Countryside High's football team opened the 2026 season with a 21-17 road victory over Palm Harbor University on Friday, Aug. 21, flipping the script on a 3-7 campaign from a year ago.
The Cougars battled through all four quarters before securing the four-point win in Palm Harbor. The victory came against a Hurricanes squad that went 6-5 last season and competes two classifications higher in Class 6A.
Sattinger is in his second year leading the program. He added two new assistants for 2026: Coach Kroeger, a Countryside alum who returned to lead the defense, and Coach Jackson, who oversees special teams and the running back group.
The Cougars' roster features quarterback Cam Waddington, defensive end/tight end Korontae Moore, running back Dontavius Miley, wide receiver Kai Johnson, linebacker Zion Poole and free safety Ja'carri Young. Individual stat lines from Friday's game were not available.
Countryside moved to Class 3A, District 11 for this season after FHSAA reclassification. The program owns 10 district titles and 18 state-playoff appearances in its history.
Up next: Countryside hosts Hollins High School on Friday, Aug. 28, at 7:30 p.m. for its home opener, then travels to rival Clearwater High on Friday, Sept. 4, at 7:30 p.m.
