Maryland’s St. Frances Academy football adds Florida power Vero Beach to 2026 schedule

Maryland’s top high school football program continues to add firepower to its already-loaded 2026 schedule.

St. Frances Academy, which finished inside the top five of last year’s USA TODAY Super 25, added Vero Beach (Fla.) to its 2026 schedule, in a move that was announced by the Florida school on Tuesday, July 7. The game will be played on Sept. 4, which is Week 3 for the Fighting Indians out of the Sunshine State.

The St. Frances Panthers had an impressive 2025 season, finishing 9-1 with a 37-20 win over Corner Canyon (Utah) in the Overtime High School National Championship. In 10 games, the Panthers conceded just 87 points, facing teams like Chaminade-Madonna (Fla.), St. John Bosco (Calif.), and The First Academy (Fla.), amongst others. The program boasts a slew of Power Four prospects, headlined by 5-star Texas Tech commit Anthony Sweeney, 4-star Texas A&M commit Raylaun Henry, and 4-star Jermaine Smith Jr.

Vero Beach, meanwhile, put together a solid season but found itself on the wrong end of national headlines after Lake Mary’s Hail Mary at the buzzer was the dagger in the FHSAA Class 7A state championship, a game the Indians lost 28-27 after leading 27-11 heading into the fourth quarter. That was the lone blemish on Vero’s 14-1 season which saw it average 41.9 points per game.

The Indians return 3-star Notre Dame quarterback commit Champ ‘Wonderful’ Monds IV, who threw for 691 yards and 7 touchdowns against no interceptions last season. Monds injured his ankle against Miami Norland in last year’s kickoff classic before returning for the postseason.

Follow Sports Reporter Alex Martin on X at @NP_AlexMartin or via email: amartin@usatodayco.com. For additional high school sports coverage, be sure to follow @usatodayhss on Instagram and X.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Maryland’s St. Frances Academy football adds Florida power Vero Beach to 2026 schedule