Middleton, Fla. – The Villages High School football team opened its 2026 season with a resounding victory Friday night in Middleton.

A strong second-half effort pushed the Buffalo past Zephyrhills for a 31-14 win at H.G. Morse Stadium, securing their third straight victory in a season opener dating back to 2024.

Senior quarterback Jadence Kennedy completed 14-of-22 passes for 214 yards with four touchdowns and Ja'Marian Clark caught seven passes for 109 yards and two scores, as VHS (1-0) rattled off 19 unanswered points after halftime.

"These are the kind of Week 1 games you want to play," said VHS head coach Richard Pettus. "It was a fight there for a while, but we were able to finally make a few plays and pull away to get it done. It's always good to start 1-0 and just give your team some confidence going forward."

A scoreless first quarter gave way to a 4-yard touchdown pass from Kennedy to Bryce Crabtree, with the Buffalo doubling their lead to 12-0 on a Kennedy-to-Clark connection from seven yards out.

The visiting Bulldogs pulled within 12-7 late in the first half on a 2-yard run by Marcus Gonzales to make it a one-score game at halftime, despite VHS turning the ball over twice on downs in Zephyrhills territory. 

"More than anything, you're frustrated when you leave points on the field like we did in the first half tonight," Pettus said. "We've got to clean some things up, for sure, and turn those possessions into points."

The Villages found its stride offensively to open the third quarter, marching 96 yards on a 12-play scoring drive, eventually capping the long possession with a 22-yard touchdown reception by Clark.

Zephyrhills fumbled on the ensuing kickoff and VHS recovered, with the Buffalo needing just one play – a 21-yard pass from Kennedy to his younger brother, Zhiyerre Kennedy – to extend their lead to 25-7.

Jonathan Williams intercepted a pass and returned it to the end zone for a 42-yard score late in the fourth quarter for the final Buffalo points on the night. Zion Reed tallied nine tackles and Daniel Brant had eight in the win, while the VHS defense also tallied four sacks.

The Buffalo will now enjoy an early Week 2 bye week, before returning to action Sept. 4 at home against South Lake. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. at H.G. Morse Stadium.


Cody Hills can be reached for questions or comment at cody.hills@tvcs.org.