The 2025 high school football season is just days away – shout out to Hawaii – and it won’t get here soon enough. From early August to the end of November, there will be top matchups across the country each and every week. Some are more anticipated than others, however. We went went week-by-week and singled out the best high school football games for every week of the season:
Week 0
Aug. 9: Kahuku at St. Louis (Hawaii)
The first games of the high school football season will take place more than 2,000 miles away from the United States mainland when Kahuku and St. Louis clash this Saturday. Both programs have won multiple state championships and anytime the Red Raiders and Crusaders meet, it figures to go down to the wire. Kahuku won last year’s season opening meeting in a thriller, 14-13.
Week 1
Aug. 14: Milton at Buford (Ga.)
You’ve probably heard so much about this game already, you’re just counting down the days until its aired nationally on ESPN. Regardless, this is one of the most highly-anticipated openers for any state because of both programs being nationally-ranked along with Buford debuting its new, $62 million stadium. Yeah, can we fast forward to this one already?
Week 2
Aug. 23: Mater Dei (Calif.) at St. Thomas Aquinas (Fla.)
This has been a matchup that many around the country have longed to watch and now it’s finally coming to fruition. Monarchs versus Raiders. The game is part of the Broward County Classic High School Football Showcase, featuring many of the top high school football programs around the country. With well over 40-plus athletes with Division I offers taking the field, this one is a no-brainer.
Week 3
Aug. 28: East St. Louis (Ill.) at Bergen Catholic (N.J.)
The next big classic series after Broward’s that’ll take place is the annual Battle at the Beach High School Football showcase held in Ocean City, N.J. One of the premier matchups of the weekend comes between the Flyers and Crusaders, both state champions from a year ago. Each will be nationally-ranked heading into the contest and with the returning talent plus newbies on each roster, expect this to be the game to see in Week 3.
Week 4
Sept. 5: DeSoto at North Crowley (Texas)
If you talk to North Crowley head coach Ray Gates, he’ll let you know this one will be special. Over 30-plus players between the two teams with Division I offers will take the field in the Lone Star State showdown. The Panthers and Eagles combined to score 108 points last season. We think this will be a little bit more defensive-minded this time around.
Week 5
Sept. 12: American Heritage (Fla.) at Edna Karr (La.)
Five-star Texas Longhorn commit Dia Bell and the Patriots will take their show on the road to face a very talented Edna Karr program that will be looking to prove a point against their Florida adversaries. American Heritage is coming off winning a state championship in Florida’s Class 4A as is Edna Karr in winning the LHSAA’s Division I Select title. Lots of reason to catch a high school football game in the Big Easy when this goes down.
Week 6
Sept. 19: Mater Dei (Calif.) at Bishop Gorman (Nev.)
Anytime Mater Dei travels over to face Bishop Gorman in Sin City, it would seem to be worthy of being on any list of top high school football games. Both teams will have already played a pretty difficult stretch, but whomever comes away the victor in this one could be in line to win the mythical national championship of high school football. With so much talent stocked on each team, this figures to be the country’s Week 6 must-watch.
Week 7
Sept. 26: Lowndes at Colquitt County (Ga.)
Who doesn’t like themselves some good ol’ South Georgia high school football? The Winnersville Classic at the end of the year deserves a nod, but when it comes to which area matchup will be the best, it’s hard for us to look away from when the Vikings visit the Packers in Moultrie. Colquitt County got the better of Lowndes last season in a high-scoring, 38-35 affair. Can Texas A&M commit Jayce Johnson lead Lowndes past Colquitt in late September? It’s sure worth hopping in the car and catching in-person, in our opinion anyways.
Week 8
Oct. 4: Miami Northwestern at Miami Central (Fla.)
Traz Powell Stadium will be the place to be in early October because it’s usually standing-room-only whenever the Bulls and Rockets meety. Both teams are usually in the hunt for a state title and with Northwestern looking in flux because of the situation surrounding head coach Teddy Bridgewater, Miami Central may see this as a chance to pounce and take over as the city’s best team once again. This could also be a rematch come playoff time in the FHSAA’s Class 3A region finals.
Week 9
Oct. 10: DeSoto at Duncanville (Texas)
Just mentioning these two teams in Texas will make anyone in the state want to know when and where they’re playing. This one will bring thousands upon thousands to the stands as the two storied programs meet. DeSoto leads the all-time series 17-16, but Duncanville has won six of the last seven matchups, including a 42-20 victory last year.
Week 10
Oct. 17: Thompson (Ala.) at Hoover (Ala.)
Sweet home, Alabama. The Yellowhammer State loves their high school football and whenever the Warriors-Buccaneers meet, you’re getting some of the best the state has to offer. Last year’s showdown was an all-time classic, with Hoover just narrowly edging out Thompson for a thrilling 27-26 overtime victory. Now with both programs firmly in the mix to be contenders for the state’s Class 7A state crown, you can expect another down-to-the-wire contest at The Met. Oh, and did you know Jameis Winston‘s younger brother, Jonah, plays for Hoover?
Week 11
Oct. 24: Bixby (Okla.) at Mustang (Okla.)
Bixby has grabbed the attention of many nationally as one of the top programs around after winning seven-straight state championships. Mustang isn’t too shabby themselves and are led by Florida State commit Jaden O’Neal at quarterback. If anything else, this might be an offensive explosion between the two high-powered offenses.
Week 12
Oct. 31: St. John Bosco (Calif.) at Mater Dei (Calif.)
Doesn’t get much better than this masterpiece. St. John Bosco taking on Mater Dei on Halloween won’t spook any high school football fan as this is the game to see for many reasons. Another contest that will easily feature over 30-plus Power Four recruits along with a preview into what now annually seems like an eventual meeting in the CIF Open Division playoffs. This might be the game that tops them all when looking at this list.
Week 13
Nov. 7: St. Frances Academy (Md.) at IMG Academy (Fla.)
Talk about a doozy at the end of the regular season for many states along the East Coast. The Ascenders and Panthers meet down in Bradenton, Fla. for what has become a budding rivalry between the two programs separated by multiple states and well over a 1,000 miles. Last year’s meeting was dominated by St. Frances Academy in a 30-3 win, with the all-time series knotted up at three apiece.
Week 14
Nov. 27: Staples (Conn.) at Greenwich (Conn.)
You’re probably looking at the date and wondering how any regular season high school football games could actually be taking place. Welp, Massachusetts and Connecticut have continued the trend of playing games on Thanksgiving week and this year is no different. The Cardinals lost to the Wreckers, 27-0, on Thanksgiving. Greenwich proved it didn’t matter as they ended up winning the CIAC’s Class LL state championship.
