Get ready for another exciting weekend as the high school football season heats up across the country. From coast to coast, top teams will battle for supremacy under the Friday night lights. This week’s schedule is packed with must-watch matchups, featuring talent-laden teams from powerhouse programs and nationally-televised contests with future stars on full display. Here’s a look at the 10 biggest games you won’t want to miss.
No. 11 Corner Canyon (Utah) vs. West Broward (Fla.)
When: Friday, Aug. 22 at 4 p.m. ET
Where: Otis Gray Jr. Memorial Stadium, Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
Before any of the nationally-televised games take place, there’s a really good tilt Friday afternoon at the Broward County Classic High School Football Showcase. The No. 11-rankedCorner Canyon Chargers, coming off a 45-0 victory over Bingham to start the season, will take on a very talented West Broward bunch group at Dillard High School’s Otis Gray Jr. Memorial Stadium.
Everything starts offensively for the Chargers with 2026 four-star quarterback Helaman Casuga (Texas A&M commit), who completed 13 of 18 passes for 284 passing yards and two touchdowns in last week’s win.
West Broward has a bevy of skill talent, especially in the secondary, led by a pair of seniors in four-star A’mir Sears and three-star Shmar Akande. 2026 three-star running back Amos Bradford (Toledo commit) will be one to watch on offense for the Bobcats.
Massey Prediction: Corner Canyon 47, West Broward 7
American Heritage (Fla.) vs. St. Joseph’s Prep School (Pa.)
When: Friday, Aug. 22 at 6 p.m. ET
Where: Brian Piccolo Memorial Stadium, Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
The Patriots and Hawks meet for the first time in a nationally-televised game that will have big implications.
For American Heritage, this will be the first of a few games where they’ll be in the national spotlight, as it was just announced on Sep. 12 they’ll be playing Louisiana’s No. 1 team, Edna Karr, at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans.
All eyes will be on 2026 five-star quarterback Dia Bell, who last season threw for 2,597 yards, 29 touchdowns and just six picks. American Heritage is coming off winning Florida’s Class 4A state championship while St. Joseph’s Prep won Pennsylvania’s PIAA Class 6A title last year.
Hawks will be led offensively by 2028 sophomore sensation Jett Harrison, who is the son of NFL Hall of Famer, Marvin Harrison.
Massey Prediction: St. Joseph’s Prep 35, American Heritage 14
No. 12 Buford (Ga.) vs. Benedictine Military School (Ga.)
When: Friday, Aug. 22 at 7:30 p.m. ET
Where: Memorial Stadium, Savannah, Ga.
Coming off the debut of their $62-million palace at Phillip Beard Stadium, defeating Milton 20-13, Buford now takes its show on the road against a solid Benedictine Military School group.
Buford got a solid performance from Nebraska commit Dayton Raiola, who threw for 136 yards and rushing for another 30 on the ground in the win over the Eagles.
The Cadets are still stinging from a last-minute, 27-24 loss to Colquitt County last week as the Packers won on a go-ahead field goal. Make no mistake about it, though, Benedictine Military School is every bit capable of making this more than a game against the visiting Wolves.
Benedictine will be led offensively by senior quarterback Stephen Cannon (Texas Tech), who completed 13 of 19 passes for 130 yards and two touchdowns in the loss to the Packers. Rivals’ No. 1 overall prospect of the 2027 class in LaDamion Guyton (Texas Tech) recorded nine tackles and a sack last week, will lead a stout Cadets’ front seven.
Massey prediction: Buford 41, Benedictine 13
Rabun Gap-Nacoochee (Ga.) vs. No. 19 Grayson (Ga.)
When: Friday, Aug. 22 at 7:30 p.m. ET
Where: Grayson Ram Stadium, Loganville, Ga.
Grayson might have had the most impressive regular season opener of any top-25 team, as the Rams drubbed rival Collins Hill in a 51-3 rout that went past midnight of last Friday.
The Rams received a strong performance from North Carolina commitment Travis Burgess, who compiled 133 yards through the air and 96 on the ground with four total touchdowns in the win. Senior five-star linebacker Tyler Atkinson (Texas commit) did not play against Collins Hill and his status could be up in the air again this week against Rabun Gap-Nacoochee this week.
The Eagles will open their season up on the road against Georgia’s top-ranked team and will look to lean on a strong offensive line, led by four-star tackle Wilson Zierer (Auburn) and rising junior tackle Elijah Hutcheson, to control the line of scrimmage.
Massey Prediction: Grayson 43, Rabun Gap-Nacoochee 14
No. 15 IMG Academy (Fla.) vs. Hoover (Ala.)
When: Friday, Aug. 22 at 8 p.m. ET
Where: Hoover Metropolitan Stadium, Hoover, Ala.
In what could be one of the biggest games to come through Hoover, Ala. in quite some time, the Buccaneers will welcome one of the country’s top high school football teams into town in No. 15 IMG Academy.
The Ascenders opened up the season in dominating fashion when they cruised by The First Academy in a 41-6 exhibition rout. IMG Academy looked like their old selves in the head coaching debut of Greg Studrawa, who is a former Ohio State offensive line coach.
It will be a debut, kind of, for Hoover head coach Chip English, who saw his interim tag dropped during the offseason and was awarded the lead position of the Buccaneers’ football program. English is no stranger to facing Florida teams as he guided the Bucs to a 17-14 win over Western (Fla.) in last year’s Broward County Classic High School Football Showcase.
Massey Prediction: IMG Academy 39, Hoover 12
Saraland (Ala.) vs. Jackson (Ala.)
When: Friday, Aug. 22 at 8 p.m. ET
Where: Legion Field, Jackson, Ala.
There’s no other game in the Yellowhammer State that’s bigger than this one when the Spartans and Aggies clash in Jackson.
Being played at the 71,594-seat Legion Field, the two Alabama powers enter the contest ranked in the state’s top 25, with Saraland coming in at No. 6 and Jackson sitting at No. 13.
The Aggies have one of the Southeast’s most potent offenses around, powered by a trio of 2026 four-stars in quarterback Landon Duckworth (South Carolina), running back Ezavier Crowell (Alabama) and wide receiver Keeyun Chapman (North Carolina).
For Saraland, they begin life after K.J. Lacey, who is now at Texas, and the Spartans will be in good hands as they roll out junior quarterback Jamison Roberts and senior three-star wide receiver DeShawn Spencer (Duke commit).
Massey Prediction: Saraland 38, Jackson 20
La Salle College (Pa.) at Central Catholic (Pa.)
When: Friday, Aug. 22 at 8 p.m. ET
Where: The Wolvarena, Turtle Creek, Pa.
Undoubtedly the top game being played in the Keystone State as both teams will look to showcase their explosive offenses right out of the gates at the historic Wolvarena.
At the commands of La Salle‘s offense is 2026 three-star senior quarterback Gavin Sidwar (Missouri commit), who passed for 2,747 yards and 31 touchdowns in 2024. Sidwar will have no shortage of targets to throw to, with three-star tight end John-Patrick Oates (Temple commit) being one of his go-to-targets.
Central Catholic has plenty of talent back on offense as well, starting with 2027 four-star offensive lineman Jimmy Kalis, who anchors an offense that averaged 39.7 points per game last year. Kalis is joined up front by Matt Bowers (Princeton commit) and juniors James Halter and Jon Sassic.
Massey Prediction: La Salle College 35, Central Catholic 21
No. 1 Mater Dei (Calif.) at St. Thomas Aquinas (Fla.)
When: Saturday, Aug. 23 at 3:30 p.m. ET
Where: Brian Piccolo Memorial Stadium, Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
The game everyone has been waiting for is just about here when the Monarchs travel over 2,500 miles cross country to take on the Raiders.
This very game has been one in the making as Broward County Classic organizers have been trying to get the two storied programs together, making it finally happen for 2025 treats all high school football fans around the country.
What hasn’t been kind to St. Thomas Aquinas is facing teams out west lately, as they have gone 0-2 in the last couple of Broward showcases to Bishop Gorman and St. John Bosco, respectively. The Raiders will look to end that streak Saturday afternoon against the nation’s undisputed No. 1 team in Mater Dei.
Mater Dei’s offense is star-powered to the max with five-star tight end Mark Bowman (USC commit), five-star wide receiver Chris Henry Jr. (Ohio State commit) and three-star quarterback Ryan Hopkins (Wisconsin) at the key positions for the Monarchs.
Massey Prediction: Mater Dei 42, St. Thomas Aquinas 7
No. 18 Orange Lutheran (Calif.) at Miami Northwestern (Fla.)
When: Saturday, Aug. 23 at 7 p.m. ET
Where: Traz Powell Stadium, Miami, Fla.
There’s an argument to be had that Miami Northwestern could be considered by many to be the best team in the state of Florida heading into Saturday night’s showdown with No. 18 nationally-ranked Orange Lutheran.
With the amount of firepower that the Bulls feature on offense, there are not many defenses that are going to be capable of slowing them down and that was evident in a 40-3 shellacking of nine-time state champion Lakeland in a preseason kickoff classic.
Northwestern has arguably the best receiving corps in the country, featuring 2026 five-star Syracuse commit Calvin Russell, four-star junior Nick Lennear and FAU commitment Nicsaint Joseph. Saturday night will officially on the books be the head coaching debut of interim lead man Jaquatin Victrum.
Orange Lutheran brings a formidable offensive front, led by a pair of four-star linemen in senior Samuelu Utu (Alabama commit) and junior Lucas Rhoa.
Massey Prediction: Orange Lutheran 28, Northwestern 22
No. 7 St. Frances Academy (Md.) vs. Chaminade-Madonna (Fla.)
When: Saturday, Aug. 23 at 8 p.m.
Where: Brian Piccolo Memorial Stadium, Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
The Broward County Classic High School Football Showcase concludes with one last game in what will be a rematch from the 2023 season as the Panthers and Lions face off once more.
Last time the prestigious football programs squared off, Chaminade-Madonna‘s makeup was a little different, as they featured one of the best players in the country in Jeremiah Smith, who is now a star wide receiver for the defending national champion Ohio State Buckeyes.
If you don’t think St. Frances Academy head coach Messay Hailemariam and crew aren’t looking for some kind of get-back heading down to Fort Lauderdale, you might want to think again, as the 21-point defeat by the Lions was one of just three 20-plus point losses the Panthers have had since 2016.
Massey Prediction: St. Frances Academy 39, Chaminade-Madonna 14
How to Follow National High School Football
For high school football fans looking to keep up with scores around the nation, staying updated on the action is now easier than ever with the Rivals High School Scoreboard. This comprehensive resource provides real-time updates and final scores from across the state, ensuring you never miss a moment of the Friday night frenzy. From nail-biting finishes to dominant performances, the Rivals High School Scoreboard is your one-stop destination for tracking all the gridiron excitement across the country.
