Buchholz Football Chases Elusive State Title After Consecutive Semifinal Runs
Buchholz football has laid the foundation for a successful program, advancing to the Class 6A State Semifinals for five consecutive years, but heads into 2026 looking to fill in the cracks after last year’s 24-17 loss to West Broward simultaneously marked the Bobcats’ fifth straight semifinal exit.
“The expectations are set not only from those outside of our program but also ourselves as we try to make it to the state championship,” Buchholz coach Mark Whittemore said. “After being in this situation five times, it’s a little more hard work, a little more dedication, ball bouncing our way, maybe a few more times, and maybe we can get there.”
The path to a title won’t be easy for No. 17 Buchholz, which plays seven of its 11 games on the road and faces five top-75 opponents in a 2026 regular season schedule that opens Aug. 21 at Vanguard. The FHSAA’s addition of an Open Division this year adds a wrinkle to the Bobcats’ championship hopes, placing the top eight teams regardless of classification into their own playoff bracket.
The Bobcats would’ve competed in the Open Division if it existed in 2025, ending the regular season as the eighth-ranked team. Regardless of which title Buchholz plays for in the postseason, Whittemore recognizes the benefits.
“All in all, it’s a positive thing for us,” Whittemore said. “Either we’re recognized as one of the top eight teams. If that were to happen, that would be neat, but also it eliminates those top eight teams from a possible state championship run, so I think it works in our favor and I’m excited about the state being proactive.”
They open their season with a preseason test, playing the defending Class 7A State Champions, No. 20 Lake Mary, on the road Thursday, and end the regular season similarly, playing No. 25 Bolles in Jacksonville on Oct. 10.
Offensive lineman Bryce Daniels, who transferred from Bradford for his senior season, prefers the tough road-game schedule because it allows the team to prove itself ahead of the postseason.
“It’ll show the real colors of the team,” Daniels said. “We’re going to go to some hard environments, and if we can go succeed there and win, that’ll really show the test of the team.”
Quarterback Andrew Whittemore, the youngest of Mark’s four sons, expects to build on his sophomore year. He threw for 2,116 yards in 2025, holding a 57.7% completion percentage and a 19-to-9 touchdown-to-interception ratio while rushing for 401 yards and 8 touchdowns.
With a full season as the starter under his belt, Andrew used the offseason to become more comfortable in his role.
“Becoming a better leader and really taking over the game, trying to be more explosive as a quarterback,” Andrew said. “As I’ve gotten older, I’ve gotten to trust my arm strength more and also try to use my legs and try to extend plays that way.”
Mark noticed Andrew cement himself as a leader throughout spring and summer practices both on the field and in the weight room.
“He really embraced being a little bit more vocal, kind of setting the tone expectation-wise with the way he communicates to his team,” Mark said. “Making sure that kids are where they need to be, taking more of a leadership role as the actual seconds are ticking off the clock, but also at workouts being more willing to be demanding with the way [he] approaches people communicatively.”
Andrew isn’t the only component of the Bobcats’ backfield expected to make a jump in 2026. Buchholz returned junior running backs Josh Menefee, who led the team in rush yards per game (52.6), and Ashton Norris.
“I think we’ll be more balanced in the backfield as well this year,” Andrew said. “[Menefee and Norris] were sophomores like me, but they’re making good strides, and I’m looking forward to a big year from them.”
By the end of the Bobcats’ grueling 11-game schedule, they could be playing among the top eight teams or have a chance at the program’s second state championship title. As Buchholz works to avoid becoming stagnant, Mark knows the key to sustaining the program’s success lies in the details.
“A lot of this is continuing to be successful,” Mark said. “It’s not necessarily a drive for success, so just making sure that we’re dotting our I’s and crossing our T’s and keeping our program healthy.”
Category: Buchholz High School, Feature Sports News, High School Sports
