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10 North Carolina high school football games to watch this August

The North Carolina high school football regular season kicks-off on August 22nd
Mike Duprez|
Coming off an 1,800-yard rushing season, Jayden Jones is back to lead Independence into is season-opening match-up with Myers Park.
Coming off an 1,800-yard rushing season, Jayden Jones is back to lead Independence into is season-opening match-up with Myers Park. | Jayden Jones X account

The teams are practicing with full pads, they’re playing in scrimmages and participating in dress rehearsal jamborees. The 2024 kickoff off is on Aug. 22 and here are 10 games to watch over the rest of August.

This season starts off with a bang – the Keep Pounding Classic doubleheader at Bank of America Stadium.

1. Independence vs. Myers Park – Aug. 22

Myers Park football
The Myers Park football team will kickoff its 2024 schedule at home against Independence on Aug. 22nd. | Myers Park Football Instagram

Independence brings back plenty of talent from a team that went to the 4-A semifinals, including 1,800-yard tailback Jayden Jones. Myers Park, 7-4 last season, added standout quarterback Jared Lockhart via transfer from Porter Ridge. Lockhart has offers from Syracuse and Boston College.

2. Providence Day vs. Weddington – Aug. 22

Weddington football.
A high powered offense that scored 56 points in winning last year's state championship game against Hoggard will propel Weddington in its season-opening match-up with private school power Providence Day. | KEN BLEVINS/STARNEWS / USA TODAY NETWORK

This was already a marquee matchup. And then Kendre Harrison transferred from Reidsville to Providence Day, which is becoming a national power. Two state champions lock horns in what will be a measuring stick game.

3. Hoggard at Cleveland – Aug. 23

Hoggard head football coach Craig Underwood.
Hoggard head football coach Craig Underwood is preparing his squad for its season opening battle, on Aug. 23rd, with last year's 4-A state finalist Hoggard. | KEN BLEVINS/STARNEWS / USA TODAY NETWORK

Two highly ranked teams square off in this season-opener and rematch of their fourth-round state playoff game, in which Hoggard took a 51-35 win. Hoggard went 14-2 and reached the 4-A state championship game season. Cleveland was 13-1 returns star quarterback Jackson Byrd.

4. Rolesville at Butler - Aug. 23

Rolesville is coming off a 12-2 season and prolific quarterback Braden Atkinson returns. Butler is also highly ranked. The Bulldogs have a lot of talent back, including tailback Jayden Williams, who ran for 1,324 yards last year.

5. Scotland at Dillon (S.C.) – Aug. 23

Scotland was 10-3 and got to the third round of the 4-A state playoffs. The Scots have plenty of offensive firepower returning. They’ll be making the short trip to neighboring South Carolina for a challenging game with a Class AAA title contender.

6. Clinton at Wallace-Rose Hill – Aug. 23

The War Horses were 15-1 last season, losing to Reidsville in the 2-A state championship game. Then they lost their head coach and several starters to Marlboro County (S.C.). They will be challenged right out of the gate by reigning East Central Conference champion Wallace-Rose Hill and star tailback Irving Brown, who ran for 1,696 yards last season.

7. Prince Avenue Christian (Ga.) vs. Mallard Creek at Westside (S.C.) – Aug. 24

Mallard Creek Football
Mallard Creek will travel to South Carolina to play Georgia's Prince Avenue Christian for the Maverichs' season opener on Aug. 24th. | Mallard Creek Football Instagram

Mallard Creek was 7-5 last season and reached the second round of the 4-A state playoffs. The Mavericks are taking on one of the premier programs in Georgia. The Wolverines are coming off a 14-1 season and a 1-A state championship, their second in a row.

8. A.C. Reynolds at Shelby – Aug. 30

It sure seems like Shelby is a title chase every year. The Golden Lions went all the way to the 2-A semifinals last year. They will try to run it back one more time with 6-foot-4 quarterback Lan Farmer. A.C. Reynolds was 9-4 and reached the third round of the 3-A playoffs.

9. Rabun Gap-Nacoochee (Ga.) at Christ School – Aug. 30

Rabun Gap, which plays in the NCISAA, handed Providence Day its only loss of the 2023 season and lost by a touchdown to the Chargers in the state championship game. That says a lot. The Eagles return plenty of starters. Christ School quarterback Mason Holtzclaw is reeling in the offers. The 6-foot-4 sophomore just picked up his latest offer from South Carolina. He has 16 offers altogether.

10. Grimsley at Rolesville – Aug. 30

Grimsley five-star quarterback Faizon Brandon, fresh off committing to Tennessee, leads the Whirlies against powerful Rolesville.

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Mike Duprez
MIKE DUPREZ

Mike Duprez became a freelance sports journalist for Scorebooklive.com several months after retiring from the newspaper business. A native of Oakland, California, Duprez moved around as a child due to his father’s service in the United States Marine Corps. He earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1981. Duprez, who lives in North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, had 30 years of experience in newspapers as well as other endeavors before retiring at the end of 2021. He covers stories in both North Carolina and South Carolina for Scorebooklive.com.

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