The high school baseball and softball playoffs are heating up. Track and field athletes are vying for berths in the state meet. The busy week of sports picks up even more Friday when teams can begin spring football practice.

Several of the Cape area teams gather Friday to get uniforms and for some conditioning, and basically to become acclimated to what the next month will be like. The bulk of the work begins Monday.

“Spring ball will take on a different flavor this year,” said North Fort Myers coach Barry Goettemoeller, who is beginning his second year at the school. “(The players) know me, my expectations, practice tempo and the Xs and Os.”

The focus for all teams is setting a foundation for the regular season come fall, but they’ll get some valuable experience through the spring games at the conclusion of practice.

Cape High hosts Charlotte on May 21 at 7:30 p.m, while many of the other spring games take place the following Thursday and Friday.

On May 28, Mariner hosts Gulf Coast at 7 p.m. The games on May 29 include Riverdale at Ida Baker at 7:30 p.m., Island Coast at Lakewood Ranch at 7:30 p.m. and North Fort Myers at Lehigh at 7 p.m.

The most significant change for the upcoming season comes via the new FHSAA classifications. While many of the ongoing rivalries expect to continue, new ones undoubtedly will begin in district play.

Cape Coral and Ida Baker belong to a small but intriguing four-team District 4A-12, which includes Gulf Coast and Palmetto Ridge.

The new District 3A-11 has the makings of a real free-for-all with Mariner, North Fort Myers, Bishop Verot, Fort Myers, Riverdale and South Fort Myers.

“Each week will be a street fight,” Mariner coach Chad O’Brien said. “Team toughness will come into play a lot this season.”

Island Coast, which begins its second varsity season, has been assigned to District 2B-6. There is some geographical variety with the Gators joining Clewiston, Dunbar, Gateway Charter, LaBelle and Lake Placid.

“Playing in a district, that’s a different ball of wax compared to just playing anybody,” Island Coast coach Joe Bowen said. “It’s going to be a lot tougher than what these guys expect.”

The gameplanning for opponents begins at a later date. For now, teams will keep the focus in-house as they install new systems or tweak the current ones.

They also hope for new and young players to emerge and experienced players to assume leadership roles.

Cape has reached the playoffs in back-to-back seasons for the first time in school history. Some key players return, including senior-to-be Jaylen Watkins. The multi-talented Watkins, who verbally committed to the University of Florida, expects to see more snaps at quarterback this season, along with defensive back.

Senior running back/defensive back Spencer Boyd and senior offensive tackle Dan Koenig are other proven players for the Seahawks.

The Ida Baker Bulldogs made a push for their first playoff appearance last year, but were knocked out of contention in Week 10 when they lost to North Fort Myers 35-28 in double overtime.

The Bulldogs return two-way standout Jonathan Garcia. The 6-foot-4 Garcia presents a big target on the offensive side and continues to be a strong, rangy player on the defensive line.

Junior quarterback Sean Francis, senior Andrew Haynes (defensive back/running back) and speedster Joseph Byrd (running back/defensive back) also return for the Bulldogs.

The Tritons hope to follow up a 4-6 season with more consistency. They’ll continue to focus on building a tough, cohesive team. Senior running back Eric Mitchell is their most prolific player. Key returning seniors include Cody Siebert (offensive/defensive line), David Tyrrell (receiver/defensive back), Nick Perone (running back/linebacker) and Mario Perone (running back/linebacker).

The Red Knights may have been better than their 5-5 record if not for a string of close losses, including a heartbreaking 18-14 loss to Fort Myers late in the year. Seniors Tre Boston and Marcus Lewis bring big-play potential. Corbin Jackimowicz, Kyle Schmidt, Arthur Green and Mike Rosario are back for the Knights.

Island Coast anticipates another step forward in its second year. The Gators went 3-3 in their six varsity contests last year, showing signs of an up-and-coming team.

The Gators have a big, strong offensive line and an array of promising players.

Defensive end Aaron Lynch, a 6-4 junior, is a force coming off the edge. Junior Brian Bosworth (offensive/defensive line) and junior Nelson Candelario (defensive back) are expected to be major contributors.

“(Last year) we wanted to get in some varsity games and get familiar with the timing and we wanted to be competitive,” Bowen said. “Now we want to carry that on and keep growing.”