The 2026 Florida high school football season got underway Thursday night with statement wins, prolific quarterback performances and a pair of impressive victories over out-of-state opponents.Here are five season openers that stood out Thursday night:West Orange 28, Archbishop Hoban (Ohio) 24The Warriors won this wild back-and-forth interstate battle that came down to the final seconds. Hoban drove deep into West Orange territory with time running out, but West Orange's Deandre Meredith intercepted a pass to preserve the victory.AJ Chung passed for more than 300 yards and three TDs, including the game-winning toss to Yuto Kawamura-Johnson with less than 2 minutes left. Jayden Ammons scored twice to for West Orange.“I am just so proud of our team,” Chung said. “The fight through adversity and the grit to get it done. I trust my teammates and coaches so much that we just believed!“We played a really good opponent and got it done. We scored when it mattered and the defense got stops when it mattered. It is a great way to set the tone for the season. We just need to keep building on that.”Chaminade-Madonna 49, Monarch 21The Lions, ranked No. 19 nationally by High School On SI, received an impressive debut from transfer quarterback Brady Quinn, who passed for more than 350 yards and five touchdowns in a weather-shortened game.Quinn transferred from Lely after emerging as one of Florida's top young quarterbacks.Jeremiah Milcent passed for more than 300 yards and three TDs for Monarch.Columbus 45, Southridge 7Kai Moore accounted for three touchdowns as Columbus rolled to a 45-7 victory in the Miami rivalry. The teams played close games in each of the past two seasons, but Columbus turned this year's meeting into a rout.Dillard 44, Piper 21One of Broward County’s most dominant teams rolled past Piper, thanks to multiple TDs from Anthony Jenkins.Seminole 26, Mountain Vista (Colo.) 17The Seminole opened the 2026 season with an impressive victory over Colorado Class 5A runner-up Mountain Vista.Tyree Howard scored two TDs, and Daniel Proenza and Jamarion Coleman each scored once for Seminole. Defensively, the Noles forced three turnovers.“It feels good,” Seminole coach Karl Calhoun said. “Guys played well in all three phases, and we beat a really good football team. Happy for our guys.”Jeff Gardenour can be reached via email at jgardenour1962@gmail.com or X @JMarkG1962 Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow