Five Florida High School Football Players Suspended Over Social Media Posts

Four Evans players and one Edgewater player will miss Friday's Kickoff Classic games after posts targeting rival schools resulted in discipline.

Four high school football players from Evans and one from Edgewater have been suspended for this week's Kickoff Classic games after making profane social media posts. | Evans High School

Five Central Florida high school football players have been suspended from this week's preseason Kickoff Classic games following social media posts targeting rival schools.

Orange County Athletics Director Lonnie Flores said four Evans players and one Edgewater player were disciplined over the posts, according to a report by The Orlando Sentinel.

Evans is scheduled to travel to Wakulla on Friday, while Edgewater hosts Tampa Bay-area power Armwood.

Orange County Warns Schools Following Posts

In addition to the suspensions, Flores sent a warning to Orange County athletic directors about similar social media conduct.

According to The Orlando Sentinel, four Evans players appeared in a photo with a profane message directed at Jones. A separate photo showed an Edgewater player with similar messages targeting Evans, The First Academy, Lake Nona and Jones.

Posts Targeted Several 2026 Opponents

Edgewater, ranked No. 23 in the High School on SI Florida Football Top 25, is scheduled to play Evans (Oct. 16), The First Academy (Aug. 28), Lake Nona (Sept. 10) and Jones (Sept. 18) this season.

Evans is scheduled to face Jones on Sept. 6. Evans, Edgewater, Jones and Lake Nona all reached the playoffs last season, with Jones finishing as the Class 4A state runner-up for the second consecutive year.

Jones is No. 12 in the High School On SI Florida Top 25, while The First Academy enters 2026 as one of the state's prominent private-school programs.

Players Suspended Under Student Code of Conduct

Here is Flores’ memo to Orange County athletic directors, per the story from The Orlando Sentinel:

In his message to county athletic directors, Flores said the players would miss the Kickoff Classic because of the Student Code of Conduct and urged schools to address the issue with their coaches.

"Please get this under control," Flores wrote, according to The Orlando Sentinel.

High School On SI reached out to Edgewater coach Patrick Browning and the Evans football program for comment but did not receive a response.

Orange County Schools Addresses Discipline Policy

Orange County Public Schools declined to discuss the individual disciplinary cases, citing federal student privacy law, according to The Orlando Sentinel.

“OCPS has zero tolerance for behavior that disrespects, harasses, or demeans others,” Ollendorff said. “We are committed to maintaining a safe, inclusive, and respectful learning environment for all students and staff.”

Jeff Gardenour can be reached via email at jgardenour1962@gmail.com or X @JMarkG1962