{
  "id": 933700,
  "title": "Thunderstorms scrap Big Bend football Kickoff Classic games",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/15/thunderstorms-scrap-big-bend-football-kickoff-classic-games",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-08-15T02:21:31.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Yahoo Sports",
    "slug": "yahoo-sports",
    "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/thunderstorms-scrap-big-bend-football-022131153.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Thunder and lightning struck Tallahassee and the Big Bend area, causing many preseason Kickoff Classic high school football games to be scrapped before they began on Friday, Aug. 14. One game, scheduled to feature the Amos P. Godby Cougars against the Florida High School Seminoles at Gene Cox Stadium, was canceled, marking the first senior year appearance for Tallahassee's top recruit and Clemson commit, five-star wide receiver Jamarin Simmons. Additionally, Lawton-Chiles High School's matchup between the New Gadsden County Jaguars and Lincoln Trojans, as well as Wakulla's debut game featuring first-year coach Derek Allen's War Eagles against Evans High School, were also canceled. The Leon Lions were set to play at home against the Maclay Maurauders, but their game was also called off due to the thunderstorm. Despite the cancellations, the Florida High School Athletic Association's Week 1 of the regular season is scheduled to begin next Friday, Aug. 21, with the historic high school football rivalry game between Godby and James S. Rickards set to kick off at 7 p.m. inside Gene Cox Stadium.",
  "summary": "Thunderstorms and lightning delays dampened the excitement for Big Bend high school football’s preseason Kickoff Classic games.",
  "key_points": [
    "Thunderstorms cancel Big Bend football games before kickoff on Aug. 14",
    "Amos P. Godby Cougars' top recruit Jamarin Simmons' game postponed",
    "Regular season resumes Aug. 21 with Godby vs. Rickards matchup"
  ],
  "editors_take": "The cancellations deal a blow to teams and players looking to get a head start on the season, including top recruit Jamarin Simmons in his first senior year appearance.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}