During the first week of school, the Santaluces Chiefs varsity football team hosted the Suncoast Chargers in a rematch of last season’s Kickoff Classic preseason game beating them 33-0.

Last season, Suncoast defeated the Chiefs in the Kickoff Classic by a final score of 43-20, setting the tone for the entire season. Last season the Chiefs finished 2-8 and 2-4 in districts, gaining wins against Lake Worth and John I. Leonard in back-to-back weeks.

The Kickoff Classic, give teams in the state the opportunity to get accustomed to the next season. While the game does not affect the season’s record, it is important to get the season started with momentum and this game set the tone for regular season play that begins on August 24th.

The result was in turn different from last season as the defense seemed to hone in on their craft, shutting out the opponent that finished with 7 wins last season. This means that the team has a chance to redeem themselves from last season. The Chiefs defense struggled for most of the season, allowing over 30 points in 7 of their games.

This week, the Chiefs will kick-off the regular season while playing on the road against Seminole Ridge before playing against Forest Hill the following week.

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Madison Elia