Picking who will win Week 1

The first week of the 2018 high school football regular season is set to get underway, with Forest Hill opening this week’s slate of games against Suncoast at 6 p.m. today and a trio of Saturday games closing out the week.

Highlighted games for Week 1 include Dwyer hosting Park Vista; Palm Beach Central visiting Atlantic; and the aforementioned contest between Forest Hill and Suncoast.

All games are Friday at 6 p.m. unless noted.

Suncoast at Forest Hill (today, 6 p.m.): It’ll be an early home test for Falcons head coach Jude Blessington and his team, but an effective running game could control the clock and swing the result in Forest Hill’s favor. The Falcons won last year’s matchup 40-28.

Ryan: Forest Hill 38-28 Glades Day at Benjamin (today, 7 p.m.): Eric Kresser has his team playing great football, led by big-time recruit Kaiir Elam, and they should be well prepared for Week 1. Ryan: Benjamin 32-21 Kissimmee-Tohopekaliga at Jupiter: Tohopekaliga is a brand-new school and will be playing its first ever game. Some growing pains are to be expected.

Ryan: Jupiter 21-10

John I. Leonard at Palm Beach Gardens: The Lancers won only one game and lost to the Gators 55-7 last season. Even with some improvement, that’s likely too big a gap to close in one year.

Ryan: Palm Beach Gardens 52-14

Santaluces at Seminole Ridge: The Hawks are coming off a nine-win season and beat Santaluces 43-0 just a season ago.

Ryan: Seminole Ridge 38-6 Royal Palm Beach at Wellington: Mark-Antony Richards should shine against a Royal Palm Beach team that is coming off a winless season. Ryan: Wellington 48-0 Doral Academy at Boca Raton: Look for the Bobcats to make a huge season-opening statement behind the big arm of junior QB Michael Pratt. Ryan: Boca Raton 31-28 Spanish River at Cardinal Newman: The Crusaders won this matchup 30-7 last season and seem poised to replicate that performance this year.

Ryan: Cardinal Newman 28-17

Boynton Beach at Olympic Heights: Led by receiver Jack Coulson, the Lions should get the season started on the right foot with a home win over Boynton Beach.

Ryan: Olympic Heights 27-10 Pahokee at Palm Beach Lakes: A loss in their Kickoff Classic suggests the Blue Devils may be vulnerable, but the talent of Ja’tarie Washington may prove to be too much in what should be a close contest. Ryan: Pahokee 31-24 Bayside at West Boca Raton: A 48-0 win over a Bayside team that had only one win last season indicates that the Bulls will run rampant in their opener.

Ryan: West Boca Raton 56-0 Glades Central at University School: Considered one of the better teams in the tri-county area, the Sharks are coming off a 10-win season that included a 13-7 win over Glades Central. Expect another close contest.

Ryan: University School 17-10

Admiral Farragut at Village Academy: Village Academy is beginning the rebuilding process and a win over the Blue Jackets, who won five games last season, is likely too tall a task.

Ryan: Admiral Farragut 38-6 St. Andrew’s at Palmer Trinity: In a matchup of seven-win teams from a year ago, the Scots have a slight edge, even after losing their Kickoff Classic matchup to Jupiter Christian.

Ryan: St. Andrew’s 28-24

Somerset Canyons at Inlet Grove (Friday, 7 p.m.): Neither the Cougars nor the Hurricanes have had much luck in recent years. Somerset Canyons seems a step ahead in the developmental process.

Ryan: Somerset Canyons 38-12

Belen Jesuit at American Heritage (Friday, 7 p.m.): The Wolverines head north from Miami for a game between two evenly matched teams and should leave Palm Beach County with a narrow victory.

Ryan: Belen Jesuit 24-20 St. John Paul II at King’s Academy (Friday, 7 p.m.): The Lions are expected to win a lot of games in 2018, and that starts with their season opener against an undermanned St. John Paul II squad. Ryan: King’s Academy 55-6 Palm Beach Central at Atlantic (Saturday, 5 p.m.): The Broncos are dealing with the aftermath of a shooting that ended their Kickoff Classic game last week, and Atlantic is a talented team. Perhaps the Broncos can tune out the distractions, but it’s a lot to ask from players and coaches who have had to handle a lot over the last week.

Ryan: Atlantic 18-15

Park Vista at Dwyer (Saturday, 5 p.m.): The same reasoning applies here following Dwyer’s involvement in last week’s shooting. Under different conditions, the Panthers would be considered favorites. But these are unique and trying circumstance for them, as well, and that must be factored in. The Cobras are a talented group aiming to make a huge statement on the road. Ryan: Park Vista 21-17 Boca Raton Christian at Berean Christian (Saturday, 7 p.m.): The Blazers went 5-5 last season, including a 41-20 win over Berean Christian. Expect a similar result to begin the 2018 season.

Ryan: Boca Raton Christian 45-27