Coaches at Boone, Timber Creek and Winter Park have been around for a long time.

Jimmy Buckridge (Timber Creek) is in Year 24 at the school. It’s the 18th year for Tim Shifflet (Winter Park). And Andy Johnson (Boone) enters Year 11 after coaching Freedom for seven years.

They’ve played against each other for years and 2024 is no different. Well, slightly different. Realignment for this season and next by the Florida High School Athletic Association moved Boone back into district competition with Winter Park and Timber Creek. Those three schools, along with Freedom, make up Class 7A, District 4.

Winter Park is the incumbent champion and favorite with a 72-21 record since 2016. The Wildcats went through the 2023 regular season unscathed at 9-0 before losing to eventual state runner-up Jacksonville Mandarin in a first-round playoff game.

Shifflet hopes to get that playoff monkey off his back. Winter Park has won three straight district titles and lost only 12 of 39 games in three years. Three of those defeats, however, were in the first round of the playoffs.

Winter Park still has talent, despite losing nine players who signed to play college football.

Leading the defense is junior defensive back Ayden Pouncey, the brother to former Winter Park stars Ethan and Jordan. He is all the rave among college recruiters. Pouncey is the No. 9 prospect in the Sentinel’s 2026 Central Florida Super60.

Also back is senior defensive lineman Mehki Lockhart, who is committed to Marshall. Lockhart is No. 52 in the Sentinel’s 2025 Central Florida Super60. Another fine defender is senior linebacker Caleb McDonald. He is joined by senior linebacker Addison Zolessi, junior defensive backs Jordan Jackson and Ty’Jay Martin (Plantation transfer) and sophomore end KJ Davis (Lyman transfer).

Offensively, the Wildcats could be electric. Senior Grant Conner gets his turn at quarterback, and he is flanked by a terrific set of receivers in Super60 seniors Atticus Van Dyke and Gabe Diaz (Bishop Moore transfer), as well as seniors Zion Wolf and Randall Scott and junior Eshawn Sutton. Davis and Diaz can play running back, along with another Lyman transfer, Bobby Thomas. Hagerty transfer and senior TE Drew Follet adds more options. Senior Cam Clark is the most experienced lineman.

At Boone, Johnson will have his son under center for the second straight season. Junior Sam Johnson got valuable snaps as the starting quarterback a year ago, and he has a flashy target in Arizona commit Isaiah Mizell, the brother of UF receiver Aidan Mizell. Also on the outside will be Freedom transfer Arturo Quintana.

This could be the big breakout year at Boone for Cypress Creek transfer running back Brian “BJ” Davis. He ran for just more than 600 yards on only 120 carries last season. Former Cypress coach Raoul Gomez said Davis is “the real deal.”

Buckridge will have his usual solid bunch at Timber Creek, but he does have a lot of holes to fill. The Wolves lost 41 to graduation.

Junior Devin Dicko takes the reins at quarterback. He looked good in summer 7-on-7 camps, as did sophomore receivers Hanoj Williams and Kyson Cleveland. Brandon McDonald is centerpiece of the offensive line. Junior Malachi Estrada will be the main running back, and junior Max Van Til is a solid tight end.

Marc Jackson handles the Timber Creek defense and it is always feisty. The leaders are seniors, linebacker Will Muniz and Anthony Felice, along with junior defensive back JB Brown and sophomore safety Lorenzo Ferguson. Watch out for freshman linebacker Kevin Anderson.

Freedom returned junior quarterback Jordan Martinez, who threw for 1,539 yards and 12 touchdowns last season. The Patriots lost their top two receivers.

Boone Braves

Coach: Andy Johnson (12 year, 66-50; 103-88 career, 18 seasons)

2023: 5-6, 4M district champs

Freedom Patriots

Coach: Joe Saragusa (4th year, 13-18)

2023: 3-7, missed 4M playoffs

Timber Creek Wolves

Coach: Jimmy Buckridge (24th year, 143-93)

2023: 4-6, missed 4M playoffs

Winter Park Wildcats

Coach: Tim Shifflet (18th year, 132-56)

2023: 9-1, 4M district champs