The high school football season gets started in Georgia with the first game kicking off in the Greater Savannah area on Thursday, Aug. 15 and running through Nov. 1 before the playoffs get started.
There are several teams from the Greater Savannah area that made deep playoff runs last year including Savannah Christian, Calvary Day, Benedictine, Jenkins, Bryan County and Bethesda Academy, which won the SCISA Class 2A crown for the first state title in school history.
Here's a look at 18 of the top games to watch this year as another incredible season unfolds in the Coastal Empire.
Thursday, Aug. 15
South Effingham at New Hampstead (P)
Opener for teams in Greater Savannah area as Kyle Hockman's squad hosts a South Effingham team that is on the upswing under second year coach Loren Purvis.
Friday, Aug. 16
Liberty County at Bradwell
Bradwell broke through for its first win since 2017 in this series last year against the Panthers with a 26-13 victory.
Jenkins at Lowndes
The Warriors are coming off a trip to the Elite Eight last season in Class 5A as a No. 4 seed. The Warriors are in Class 3A this season, but not backing down with a tough non-region schedule starting out at Lowndes, a traditional power playing in 6A this year.
Saturday, Aug. 17
Benedictine vs. Rabun Gap-Nacoochee
Benedictine gets its season started at Coach Danny Britt's alma mater as the Cadets take on Rabun Gap-Nacoochee in the Erk Russell Classic at Georgia Southern.
Friday, Aug. 23
New Hampstead at Savannah Christian (Pooler)
With the GSHA reclassification, Savannah Christian isn't playing a region schedule that includes Calvary Day. But the Raiders, who reached the Class 3A State championship game last year, have added an intriguing non-region matchup as SCPS, from Class A Division I, face off with Class 4A's New Hampstead at Pooler. SCPS is considered the home team in this one, even though both teams call Pooler home.
Richmond Hill at Glynn Academy
Richmond Hill comes down from Class 7A (which no longers exists) to Class 6A, the state's highest classification. The Wildcats hit the road to take on Glynn Academy, now playing in Class 5A.
Bryan County at Aquinas
Bryan County is coming off the best season in school history after reaching the Class A Division I state semis last season. The team lost stars like Austin Clemons (Middle Tennessee State) and Tanner Ennis (Georgia Military College) to graduation and has a tough early season road test at Aquinas, which went 9-3 last season.
Friday, Aug. 30
New Hampstead at Effingham County
Effingham County is coming off its first region title since 1995 as the Rebels start their fourth season under head coach John Ford (20-12 in three years with Rebels and 81-29 in his career). New Hampstead hosted the first playoff game in school history last season under another highly-regarded coach in Kyle Hockman (167-85 career record with a 28-23 record in five seasons with the Phoenix).
Oceanside Collegiate at Calvary Day
The Cavs are coming off a trip to the Class 3A state semifinals and have a new starter at quarterback in James Mobley IV, the athletic left handed sophom*ore. He'll get his first big test against an Oceanside Collegiate squad out of South Carolina that went 12-2 last season.
Bethesda Academy at Hilton Head Christian
Bethesda broke through for its first state football title last season as Head Coach Antwain Turner led his squad to a 13-0 record and the SCISA Class 2A championship in his 19th season as head coach. His Blazers face an early season challenge on the road against a Hilton Head Christian squad that went 12-2 last season en route to the SCISA Class 3A state crown.
Friday, Sept. 6
Briarwood at St. Andrew's
The Lions have their home opener under first-year coach Wes Worthington, the former Calvary Day and Benedictine assistant. St. Andrew's went 6-4 last year, while Briarwood reached the GIAA Class 2A state semis and finished with an 8-4 record. The Lions went 5-6 last season.
Richmond Hill at New Hampstead at Pooler Stadium
Another solid non-region matchup for New Hampstead as the Phoenix take on visiting Richmond Hill in a game that has become a certified rivalry.
After New Hampstead won the first meeting between the teams 21-14 in 2020, Matt LeZotte's squad won 28-27 in overtime in 2022 and pulled out a 28-26 win in another thriller last season.
Saturday, Sept. 14
Benedictine at Archbishop Moeller
BC Coach Danny Britt never shies away from challenging his squad and the Cadets will hit the road to Cincinnati, Ohio to take on Archbishop Moeller, which reached the state semifinals last year in Ohio's Division I playoffs.
Friday, Sept. 20
South Effingham at Effingham County
This cross-county rivalry always draws huge crowds as bragging rights are on the line. Effingham leads the overall series 18-12 and has won four in a row and seven of the last eight meetings. South Effingham's last win against the Rebels came in 2019.
Jenkins at Calvary Day
Jenkins has been isolated from Savannah teams in Region 1-5A for the last two years, but is back in Region 3-3A after a run to the Class 5A state quarterfinals last year. The Warriors will face a tough challenge just down the road against a talented Calvary squad that reached the Class 3A state semis last season.
Fullington Academy at Memorial Day
Memorial Day is making the move to eight-man football this season under first-year coach Zane Rowland. This will be the Matadors first home game at Mobley Park in Port Wentworth.
Friday, Oct. 4
Savannah Christian at Savannah Country Day
This local region rivalry continues on as SCD and SCPS are competing in Region 3-A Division I. Roc Batten is the new coach at SCD after John Mohring took the head coaching job at Wayne County. He'll be facing off with one of the top teams in Georgia in Savannah Christian, which was the state runner up in Class 3A last year under Baker Woodward, who is starting his seventh season at the helm with a record of 57-19.
Friday, Oct. 11
New Hampstead at Benedictine (MS)
New Hampstead gave Benedictine a battle last season, but the Cadets pulled through for a 39-31 victory, despite a school record setting performance by Phoenix quarterback RaShawn Truell, who threw for 533 yards and four scores. Truell is back for his senior season, while junior Stephen Cannon takes over behind center for the Cadets.
Dennis Knight covers sports for the Savannah Morning News. Contact him at Dknight@savannahnow.com. Twitter:@DennisKnightSMN
