The 35th annual edition of the Corky Kell + Dave Hunter Classic will kick off the 2026 GHSA football season, and ITG Next will use this opportunity to kick off our annual Pick 6, where I test my prognosticating skills.
This year’s opening games on Aug. 12 will mark the earliest start to the multi-team showcase and will stretch over 10 days, with the final contests occurring on Aug. 21.
Lanier vs. South Gwinnett
Wednesday, Aug. 12 | Kickoff: 5 p.m.
Lanier versus South Gwinnett will be the first game of the 2026 Georgia high school football season and will be the first of two matchups taking place on Day 1 of this year’s Corky Kell + Dave Hunter Classic, with kickoff slated for 5 p.m. under the big top of Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Lanier has finished with five wins in each of the past two seasons, going 5-5 last year and missing the playoffs after a 5-6 finish in 2024. That season saw the Longhorns finish as the No. 4 seed in Region 7-5A, then suffering a first-round playoff loss to Sprayberry in the opening round of the Class 5A state playoffs.
South Gwinnett is coming off a 5-6 season, during which the Comets took a bit of a step back after winning seven games in 2024.
Both teams are hoping for a better season, and a win in the state’s first game of the season will give both teams a much-needed boost of confidence.
Phil’s Pick: South Gwinnett 28, Lanier 14
North Gwinnett vs. Grayson
Wednesday, Aug. 12 | Kickoff: 8 p.m.
Game 2 will feature the North Gwinnett Bulldogs and Grayson Rams. The Rams will try to make the debut of new coach Greg Carswell a success with a win over the Bulldogs of head coach Eric Godfree.
The two teams are very similar: They both won 12 games last year. They both went undefeated while winning their region. They both had their 2025 season ended by Carrollton. Grayson’s only loss was their 20-point loss against Carrollton in the Class 6A quarterfinals, and North Gwinnett faced Carrollton in the semifinals but lost 48-21.
Phil’s Pick: Grayson 28, North Gwinnett 24
Cambridge vs. Brookwood
Thursday, Aug. 13 | Kickoff: 5 p.m.
Head coach Tyler Jones’ Bears have enjoyed 10-3 and 9-3 seasons over the past two years, but if Cambridge is going to keep things rolling in North Fulton County, they must find the talent to fill the shoes of several core members of the offense, including receivers Craig Dandridge, Hudson Cocchiara, and Grant Campbell, as well as quarterback Connor Langford.
Brookwood is coming off a 10-3 season, but they too lost a lot of key parts from 2025, including defensive standouts Jeremiah Brinson and Zayden Walters. The Broncos will benefit offensively with leading rusher Brayden Tyson and quarterback Gary Chatman returning.
Phil’s Pick: Brookwood 33, Cambridge 14
Walton vs. Roswell
Thursday, Aug. 13 | Kickoff: 8 p.m.
It’s hard to find two better head coaches than Walton’s Daniel Brunner and Roswell’s Jonathan Thompson.
The Walton Raiders were 5-5 entering the 2025 playoffs as the No. 4 seed, but were buoyed by upset wins over McEachern in the first round and East Coweta in the second round. They came within a field goal of a third straight upset win before running out of time in a 45-42 loss at Valdosta.
Thompson led the Roswell Hornets through an equally exciting 2025 season. They finished 12-2 and came oh so close to playing for a state championship before a loss to Thomas County Central in the semifinals brought their championship hopes to an end.
These two teams played a whale of a head-to-head game early last year, with former Roswell kicker Balint Vorosmarty nailing a long last-second field goal to give the Hornets the big win.
I would expect the same type of fireworks in this season opener for both teams.
Phil’s Pick: Roswell 35, Walton 28
Pebblebrook vs. Clarke Central
Wednesday, Aug. 19 | Kickoff: 4:30 p.m.
The Pebblebrook Falcons finished 3-7 last year but are bringing back a lot of talent from that team, including top wide receivers Tyree Carter and Demitri Griffin and top rushers Dontavious Pierce and Ashton Simon.
Clarke Central was a bit of a surprise last season, finishing 6-6 despite suffering through a 2-5 start. The Gladiators return quarterbacks Hudson Welter and Kam Lawrence, top receiver La’Gracion Little, and linebackers Jamarion Herring and Newell Paul.
Phil’s Pick: Clarke Central 30, Pebblebrook 21
Kell vs. McEachern
Wednesday, Aug. 19 | Kickoff: 7:30 p.m.
The McEachern Indians and head coach Kareem Reid are riding the wave of momentum from last year’s successful season straight into the 2026 opener against another major success story in head coach Bobby May and the Kell Longhorns.
Kell went 11-3 before advancing to the semifinals in 2025. Eventual state champion Creekside ended the Longhorns’ season right there, but what an incredible run it was.
McEachern went 10-0 before an upset loss to Walton in the first round of the 2025 state playoffs.
A lot of talent returning on both sides makes this one of the early can’t-miss games of the Corky Kell + Dave Hunter Classic. The Indians are loaded at defensive back with multiple players holding Power Four offers.
