COUNTDOWN TO KICKOFF: No. 73 Glades Central Raiders — 2026 Season Preview, Schedule Analysis, Players to Watch and Playoff Outlook

Glades Central does not rebuild in peace. Every transition is measured against the program’s history, the expectations in Belle Glade and a schedule stocked with Palm Beach County programs eager to make the Raiders uncomfortable. Omar Haugabook lost the core of a 10-win team, but he did not lose every answer. Incoming running back Zhaire Davis and returning receiver Algernod Crawford give the offense legitimate playmakers. Daryl Goring gives the defense a centerpiece. The rest must come together quickly.

GLADES CENTRAL RAIDERS (BELLE GLADE)

Head Coach: Omar Haugabook, third year District: District 3A-14 2024 Record: 9-2 2025 Record: 10-2 2025 Final FPRI Rating: 63.69 2025 Final State Rank: No. 87 2026 Preseason Rating: 66.28 2026 Preseason Rank: No. 73 2026 Class Rank: No. 8 2025 Playoff / FIT Finish: 2A Regional Semifinalist

Glades Central’s 2025 identity was unmistakable. The Raiders averaged 28.5 points while allowing only 7.6 per game, finishing 10-2 and reaching the Class 2A regional semifinals. The defense produced 72 tackles for loss, 22 sacks and 14 interceptions, while the offense scored 40 touchdowns from scrimmage. That balance made the Raiders difficult to chase and even harder to finish. Most of the players responsible for it have graduated. The 2026 team inherits the standard, not the statistics.

SCHEDULE AT A GLANCE

Category Value Average Opponent Rating 57.23 Opponent 2025 Record 77-42 Opponent 2025 Win Percentage .647 Hardest Opponent West Boca Raton District Games 1

The overall numbers are demanding, but the schedule’s shape is the real challenge. Glades Central receives a four-week runway before facing Atlantic, its lone district opponent and West Boca Raton in consecutive weeks. There is time to develop. There is very little room to develop slowly.

2026 FULL SCHEDULE

Week Date Time Opponent 2025 Record 2026 Rank (Overall | Class) Preseason Rating 1 8/20 6:30 PM @ Palm Beach Central (Wellington) 6-5 No. 96 | No. 15 (6A) 61.08 2 8/28 6:30 PM John Carroll (Fort Pierce) 8-3 No. 123 | No. 15 (1A) 57.39 3 9/4 6:30 PM @ Palm Beach Gardens 5-7 No. 246 | No. 48 (5A) 41.80 4 9/10 6:30 PM Royal Palm Beach 7-5 No. 215 | No. 44 (5A) 45.38 5 9/18 6:30 PM @ Atlantic (Delray Beach) 10-2 No. 27 | No. 5 (4A) 77.65 6 9/25 6:30 PM Boynton Beach* 5-5 No. 326 | No. 41 (3A) 32.87 7 10/2 6:30 PM West Boca Raton 13-2 No. 7 | No. 2 (5A) 95.98 8 10/9 — BYE — — — 9 10/16 6:30 PM @ Spanish River (Boca Raton) 7-5 No. 176 | No. 27 (6A) 49.77 10 10/22 6:30 PM Hialeah 7-4 No. 181 | No. 31 (4A) 49.42 11 10/30 6:30 PM Pahokee 9-4 No. 97 | No. 9 (1A) 60.93

*District game

The opening trip to Palm Beach Central is not a warmup. John Carroll follows with a team that won eight games and reached the Class 4A regional quarterfinals. Glades Central then gets two more manageable matchups before the degree of difficulty jumps. The Raiders will know plenty about themselves by the bye. The rest of the county will, too.

KEY LOSSES

The offensive losses begin with quarterback Taj Barnes, who completed 64.1% of his passes for 1,821 yards and 21 touchdowns while rushing for another 360 yards and three scores. Barnes was more than productive. He was stabilizing. He made the offense function without asking every possession to be perfect.

Armaud Stinfort leaves behind 819 rushing yards, 133 receiving yards and 17 total touchdowns. His combination of burst and reliability gave Glades Central a dependable answer when the offense needed four yards and when it needed 40. Incoming senior Zhaire Davis softens that loss considerably, but replacing production is not the same as replacing chemistry.

The offensive line also loses several experienced seniors, including Javarii Luckas, who led the Raiders with 18 pancake blocks. That turnover matters because a new quarterback and a new lead back are only as comfortable as the protection and movement in front of them.

The defensive losses are heavier. Gary Mann recorded 86 tackles, 13 tackles for loss and three sacks. Sauvernson Paul added 69 tackles, 12 tackles for loss and a team-high six sacks. Schnaider Pierre, Jordan Lyles-Mann, Jaylin Bouie, Wade Antoine and Caleb Knight were all major contributors on a defense that allowed fewer than eight points per game.

Glades Central lost 48.5 tackles for loss, 15 sacks and 10 interceptions from that senior group alone. That is not a hole. It is an excavation.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Player Position Class 2025 Production Zhaire Davis RB Senior Reported 778 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns at Clewiston while averaging 7.2 yards per carry Daryl Goring CB Senior 80 tackles, seven tackles for loss, two sacks and two interceptions; 347 return yards and two punt-return touchdowns Algernod Crawford WR Sophomore 48 receptions for 764 yards and nine receiving touchdowns; 1,045 all-purpose yards and 10 total touchdowns Juder Joseph WR Senior 24 receptions for 291 yards and two touchdowns Javier Flores WR/K/P Senior 35-of-41 on extra points, 2-of-2 on field goals and a 45.2-yard punting average Tawan Roux QB Junior Completed 4 of 6 passes for 21 yards in limited varsity action; part of an open quarterback competition Deion Bryant CB Senior Five tackles and two pass breakups in six appearances Aldo Carbajal G/C Senior Appeared in six games and recorded one pancake block Osiel Carbajal C Senior Returning interior lineman with six games of varsity experience Cameron Hubbard G Junior Returning 310-pound interior lineman positioned for a larger role

Davis belongs at the front of the conversation. He was Clewiston’s most dynamic runner and arrives with the production to become Glades Central’s offensive foundation. He does not need to imitate Stinfort. He needs to make the transition feel less dramatic.

Crawford is the explosive piece. As a freshman, he averaged 15.9 yards per reception and accounted for 10 touchdowns, including a kickoff return. Defensive coordinators now have an offseason to build plans around him. His next step is proving he can remain dangerous when he is the first name circled.

Goring is the most proven returning defender. His value stretches from the secondary to the return game, and his leadership becomes more important after the graduation of nearly every major front-seven producer. The Raiders do not need him to become louder. They need everyone around him to become more dependable.

Incoming transfers Jakevious Bradford and Cole Salame add to the program’s young depth, but their positions and varsity production were not provided. Their specific roles should be established on the field, not assigned in advance.

1ST DOWN — THE GAUNTLET

The defining stretch arrives from Sept. 18 through Oct. 2. Glades Central travels to Atlantic, hosts Boynton Beach in its only marked district game and then welcomes defending Class 6A champion West Boca Raton. Those three games ask three different questions.

Can the Raiders handle speed on the road? Can they take care of district business? Can they survive a heavyweight?

KNOW YOUR OPPONENT

Opponent Week/Location 2025 Record 2026 Rank (Overall | Class) Preseason Rating 2025 Finish West Boca Raton Week 7/Home 13-2 No. 7 | No. 2 (5A) 95.98 6A State Champion Atlantic (Delray Beach) Week 5/Away 10-2 No. 27 | No. 5 (4A) 77.65 5A Regional Semifinalist

Davis becomes essential during this stretch. Atlantic and West Boca Raton will attempt to pressure an inexperienced quarterback and force Glades Central into obvious passing situations. A productive running game changes the geometry. Davis can shorten the game, keep Crawford from seeing constant bracket coverage and give the reconstructed offensive line a chance to attack rather than retreat.

The opposite problem exists on defense. Glades Central’s graduated front produced most of last season’s sacks, and the current roster does not contain a proven returning pass rusher with comparable production. Goring can cover, tackle and create turnovers, but even an excellent cornerback eventually loses if opposing quarterbacks are allowed to stand comfortably.

The Raiders must manufacture pressure through scheme, rotation and improved line play. There is no returning six-sack answer waiting to be introduced.

THE BOTTOM LINE: Davis gives Glades Central a way to control the game. The rebuilt pass rush will determine whether the Raiders can control the opponent. Against Atlantic and West Boca Raton, one without the other will not be enough.

2ND DOWN — STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE

The first four games offer a useful progression. Palm Beach Central is a credible road test. John Carroll brings postseason experience. Palm Beach Gardens and Royal Palm Beach provide chances to correct mistakes without facing the schedule’s most punishing teams.

That progression is ideal for a quarterback competition — provided Glades Central uses it. Roux is the only listed returning quarterback with varsity passing statistics, but six attempts do not establish a starter. The Raiders must let the competition decide the position without forcing a conclusion before one has been earned.

Davis helps buy that time. A proven senior runner can keep the offense functional while the quarterback room develops, especially if Aldo Carbajal, Osiel Carbajal and Hubbard establish continuity inside. Crawford and Joseph give the eventual quarterback two experienced targets. The structure is there. The certainty is not.

The schedule becomes less forgiving after Royal Palm Beach. Atlantic and West Boca Raton can expose indecision at quarterback, poor communication in protection and a defense that has not found its new front-seven identity. Boynton Beach sits between those games, which means Glades Central cannot spend the district week recovering emotionally from Atlantic or anticipating West Boca Raton.

After the bye, the difficulty settles. Spanish River and Hialeah are solid but more manageable, and Pahokee closes the regular season with the kind of intensity no rating can fully capture.

THE BOTTOM LINE: The early schedule gives Glades Central time to develop its quarterback. Davis gives the Raiders a reason not to rush the process. By the Atlantic game, however, development must become production.

3RD DOWN — THE PROVING GROUND

Palm Beach Central is the first revealing game because it removes comfort immediately. A Thursday road opener against a top-100 opponent will test communication, conditioning and whether the rebuilt offensive line is ready to function together. Davis should provide stability, but the quarterback must show he can complete routine throws when the defense crowds the box.

John Carroll is the next examination. The Rams won eight games and reached the Class 4A regional quarterfinals in 2025. That matchup should reveal whether Crawford can remain efficient as the defense’s primary focus and whether Joseph can punish coverage tilted in Crawford’s direction.

Hialeah is the late-season swing game. By Week 10, the quarterback competition should be resolved, the line rotation should be settled and the new defensive front should have an identity. Excuses expire by late October.

Goring will be especially important in those games. Palm Beach Central will test the secondary early. Hialeah will test whether the Raiders have improved over two months. Pahokee will test whether they can execute while every snap feels personal.

Flores also belongs in the conversation. His 45.2-yard punting average can flip possession in close games, while his reliability on extra points and field goals gives Glades Central an advantage when touchdowns are difficult to find. Field position is not glamorous. It wins games when offenses are still learning themselves.

THE BOTTOM LINE: Palm Beach Central tests readiness. John Carroll tests adjustment. Hialeah tests growth. Pahokee tests nerve. Davis, Crawford, Goring and Flores will be central to all four answers.

4TH DOWN — PLAYOFF PICTURE

The playoff path is cleaner than the overall schedule. Boynton Beach is the only district opponent marked, making the Sept. 25 meeting the game Glades Central cannot allow to become complicated.

An FHSAA district championship brings an automatic playoff berth. If the Raiders fail to secure it, they would need to qualify through the wildcard process, with MaxPreps rankings determining selection and seeding. Given Glades Central’s preseason advantage, relying on a wildcard would represent an avoidable detour.

DISTRICT BREAKDOWN

Team 2025 Record 2026 Rank (Overall | Class) Preseason Rating 2025 Finish Glades Central (Belle Glade) 10-2 No. 73 | No. 8 (3A) 66.28 2A Regional Semifinalist Boynton Beach 5-5 No. 326 | No. 41 (3A) 32.87 Missed postseason

The Raiders hold a 33.41-point preseason rating advantage over Boynton Beach. That does not guarantee anything, but it establishes the expectation. Glades Central should win the district and secure the automatic bid.

The larger schedule then becomes a seeding argument. Wins over Palm Beach Central, John Carroll, Hialeah or Pahokee would strengthen the Raiders’ MaxPreps profile. Competitive performances against Atlantic and West Boca Raton could also matter, but there is a limit to the value of respectable losses. At some point, the résumé needs victories.

Davis is important to that path because he can keep Glades Central out of high-variance games. Goring’s ability to create takeaways can separate the Raiders when the offense stalls. Crawford supplies the touchdown threat that playoff teams need when opponents compress the field.

THE BOTTOM LINE: Beat Boynton Beach and remove the uncertainty. Then use Davis’ consistency, Crawford’s explosiveness and Goring’s playmaking to build the strongest possible seed. The district door is open. Glades Central should walk through it without touching the sides.

SEASON OUTLOOK

Difficulty Rating: 8/10

A 7-3 regular season is the most realistic projection, with 8-2 attainable if the quarterback position stabilizes and the rebuilt defense develops a credible pass rush. Davis raises the offensive floor, but Glades Central’s ceiling will be determined by how quickly its new quarterback, offensive line and front seven stop looking new.

COUNTDOWN TO KICKOFF: No. 73 Glades Central Raiders — 2026 Season Preview, Schedule Analysis, Players to Watch and Playoff Outlook

Zhaire Davis gives the Raiders a proven answer in the backfield, but a rebuilt defense and unsettled quarterback position must mature before the schedule turns unforgiving.

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COUNTDOWN TO KICKOFF: No. 73 Glades Central Raiders — 2026 Season Preview, Schedule Analysis, Players to Watch and Playoff Outlook

Zhaire Davis gives the Raiders a proven answer in the backfield, but a rebuilt defense and unsettled quarterback position must mature before the schedule turns unforgiving.

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