High school football is back!
While the last two weeks have given us a few games here and there with action kicking off in Hawaii and Georgia, this week features a majority of the country officially kicking things. For football fans everywhere, there's almost certainly a game on tap to keep an eye on with several nationally televised showdowns.
While every state has its share of massive showdowns, there are some matchups that simply standout amongst the rest for a variety of reasons.
Here's a look at the top games of the week and who we have coming up with their first wins of the year.
No. 2 St. John Bosco (Bellflower, CA) at No. 3 Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas, NV)
Date: August 21, 7 p.m. PT
It doesn't get much better than this to kick off the season as the Braves travel to Las Vegas for a massive showdown with the Gaels.
This will be the first time the two sides have met on the football field since 2016. Bishop Gorman is 2-0 in the only two meetings they've played, winning the 2014 matchup 34-31 and the 2016 game 35-20.
St. John Bosco is loaded with future Power Four talent, but their success comes behind the arm of junior quarterback Koa Malau'ulu. Tasked with stopping him is Bishop Gorman four-star cornerback and Oregon commit Hayden Stepp.
USA TODAY High School Sports Team predictions
Alex Martin: Bishop Gorman 20, St. John Bosco 17
Alyce Brown: St. John Bosco 24, Bishop Gorman 20
Ansley Gavlak: St. John Bosco 21, Bishop Gorman 17
Ehsan Kassim: St. John Bosco 24, Bishop Gorman 21
Joe Spears: St. John Bosco 24, Bishop Gorman 23
Logan Newman: St. John Bosco 24, Bishop Gorman 21
No. 9 Thompson (Alabaster, AL) at Central (Phenix City, AL)
Date: August 20, 7 p.m. ET
Arguably Alabama's game of the year last season, this one gets its Round 2 to kick off the 2026 season as the Warriors take the trip two and a half hours east to Phenix City. Last year, Thompson came out on top with a 35-34 playoff victory.
This should be one of the better quarterback matchups in the country between Thompson senior and Alabama commit Trent Seaborn squaring off against Central's Bobby Coleman. Both threw for more than 3,000 yards and had over 30 passing touchdowns each last season.
The quarterbacks may steal the spotlight, but both programs also return two standout running backs. Thompson's Urijah Casey scored 10 touchdowns last year while Central's Braylen Averett ran for nearly 1,000 yards and nine touchdowns.
USA TODAY High School Sports Team predictions
Alex Martin: Thompson 31, Central 27
Alyce Brown: Thompson 35, Central 27
Ansley Gavlak: Thompson 31, Central 28
Ehsan Kassim: Thompson 34, Central 30
Joe Spears: Thompson 33, Central 31
Logan Newman: Thompson 38, Central 28
Gainesville (GA) at No. 11 Buford (GA)
Date: August 22, 5 p.m. ET
The defending national champions in Buford will have plenty of new faces on display on the national stage as they play host to a Red Elephants squad with high expectations in 2026.
Arkansas commit Jameer Cantrell will do a lot on both sides of the ball while James Madison quarterback commit DJ Hunter will run the show under center.
Gainesville head coach Santavious Bryant, who served as an assistant for the Red Elephants in 2022 before departing to coach at Grayson for three years, returned to Gainesville this offseason. Expect to see a heavy dose of Clemson quarterback commit Kharim Hughley and Alabama running back commit Nigel Newkirk early and often as they try to crack the Buford defense.
USA TODAY High School Sports Team predictions
Alex Martin: Buford 28, Gainesville 27
Alyce Brown: Gainesville 24, Buford 21
Ansley Gavlak: Buford 24, Gainesville 20
Ehsan Kassim: Gainesville 31, Buford 27
Joe Spears: Buford 35, Gainesville 31
Logan Newman: Buford 21, Gainesville 20
Watch Georgia high school football live on NFHS Network
No. 13 Baylor (Chattanooga, TN) vs. No. 18 Brentwood Academy (TN)
Date: August 21, 8 p.m. ET
After ending the 2025 season with a showdown in the Division II-AAA championship game, these two programs will get the chance to run it back to kick off the 2026 season.
Baylor won that game 28-24 and boast the state’s top roster led by five-star Tennessee running back David Gabriel Georges. The Red Raiders have a new signal-caller in Ole Miss four-star quarterback Keegan Croucher to run the offense.
Brentwood Academy has no shortage of talent either. The Eagles are led by four-star wide receiver Kesean Bowman and four-star linebacker Kenneth Simon II, a pair of Tennessee commits. Running back Larry Sanders II carved up the Baylor defense in that championship meeting, rushing for 215 yards and three touchdowns.
USA TODAY High School Sports Team predictions
Alex Martin: Baylor 34, Brentwood Academy 27
Alyce Brown: Baylor 28, Brentwood Academy 24
Ansley Gavlak: Baylor 31, Brentwood Academy 27
Ehsan Kassim: Brentwood Academy 27, Baylor 24
Joe Spears: Baylor 31, Brentwood Academy 24
Logan Newman: Baylor 27, Brentwood Academy 21
Watch Tennessee high school football live on NFHS Network
West Boca Raton (FL) at No. 23 American Heritage (Plantation, FL)
Date: 7 p.m. ET
West Boca put a scare into Super 25 team Carol City (Miami, FL) last week in a preseason exhibition, going to overtime against a top Florida team. That was a warmup for the start of the regular season, a showing against an American Heritage team that has won back-to-back 4A championships.
It'll be a battle between champions, as West Boca is aiming for a three-peat themselves in Class 6A. Senior quarterback Trey Moran is back at the helm for his third year as starter, aiming for a legacy alongside a very strong defensive class of 2027. New junior American Heritage QB Neimann Lawrence, a Texas commit, will work to attack this unit and get the Patriots on track to open 2026.
USA TODAY High School Sports Team predictions
Alex Martin: American Heritage 27, West Boca Raton 24
Alyce Brown: West Boca Raton 24, American Heritage 21
Ansley Gavlak: West Boca Raton 27, American Heritage 24
Ehsan Kassim: West Boca Raton 31, American Heritage 28
Joe Spears: American Heritage 28, West Boca Raton 24
Logan Newman: American Heritage 24, West Boca Raton 21
No. 24 Mount Carmel (Chicago, IL) vs. East St. Louis (IL)
Date: August 22, 7 p.m. CT
Mount Carmel, coming off four straight Illinois High School Association Class 8A football championships, starts its fight for No. 5 with a cross-state opponent for a game between what are likely the best two teams in Illinois. Mount Carmel has won 19 games in a row, stretching past its 14-0 season last year, and returns stars like ALL-USA linebacker Roman Igwebuike, cornerback Tavares Harrington and wide receiver Quentin Burrell.
East St. Louis, which tested itself last year with games against national powers like Bishop Gorman and IMG Academy (Bradenton, FL), is coming off a 9-4 season. They're returning the bulk of their power, including All-USA RB Myson Johnson-Cook and four-star CB Raheem Floyd.
Playing at Hancock Stadium at Illinois State, these teams will give an early show for the top spot in Illinois.
USA TODAY High School Sports Team predictions
Alex Martin: Mount Carmel 26, East St. Louis 17
Alyce Brown: Mount Carmel 28, East St. Louis 17
Ansley Gavlak: Mount Carmel 31, East St. Louis 20
Ehsan Kassim: Mount Carmel 28, East St. Louis 20
Joe Spears: Mount Carmel 31, East St. Louis 16
Logan Newman: Mount Carmel 27, East St. Louis 24
Watch Illinois high school football live on NFHS Network
No. 25 Anderson (Cincinnati, OH) vs. Trinity (Louisville, KY)
Date: August 21, 7 p.m. ET
Anderson will be without head coach Evan Dreyer in its season-opener due to a rules violation. He’ll miss arguably the Raptors’ biggest regular season game.
Even without their head coach, the Raptors shouldn’t miss a beat. Quarterback Owen Scalf threw for nearly 5,000 yards last season and gets his top two targets in Tysin Weaver and Cooper Kathman back. Notre Dame commit Ace Alston will lead what should be one of the state’s top defensive units.
Trinity is coming off of another state championship run and the Shamrocks once again have no shortage of talent. Quarterback Anthony Lowe shined as a sophomore and Vanderbilt four-star cornerback commit Allen Evans is one of the best players in the country for the 2027 class.
USA TODAY High School Sports Team predictions
Alex Martin: Anderson 30, Trinity 20
Alyce Brown: Anderson 21, Trinity 17
Ansley Gavlak: Anderson 27, Trinity 21
Ehsan Kassim: Anderson 27, Trinity 20
Joe Spears: Anderson 28, Trinity 21
Logan Newman: Anderson 24, Trinity 23
Battle Ground Academy (Franklin, TN) at St. Michael Catholic (Fairhope, AL)
Date: August 22, 1:30 p.m. CT
The quarterbacks steal the spotlight here as Bo Bryan, the son of country music star Luke Bryan, takes on Gunner Rivers, an NC State commit and son of former NFL quarterback Philip Rivers.
Gunner is coming off of a massive junior season. He led the Cardinals to a 13-1 record completing 69% of his passes for 3,176 yards and 46 touchdowns. However, the Cardinals will be replacing quite a bit of talent outside.
It’s the opposite for the Wildcats. Bryan is entering his first season as a starter but will have two of the nation’s best receivers to target. Senior Maximus Curry and rising sophomore Maddox Porter combined for 2,951 yards and 47 touchdowns in the Wildcats Division II-AA championship run last season.
USA TODAY High School Sports Team predictions
Alex Martin: Battle Ground Academy 41, St. Michael Catholic 34
Alyce Brown: Battle Ground Academy 35, St. Michael Catholic 24
Ansley Gavlak: Battle Ground Academy 34, St. Michael Catholic 24
Ehsan Kassim: Battle Ground Academy 41, St. Michael Catholic 24
Joe Spears: Battle Ground Academy 42, St. Michael Catholic 24
Logan Newman: Battle Ground Academy 38, St. Michael Catholic 27
Brownsburg (IN) at Lawrence North (Indianapolis, IN)
Date: August 22, 7 p.m. ET
The top team in the state of Indiana over the last few seasons taking on the highest-ranked football prospect the state has seen in several seasons? Sign us up.
Brownsburg's won back-to-back Class 6A IHSAA state championships and enter Year 3 of their run on a 19-game winning streak, while Lawrence North is led by five-star wide receiver and Indiana commitment Monshun Sales.
Hoosier fans will want to see this game not only for Sales, but for Brownsburg receiver Branden Sharpe. Another Indiana commitment, Sharpe had 1,143 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns last season.
USA TODAY High School Sports Team predictions
Alex Martin: Brownsburg 34, Lawrence North 31
Alyce Brown: Brownsburg 38, Lawrence North 31
Ansley Gavlak: Brownsburg 31, Lawrence North 21
Ehsan Kassim: Brownsburg 35, Lawrence North 27
Joe Spears: Brownsburg 38, Lawrence North 21
Logan Newman: Brownsburg 42, Lawrence North 24
Watch Indiana high school football live on NFHS Network
Hough (Cornelius, NC) at Northwestern (Rock Hill, SC)
Date: August 21, 7 p.m. ET
A pair of state champions in 2025, this battle between North Carolina and South Carolina powers is sure to draw in a massive crowd. There’s no shortage of talent in this game either.
Hough added a massive piece in the offseason landing five-star South Carolina cornerback pledge Joshua Dobson.
This should also be one of the best quarterback showdowns in the country as Hough’s Ethan Royal and Northwestern’s Xavier Means combined for 5,145 passing yards, 54 passing touchdowns, 1,952 rushing yards and 41 touchdowns on the ground.
USA TODAY High School Sports Team predictions
Alex Martin: Hough 37, Northwestern 31
Alyce Brown: Hough 31, Northwestern 24
Ansley Gavlak: Hough 34, Northwestern 31
Ehsan Kassim: Northwestern 31, Hough 27
Joe Spears: Northwestern 31, Hough 30
Logan Newman: Hough 38, Northwestern 27
Watch South Carolina high school football live on NFHS Network
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: High school football Games of the Week: Score predictions, how to watch