Lakeland, Lake Wales and Auburndale play Kickoff Classics this week

Lakeland, Lake Wales, and Auburndale kick off high school football with preseason games on Thursday. Lakeland faces West Broward at Palm Beach Central High School, while Auburndale plays at Lake Wales. Coaches are focused on executing their systems and assessing player performance rather than specific game plans. Notable matchups feature standout quarterbacks Kingston Loydd and Teo Edwards from Lake Wales and Auburndale, respectively. Both schools are evaluating their offensive and defensive lines, with Auburndale's junior running back Anthony Howard Jr. currently sidelined due to injury.

• 8:01 AMYahoo Sports — Lakeland, Lake Wales, Auburndale get head start on Kickoff Classics