rivalry for the Barracudas. When it comes down to the key district game, there are two district games that we say are the most critical. Those are the district games against Ponte Vedra – who they also saw in the first-round of the playoffs – and Fleming Island, as the path to the district championship and a guaranteed playoff berth will go between these two teams. The top non-district matchup will be the game against Nease in Week 11, but another one that could be tough is the game against Class 3A regional finalist Bishop Kenny in Week 5.

HOME VS. AWAY BALANCE

Beachside’s home and away schedule is very interesting. The Barracuda’s play two of their first three games on the road before having a four-game home stretch that will see a bye week squeezed in the middle of that stretch in Week 6. The longest road trip for Beachside will be a 126-mile road trip to Orlando Christian Prep to open the season, while the season will be bookended with a three-game road stand at Middleburg, Orange Park, and Nease.

OPPONENT BREAKDOWN

Seven of Beachside’s 10 opponents are playoff teams from this past season, meaning the Barracudas should be tested and prepared for another playoff run in 2025. While none of the opponents on the schedule have changed, the schedule is still very competitive for the Barracudas in 2025.

BYE WEEK PLACEMENT

Beachside's bye week is nicely placed at the season’s midway point. It will allow the Barracudas to get some rest after two competitive games against Ponte Vedra and Bishop Kenny in Weeks 4 and 5, respectively. The bye week should also allow Beachside to get some rest before tackling an improving Tocoi Creek program while gearing up for Fleming Island in Week 8.

PLAYOFF IMPLICATIONS

As mentioned earlier, the games against Ponte Vedra and Fleming Island are the district games that matter the most. Still, games against Orlando Christian Prep, Bishop Kenny, and Nease will be critical to where the Barracudas land in their playoff seeding hopes should they be in the mix for a playoff berth. If the Barracudas win the district, a No. 3 or No. 4 seed could be in the cards, but honestly, a seed between No. 5 and No. 7 will likely be a more realistic range for Beachside in 2025.

PREDICTED RECORD & FINAL THOUGHTS

We see Beachside finishing anywhere from a 6-4 record to an 8-2 record, with eight wins likely to put the Barracudas at an overachieving stage for the schedule. As such, we feel that Beachside will most likely repeat and go 7-3 once again in 2025, with losses likely to come against Ponte Vedra, Bishop Kenny, and Fleming Island as they did in 2024.