You won’t have to wait long for the needle to be moved.

The early weeks of the 2026 high school football season offer plenty to get your juices going.

Here’s a look at some big-time matchups in both Week 1 (Aug. 20-22) and Week 2 (Aug. 27-28) that you should try to hit.

WEEK 1

Alcoa at Maryville
The Battle of Pistol Creek rarely disappoints and features two Blount County schools that lead the TSSAA in all-time state football championships won with 24 (Alcoa) and 17 (Maryville). Alcoa rallied and downed Maryville, 28-21, to win last year’s game. Both teams return senior all-state quarterbacks and plenty of Division I talent such as Georgia wide receiver commit Jamir Dean (Alcoa, senior) and Maryville linebackers J.P. Peace (Tennessee), Wyatt Wilber (Minnesota) and Dax Cole (Florida Atlantic).

Riverdale at Catholic (Saturday)
In Rutherford County, Riverdale might still be in the shadows of two-time defending 6A champion Oakland. But the Warriors are still one of the top five contenders mentioned this preseason for 6A title contention. Why? Gavin Hampton, a 6-foot-4, 210-pound senior quarterback and Mississippi State commit, is back to lead Riverdale. Brylan Oduor, a four-star wide receiver and Auburn commit, transferred from Blackman to Riverdale. Moreover, the Warriors also feature Mississippi State commits in defensive back Hudson Fuqua and tight end Sutton Gutting (6-5, 230). Catholic got the win in Week 1 of the 2025 season over Riverdale, 20-6. And the Irish’s defensive secondary this year is replete with Division I talent.

Oak Ridge at Halls
Who wouldn’t want to see Tennessee tight end commitment Malik Howard (Oak Ridge, senior, 6-5, 230) matched up against Clemson defensive back commit Jarrell Chandler (Halls, senior, 6-3, 210)? They’re two of the top players in the state, regardless of class, and are both coming off monster junior seasons. Oak Ridge topped Halls 28-13 to open last season and parlayed that into a nine-game win streak. Halls rebounded from a tough 0-3 start to the season only to reach the 5A state semifinals.

Powell at Anderson County
For the eighth consecutive season, Powell and Anderson County will face off in either Week 1 or Week 2 of the season. More recently, the matchup has come in Week 1. And what should you expect? Points. Great quarterback play. Exciting prospects at skill positions. And two programs with lofty aspirations and fiery spirits. It’s always a do-not-miss-it contest.

WEEK 2

The Loudon Redskins hosted the Lenoir City Panthers in the Battle of the Bridge on Dukes Field on Friday, August 29, 2025, in Loudon, Tenn. (Photo by Tanner Walker/5SP)

Loudon at Lenoir City
The 100th playing of the Battle of the Bridge just got a bit spicier, as Loudon got a big-time transfer in wideout Don Don Underwood and Lenoir City hired offensive-minded Rusty Bradley to be its head coach. The host Panthers are looking for their first win over Loudon since 2018.

Anderson County at Catholic
Anderson County sophomore wunderkind QB J.D. Gillum will test his wits and talents against a Catholic secondary that features Alabama commitment Braylen Gibbs, four-star prospect Brooks Johnston and also Skylan Johnson — who was offered by Tennessee and Virginia Tech this summer.

Halls at Gibbs
This rivalry game gets slept on too often in Knox County. Gibbs won it two years ago, 28-22, in overtime and then followed that with a win last year, 24-21. Halls reached the 5A state semifinals last season under the passionate leadership of head coach Brent Hughes. Meanwhile, steadfast Gibbs coach Brad Turner has gracefully morphed the Eagles into one of the more stable and consistent programs in 4A.

Fulton at Central
The North Knoxville rivalry has been all Central of late. The Bobcats have won the last four meetings. Moreover, Central returns quarterback Kaden Long, who amassed more than 3,000 yards passing and more than 1,000 yards rushing last season. He has another deep well of talented skill players to utilize around him, as well. But Fulton has turned some heads in the preseason. Could the Falcons close the gap? Week Two will tell.

Article written by Jesse Smithey/5Star Preps. To read more on area high school sports or to see photo galleries, videos, stat leaders, etc., visit 5StarPreps.com — and use promo code HAMMERS for 30% off your first year or month subscription.

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