For more than a decade, the Treasure Coast High School and Vero Beach High School football teams have battled to determine who would walk away with a district title.
One of those two programs has won a district championship every year since 2014. That streak will continue Friday night when the rivals face off for the District 8-6A title at 7 p.m. at South County Regional Stadium in Port St. Lucie.
"It's common territory," Vero Beach head coach Lenny Jankowski said of another winner-take-all game against Treasure Coast. "We've had many games with a lot at stake."
Vero Beach (7-1, 2-0 District 8-6A) enters seeking its third consecutive district championship. Treasure Coast (5-3, 2-0) is looking to capture its first district title since 2023 and complete one of the area's most impressive turnarounds.
More: TCPalm Super 10: Area football rankings leading up district title games
The game also showcases two coaches who have done exceptional jobs this season.
Treasure Coast head coach Irvin Jones has guided his team to this championship opportunity after a winless 2025 campaign. The Titans appeared headed in a similar direction after dropping their first two games before reeling off five consecutive victories. That streak ended last week with a one-score loss at John Carroll Catholic.
What makes the turnaround even more remarkable is that Treasure Coast entered the season without a player who had experienced a varsity victory.
"You can see that improvement has happened throughout their season," Jankowski said of Treasure Coast. "They've played their best football here in the second half of the season."
If you ask Treasure Coast's players, their best game occurred during the preseason.
The Titans blanked Sebastian River 32-0 in the Kickoff Classic on Aug. 14. Because of the team's performance against the Sharks, senior linebacker Tyler Freeman said the Titans never stopped believing they could compete for a district championship. The players maintained that belief even after a 34-2 loss at Jensen Beach on Aug. 27 dropped them to 0-2.
"We always believed from the start of the season that we could do it," Freeman said. "We can fight through anything. When we came together, we knew we could put our minds to whatever.
"People were down at the moment, but we knew we had to push through. We had the rest of the season ahead of us, so we had to keep pushing. We knew we were fighting for bigger things."
Treasure Coast ripped off four straight wins by a combined margin of 142-6 before pulling off its most dramatic victory of the season. Senior defensive back Shanard Williams blocked a go-ahead field goal as time expired to lift the Titans past Fort Pierce Central on Oct. 9.
According to Freeman, the biggest change wasn't tactical but mental.
"Our attitudes, most of all," he said. "We knew what the bigger picture was, and we were fighting for each other."
Across the field, Jankowski has kept his team atop the Region 2-6A rankings despite losing Notre Dame commit Champ Monds to a season-ending injury.
In Monds' absence, Jankowski has had to teach and adjust the offense on the fly for freshman quarterback Makai White. Vero Beach has responded by winning its last five games, collecting victories in a variety of ways, from special teams contributions to strong situational football, even as Jankowski waits for all three phases to click at once.
"I think we're still searching to play our best game and put it together in all three phases," he said.
The defense, however, has remained the foundation of Vero Beach's success. Allowing fewer than eight points per game during its current five-game winning streak, the Indians have repeatedly come up with game-changing plays on that side of the ball.
Against Fort Pierce Central on Sept. 25, sacks by Josiah Taylor and Dontallis Render helped seal a pivotal victory. Earlier in the season, Render came up with a fourth-quarter interception against Mainland that swung momentum and helped propel Vero Beach to another signature win.
Kaden Huggins has emerged as one of the leaders of that unit. The junior edge rusher leads the team in total tackles (54) and sacks (5.0) and is tied with Render for the team lead in tackles for loss (12.5).
"I just know I gotta go make a play," Huggins said. "Once it's time to go, let's go make plays."
Once again, Vero Beach and Treasure Coast will battle to determine the district champion. Both teams know the winner will have earned it after a hard-fought contest.
"I feel like we've got to out-physical them," Huggins said. "They've always been a physical team."
Freeman added: "I feel like it's going to be a dogfight."
FHSAA Week 10/SSAA Week 11 preview
District 8-6A - Vero Beach (7-1, 2-0 district) at Treasure Coast (5-3, 2-0 district)
When: 7 p.m. Friday
Where: South Regional County Stadium
Last Week: Vero Beach - Bye; Treasure Coast - 21-14 loss at John Carroll Catholic
Maxpreps rankings: Vero Beach (80.46) - first in Region 2-6A, fourth in Class 6A, 24th overall; Treasure Coast (45.55) - ninth in Region 2-6A, 39th in Class 6A, 210th overall
Key players: Vero Beach - Deion Jackson (LB, Sr.), Dontallis Render (DL/OL, Sr.), Marcus Melbourne (WR, Sr.), Josiah Taylor (DL/OL, Jr.), Kaden Huggins (LB, Jr.); Treasure Coast - Eldrick Warren (LB, Jr.), Andre Mackey (RB, So.), Elyansky Pierre (LB, Jr.), Tyler Freeman (LB, Sr.), Adam Serieux (RB, Jr.)
Last meeting: Oct. 24, 2025 - Vero Beach 49, Treasure Coast 0
Patrick’s prediction (sure to be wrong): Vero Beach 17, Treasure Coast 7
Audience prediction (sure to be right): Vero Beach (80%)
District 13-4A - Fort Pierce Westwood (5-3, 3-1 district) at Jensen Beach (6-2, 4-0 district)
When: 7 p.m. Friday
Where: Jensen Beach High School
Last week: Fort Pierce Westwood - 42-3 win vs. Sebastian River; Jensen Beach - 51-0 win vs. Legacy
Maxpreps rankings: Fort Pierce Westwood (35.89) - 13th in Region 4-4A, 54th in Class 4A, 294th overall; Jensen Beach (57.56) - seventh in Region 4-4A, 20th in Class 4A, 110th overall
Key players: Fort Pierce Westwood - Jermaine Walker (WR, Sr.), Jakeim Ellison (DB, Sr.), Malachi Francois (LB, Jr.), Elize Pierre (QB, So.), James Strowbridge (OL, Sr.); Jensen Beach - Alex Thornton (LB/RB, Sr.), Jalen Webley (WR/DB, Sr.), Dre Lott (QB, Jr.), Gage Wilson (ATH, Jr.), Kellen Farro (DL, Jr)
Last meeting: Sept. 5, 2025 - Jensen Beach 44, Fort Pierce Westwood 8
The skinny: The Panthers are the only thing standing between the Falcons and their fourth district title in the last five years. With a win, Jensen Beach would claim the championship outright. But a loss would set up a three-team tie between the two and Heritage. The highest-ranked team at season’s end would win via tiebreaker.
Following a shutout loss earlier in the month to Treasure Coast, the Panthers have found their offense by dialing up 89 combined points in wins against Port St. Lucie and Sebastian River. Elize Pierre has shined along the way, as the sophomore quarterback has accounted for 11 touchdowns.
Conversely, Jensen Beach continues to cement itself with one of the best defenses in the state. In all six of their wins, the Falcons have not allowed an opponent to score more than three points. That includes last week’s victory over Legacy where the Jensen Beach defense outscored the opponent 14-0 thanks to two Alex Thornton Pick 6’s.
Patrick’s prediction (sure to be wrong): Jensen Beach 35, Fort Pierce Westwood 14
Audience prediction (sure to be right): Jensen Beach (69%)
District 10-1A - John Carroll Catholic (6-2, 2-0 district) at Benjamin (2-5, 0-1 district)
When: 6:30 p.m. Friday
Where: Theofilos Field
Last week: John Carroll Catholic - 21-14 win vs. Treasure Coast; Benjamin - Bye
Maxpreps rankings: John Carroll Catholic (63.68) - second in Region 4-1A, seventh in Class 1A, 76th overall; Benjamin (45.0) - fifth in Region 4-1A, 21st in Class 1A, 218th overall
Key players: John Carroll Catholic - Sean Tatum (OL, Sr.), Andrew Pisani (OL, Jr.), K.J. Davis (Sr, WR), Kameron Barber (ATH, Jr.), Felix Jackson (RB, Sr.); Benjamin - Markel Etienne (CB/WR, Jr.), Jayden Cosby-Mosley (LB, Sr.), Zaydin Fleuridor (QB, Fr.), Colin Murphy (DE, Jr.), Gabe Bowens (RB/LB, Jr.)
Last meeting: Oct. 24, 2025 - John Carroll Catholic 41, Benjamin 31
The skinny: Like Jensen Beach, the Rams can avoid a three-team tiebreak and capture the district title with a road win over the Buccaneers.
The two teams met last year, with John Carroll coming away with the victory behind 280 rushing yards and six touchdowns from since-graduated running back Jeremy Pittman. Senior running back Felix Jackson will look to replicate that performance. The senior running back rushed for 134 yards and a touchdown during the team’s win last week over Treasure Coast.
The Rams may want to prioritze running just simply because it’s their strength and worked in the past, but also because Benjamin rushes the passer fairly well. In just seven games, Benjamin has recorded 35 sacks. Colin Murphy leads the team with nine sacks.
Patrick’s prediction (sure to be wrong): John Carroll Catholic 42, Benjamin 21
Audience prediction (sure to be right): John Carroll Catholic (86.3%)
District 8-6A - St. Lucie West Centennial (1-7, 0-2 district) at Fort Pierce Central (4-3, 0-2 district)
When: 7 p.m. Friday
Where: Lawnwood Stadium
Last week: St. Lucie West Centennial - 50-0 loss at Holy Trinity Episcopal Academy; Fort Pierce Central - 42-3 loss vs. Bishop Verot
Maxpreps rankings: St. Lucie West Centennial (21.09) - 16th in Region 2-6A, 75th in Class 6A, 445th overall; Fort Pierce Central (51.43) - eighth in Region 2-6A, 30th in Class 6A, 156th overall
Key players: St. Lucie West Centennial - Dakary Boswell (QB, Sr.), Elijah Mathurin (LB, Sr.), Cameron Medlin (DB, Sr.), Bradley Paul (OL, Sr.), Malik Jefferson (RB, Jr.); Fort Pierce Central - A.J. Hill (WR, Sr.), Drew LaPlante (QB, Sr.), Kevin Dixon (RB, Sr.), Jarimyah Owens (LB, Sr.), Chad DeVries (DB, Sr.)
Last meeting: Oct. 23, 2025 - Fort Pierce Central 34, St. Lucie West Centennial 32
The skinny: This matchup features two teams in desparate need of ending losing streaks. Following a three-game slide, the Cobras are clinging to a postseason spot. The team is ranked eighth in Region 2-6A, just ahead of St. Cloud for the region’s final at-large berth.
Meanwhile, the Eagles have two streaks that’d like to stop. They’ve dropped their last seven games and been held scoreless through their last five games.
Patrick’s prediction (sure to be wrong): Fort Pierce Central 42, St. Lucie West Centennial 0
Audience’s prediction (sure to be right): Fort Pierce Central (85.8%)
St. Edward’s (5-4) at Master’s Academy (2-7)
When: 7 p.m. Friday
Where: Master’s Academy
Last week: St. Edward’s - 53-6 win vs. Leonard; Master’s Academy - 21-3 loss at Atlantic-Port Orange
Maxpreps rankings: St. Edward’s (27.42) - 24th in SSAA, 371st overall; Master’s Academy (-3.8) - 38th in SSAA, 502nd overall
Key players: St. Edward’s - Dylan Colontrelle (QB, Jr.), Triston Scent (ATH, Fr.), Chase Colotrelle (ATH, So), Daniel Clemente (DL, Sr.), Alex Rojas (LB, Jr.); Master’s Academy - Joshua Namvar (Sr.), Banks Swearingen (So.), Troy Borcheller (Jr.), Jackson Fromag (Fr.), Tyde Modert (Jr.)
Last meeting: Oct. 24, 2025 - St. Edward’s 15, Master’s Academy
The skinny: The second chapter in this newly-formed rivalry takes place at Master’s Academy. The Patriots will welcome to their campus a St. Edward’s team that appears to be hitting their stride.
The Pirates won their last three games, highlighted by putting up a season-best 53 points in a rout over Leonard last week. Dylan Colontrelle returned to action in that game after missing the previous two games due to injury. The junior quarterback had no rust on the field, as he completed 11 of 13 passes for 232 yards and accounted for four total touchdowns.
Conversely, Master’s Academy was held to single digits for the third time this season after falling at Atlantic-Port Orange.
The two teams had a similar disparity in performance heading into last year’s contest, but the St. Edward’s narrowly outlasted Master’s Academy at home.
Patrick’s prediction (sure to be wrong): St. Edward’s 29, Master’s Academy 13
Audience’s prediction (sure to be right): St. Edward’s (59.3%)
Other games this week
District 12-5A - Martin County (4-4) at Palm Beach Gardens (3-5), 6:30 p.m.
Patrick’s prediction (sure to be wrong): Martin County 14, Palm Beach Gardens 7
Audience’s prediction (sure to be right): Palm Beach Gardens (51.8%)
District 12-5A - South Fork (6-2) at Seminole Ridge (1-7), 6:30 p.m.
Patrick’s prediction (sure to be wrong): South Fork 31, Seminole Ridge 14
Audience’s prediction (sure to be right): South Fork (69%)
District 13-4A - Sebastian River at Port St. Lucie, 7 p.m.
Patrick’s prediction (sure to be wrong): Port St. Lucie 28, Sebastian River 14
Audience’s prediction (sure to be right): Sebastian River (57.2%)
Tradition Prep (1-6) at Satellite (8-0), 7 p.m.
Patrick’s prediction (sure to be wrong): Satellite 49, Tradition Prep 0
Audience’s prediction (sure to be right): Satellite (77.8%)
Lemon Bay (7-2) at Okeechobee (3-6), 7 p.m.
Predictions unavailable.
Patrick’s 2026 predictions (sure to be wrong): 71-22
Audience’s 2026 predictions (sure to be right): 66-27
Patrick Bernadeau is a sports reporter for Treasure Coast Newspapers. He can be reached at 772-985-9692, on X at @PatBernadeau or via email at pbernadeau@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Treasure Coast Week 10 football preview: District titles are on the line
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