A Week 1 matchup featuring Georgia high school and national champion Buford and a Gainesville team with its new head coach is just one of the top 10 games of the upcoming 2026 Georgia high school football season.
ITG Next has looked over every available schedule for the 2026 high school football season, and we think these matchups provide fans with the best story lines of the upcoming season.
One thing that immediately stands out is the number of interstate matchups featuring Georgia high school teams against some top out-of-state opponents.
Remember, with the new postseason ranking formula for determining playoff teams, every game from Week 1 to Week 10 is important. Whether it is a non-region contest or an anticipated matchup with a rival program, the strength of a team’s opponents will be important in determining if that team qualifies for the playoffs and where it could be seeded by the end of the season.
So, buckle up. It is going to be a whole new ballgame this year.
Here are ITG Next’s top 10 must-see games of the 2026 Georgia high school football season.
1. Buford vs. Gainesville | August 22, 2026
The Buford Wolves, led by head coach Bryant Appling, will kick off the defense of their 2025 state and national championships at home at Phillip Beard Stadium on a Saturday night against the Gainesville Red Elephants and new head coach Santavious Bryant.
The Red Elephants also played for a state championship last year but came up short against champion Thomas County Central.
Buford fans will get their first look at new starting quarterback DJ Hunter. The junior was the backup last year to Dayton Raiola and played well in limited action. Hunter, a dual-threat quarterback, completed 67% of his passes with three touchdowns and no interceptions last season. He also ran for three touchdowns in 2025.
Gainesville is hoping to make another run at the state finals as a Class 6A member this season and will have a dual-threat quarterback leading the offense with the return of four-star junior Kharim Hughley, a Clemson commit.
Can Bryant lead his new team to the upset in this non-region showcase?
2. Thomas County Central vs. Colquitt County | August 21, 2026
It is the first meeting of these two South Georgia football programs since 2012, when the Packers won 35-33 at Central. Like 14 years ago, Colquitt County will come calling to the Jackets Nest.
Thomas County Central will be kicking off the defense of its 2025 GHSA Class 5A state championship and undefeated 15-0 season.
With reclassification, Thomas County Central is now a Class 6A team, while Colquitt County returns to Class 7A.
Colquitt County finished 9-3 last year, losing to Grayson in the second round of the state playoffs.
Colquitt County head coach Sean Calhoun said he and coach Rogers have tried to make this game happen before this year.
“We actually talked about this game two years ago, but could not nail it down,” Calhoun said. “So, we made sure to get it on the schedule this year and next.”
He added that he and Rogers agree the game should help each program under the new playoff model.
“We both should benefit with the new power ranking model,” Calhoun said.
Colquitt County will return quarterback Cohen Lawson, though reports indicate he may move to another position for the 2026 season.
Thomas County Central head coach Justin Rogers said the battle to replace former starter Jaylen Johnson is between two candidates as the Yellow Jackets head into offseason workouts.
“Roland Waldrop and Cooper Creach will compete for the quarterback job,” Rogers said. “It’s wide open.”
Stay tuned.
3. Parkview vs. Coffee | August 21, 2026
In a battle of South Georgia vs. North Georgia, the Parkview Panthers will take on the Coffee Trojans to open the season as part of this year’s Corky Kell + Dave Hunter Classic at Center Parc Stadium in Atlanta.
According to GHSFHA.org, this will be the first meeting ever between the two programs.
Parkview began a rebuilding phase last season under first-year head coach Adam Clack, finishing 4-6. Clack previously served as Milton’s head coach for five seasons, leading the Eagles to a state championship in 2018.
He is hoping to restore the Panthers football program to its glory days of 1995-2005, when the program captured four state championships, and the second-year coach said games like this one are part of the path back.
“We began taking some steps last season towards getting Parkview back to where we want to be, and it’s time to take that next step forward this year, and it starts right away against a quality program like Coffee,” Clack said. “We want to see how we stack up against the best teams in the state, and Coffee certainly checks that box. They are well coached, physical, exactly what you expect to see from a top-tier South Georgia football program, and as part of the Corky Kell Dave Hunter Classic, it’s going to be a great battle of two programs with a rich history of great football. Coffee will allow us to see where we are right out of the gate in year two of the process.”
Head coach Mike Coe is hoping this game will be the start of another championship season for the Coffee Trojans. Coe led the Trojans to their first state championship in 2023 and is hoping for a rebound from last year’s 4-7 finish.
“Coffee football is honored to have the opportunity to play in the Corky Kell Classic, and playing a storied program like Parkview is an added bonus,” Coe said. “It will be a great contest, and help us find out where we need to improve early in the season.”
4. Carver-Columbus vs. Worth County | November 6, 2026
This regular season finale will pit defending Georgia high school football state champions Carver Columbus and Worth County against each other.
The Tigers and Rams will now be in the same region, as each school moves to Region 1-3A.
Both teams went undefeated last season en route to a state championship, with Worth County capturing the Class A Division I title with a 15-0 season and Carver Columbus finishing 15-0 while winning the Class 2A state title for the second straight season.
Worth County will return all-state quarterback Lyndon Worthy, while Carver Columbus returns sophomore quarterback Sebastian Heard, who threw for more than 1,700 yards last season as a freshman.
Worth County head coach Jeff Hammond said he lost about half of his starters on both sides of the ball from last season but said it is too early to be focused on that.
“The good news is that it’s only March, and Carver will be the last regular season game of the year,” Hammond said.
In addition to Worthy, the Rams will return most of the offensive line from last year. It is the skill positions that Hammond and Worth County will have to replace.
5. Gainesville vs. McEachern | September 11, 2026
The McEachern Indians, led by head coach Kareem Reid, will travel to Gainesville to take on the Red Elephants in their home opener.
Bryant’s team will have two major road games under its belt by the time it returns home to face McEachern.
This will be a solid test for the Indians, who must replace a lot of offensive production from last year’s 10-1 team, including quarterback CJ Pittman and leading rusher Henry Pullen.
Reid discussed the quarterback situation and the matchup against Gainesville.
“Obviously, Gainesville is going to be a great opportunity for us to see how we measure up,” Reid said. “They have a new coach, and I think they’ll be a different team than before, but they’re still going to be very tough. We’ll have a battle between two guys for the quarterback position, with Colby Pittman and newcomer Brenton James battling it out.”
James is a senior who transferred from St. Augustine High School in Florida, where he threw for 2,780 yards and 36 touchdowns as a junior while leading the Yellow Jackets to an 11-2 season. He also had five rushing touchdowns last year.
Colby Pittman is the younger brother of last year’s starter, CJ Pittman.
Gainesville will return many of its skill players, including quarterback Kharim Hughley, leading rushers Nigel Newkirk and Dwight Lewis, and receivers Collin Porterfield and Trent Wilcox.
6. Battle Ground Academy (Tennessee) vs. Milton | September 11, 2026
The Milton Eagles, led by head coach Ben Reaves, will travel to Tennessee to take on the defending Tennessee Class 2A Division II state champion Battle Ground Academy Wildcats.
The game was born out of necessity, as Reaves was trying to fill his one remaining game for the 2026 season.
“We actually were struggling to find a 10th game with a quality opponent who had the same date that we did, and I saw that Battle Ground Academy in Tennessee needed a game,” Reaves said. “They’re a private school in Nashville coming off a state championship season and returning a lot of talent, so it will be a good national test for us.”
Reaves said another reason the game in Nashville worked into Milton’s plan was because of the program’s history of playing challenging out-of-state opponents.
“Every year we do an out-of-state trip, so this wound up being the perfect matchup for us,” Reaves said.
Battle Ground Academy finished 13-1 while capturing its state championship last year. Milton went 8-4 last season after losing starting quarterback Derrick Baker early in the season due to a hand injury.
Baker is healthy and back for 2026. The Tennessee commit will be protected by one of the best offensive lines in the state, which includes 6-foot-5, 275-pound freshman Landon Ghea and 6-foot-5, 295-pound sophomore Michael Pickard.
Milton will be a team to watch in Class 6A this year, and the matchup with Battle Ground Academy will be one of the best interstate battles of 2026.
7. Creekside vs. St. Joseph Regional (New Jersey) | August 29, 2026
The defending GHSA Class 4A state champion Creekside Seminoles will start the 2026 season by hosting two out-of-state defending state champions.
Their season opener will be against 2025 Alabama champion Clay-Chalkville, followed by New Jersey Non-Public Independent Association state champion St. Joseph Regional in Week 2.
With Clay-Chalkville having lost many key members from its 15-0 Class 6A state championship squad, the better matchup figures to be against the St. Joseph Regional Green Knights from Montvale, New Jersey.
St. Joseph Regional is part of the nationally renowned Super United Region that includes Don Bosco Prep and Bergen Catholic.
Creekside finished 15-0 last year en route to the state title.
The Seminoles have built a reputation by playing some of the toughest high school football programs in the country, including a 70-0 loss to DeSoto, Texas, in 2024, followed by a 70-28 win over the same DeSoto team last year. In 2023, Creekside traveled to California to take on West Coast powerhouse Mater Dei, which defeated Creekside 62-0.
8. Catholic High (Louisiana) vs. Carrollton | September 4, 2026
This Week 3 matchup will send head coach Joey King’s Carrollton Trojans west to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, to take on the Catholic High School Bears.
Both teams played for a state championship in 2025. Catholic fell short to Edna Karr 17-10 in the Louisiana Division I Select State Championship game and finished the season with a 10-3 overall record. Carrollton fell to Buford 28-21 in the GHSA Class 6A finals and finished the season at 14-1 overall.
The Trojans will return starting quarterback Christian Cypher, who threw for 2,178 yards and 26 touchdowns as a freshman, completing 72% of his passes with just three interceptions.
Also watch for returning athlete Rontre Welch, who enjoyed a breakthrough sophomore season in 2025 as a top receiver and kick returner for Carrollton. Welch had 1,244 all-purpose yards last season with three kickoffs returned for touchdowns and four receiving touchdowns, and he will again pose a threat from anywhere on the field for Carrollton.
9. Grayson vs. Buford | September 18, 2026
This will be the first matchup between the two Georgia high school football heavyweights since 2023, when Buford lost at Grayson 19-14 in the GHSA Class 7A state quarterfinals.
It also marks an early-season challenge for new Grayson head football coach Greg Carswell, the Rams’ former defensive coordinator, who takes over for the departed Santavious Bryant.
Carswell will face North Gwinnett in his debut leading Grayson in the Corky Kell + Dave Hunter Classic on Aug. 21 before hosting Buford in September.
Grayson finished 12-1 last season, rallying after starting quarterback Travis Burgess went down in Week 2 with a season-ending knee injury. Deuce Smith took over at QB and led the Rams to the GHSA Class 6A quarterfinals against Carrollton. Smith threw for 2,776 yards and 30 touchdown passes and will be back for his senior season.
In the teams’ last meeting in 2023, Carswell’s defense made the difference. Buford quarterback Dylan Raiola was held in check, throwing for a season-low 136 yards while being sacked six times.
In 2026 Grayson’s defense will return a talented secondary, including London Goggans, Jalen Welch, and Rilee Drew, along with leading tacklers Eli Harris and Cameron Jones.
10. Lowndes vs. Valdosta | October 30, 2026
The Winnersville Classic always provides one of the best high school football Friday night environments in not just Georgia, but anywhere in the country.
This year’s game could give either team’s fans their best hope in a while of competing for a Georgia high school football state championship in the GHSA’s largest classification.
This game determined the Region 1-6A championship last year, with both teams finishing 4-1 in region play along with Colquitt County for a three-way tie, but Valdosta won the tiebreaker by virtue of its win against Lowndes.
These two teams will bring back plenty of offensive firepower in 2026.
Valdosta returns top running backs Deron Foster and Marquis Fennell, who combined for just over 3,800 yards rushing and 38 touchdowns last season. The Wildcats also bring back virtually their entire offensive line from 2025.
Lowndes returns quarterback Jayce Johnson, top rusher Mason Woods, top receiver Ar’Tavian “Bubba” Brown, receiver Kaevone Thomas, and tight end Waylon Weidinger.
Lowndes head football coach Adam Carter said the game is always big, but this year’s matchup could have extra meaning.
“With our new power ranking system, this game could have huge implications for the playoffs,” Carter said, referring to the GHSA’s new postseason ranking formula.
Playoff teams will no longer qualify simply as a top-four team in the region. However, the region champion is guaranteed a playoff spot and at least one home game in the postseason.
“The Winnersville Classic is always a game that is marked on the calendar as soon as the schedule is set,” Carter said. “It’s a huge event for both communities that take great pride in the programs they support. Valdosta is very talented, and Coach Felton does a great job. We look forward to the opportunity to host the Classic at Martin Stadium.”
Don’t Miss These Georgia High School Football Matchups
- Thomas County Central at Lee County
- Grayson vs. North Gwinnett
- Buford vs. Miami Central
