T25PS Weekend Preview: Three Marquee Showdowns Headline 16 Featured Games
#26 Milton (GA) at #37 Gainesville (GA), #79 Langston Hughes (GA) at #13 Creekside (GA), and Omaha Westside (NE) at #56 Millard South (NE) lead the October 22–24 slate.
Three games stand above the rest of this weekend's national high school football schedule.
In Georgia, #26 Milton (GA) visits #37 Gainesville (GA) in a battle of region unbeatens, while #79 Langston Hughes (GA) travels to #13 Creekside (GA) with both teams carrying identical 6–1 records and perfect marks in region play.
In Nebraska, two unbeaten heavyweights collide when Omaha Westside (NE) faces #56 Millard South (NE). Both enter 8–0, and Westside has an opportunity to make its case for a place in the national Top 100.
Those are the headliners, but there's plenty more at stake across the country.
Arizona delivers a near-even national showdown between #38 Hamilton (AZ) and #39 Liberty (AZ). Alabama's #10 Prattville (AL) faces another major test following its stunning road win over Thompson (AL). Connecticut brings an undefeated championship matchup between #100 New Canaan (CT) and Greenwich (CT), while historic rivalries in Ohio, Texas and North Carolina add to a loaded weekend.
Here are the 16 Featured Games to watch across Thursday, Friday and Saturday, based on the October 21 T25PS Top 100 and results through October 17. These are 16 editorial selections from the 116 games on the full weekend scoreboard.
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Friday, October 23 • 7:30 p.m. EDT • Bobby Gruhn Stadium/City Park
Milton is 6–1 and Gainesville 6–2, but neither has lost in region play. The Eagles are 3–0 in the region; the Red Elephants are 4–0. Milton beat Alpharetta (GA) 41–12 last week, while Gainesville defeated Riverwood (GA) 55–6.
Recent meetings have gone both ways: Gainesville won 28–16 in 2025 after Milton’s 42–24 victory in 2024, according to GPB. Friday supplies a top-40 head-to-head result and leaves the winner unbeaten in the region race. Milton must reverse last season’s result on Gainesville’s home field; the Red Elephants can make it consecutive wins in the series.
The identical records make the stakes clear. Creekside can defend its top-15 position with a ranked win while separating itself from an unbeaten region rival. Hughes can change the shape of its national résumé by winning on the road against a team ranked 66 places higher. Published kickoff listings conflict; confirm the schools’ final announcement before travel.
Two 8–0 teams meet in a direct test of Millard South’s national position. The Patriots have already survived 35–34 against Millard North (NE) and 49–47 against Omaha North (NE), then beat Lincoln East (NE) 65–0 last week. Those results appear on NSAA’s official schedule.
Westside arrives after beating Papillion-LaVista South (NE) 49–7. The Warriors are among the programs already identified outside the Top 100, and Friday provides the head-to-head evidence that matters far more than an unbeaten record in isolation. Millard South’s two tight wins over Millard North and Omaha North show that its unbeaten record has already survived late-game pressure. Westside’s task is to turn its own unbeaten start into a result against a nationally ranked opponent. A victory would strengthen that case, not automatically guarantee a ranking. NFHS Network lists the matchup as a MaxPreps Game of the Week.
A local rivalry opens the weekend. Lakeland is 7–1 and has won six straight, most recently beating Bartow (FL) 40–7. The Dreadnaughts also own wins over Osceola (FL) and American Heritage (FL). Lakeland’s own coverage acknowledges the series has recently tilted heavily toward the Dreadnaughts. The immediate target for Lakeland is an eighth win; Lake Gibson is trying to interrupt that winning streak.
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 23
#74 Washington Township (NJ) at St. Augustine Prep (NJ)
Just one ranking position separates Hamilton, 7–0, from Liberty, 6–1. Hamilton beat Pinnacle (AZ) 34–13 and also owns wins over Brophy Prep (AZ), Perry (AZ) and Casteel (AZ). Liberty’s résumé includes a 38–24 win over Corner Canyon (UT). The Lions have won three straight since losing 30–22 at Basha (AZ), most recently beating Boulder Creek (AZ) 40–6. A head-to-head win is therefore especially valuable: these teams enter adjacent in the national list, with Hamilton unbeaten and Liberty having won three straight.
Both teams are 6–1. Ruston beat Peabody (LA) 70–0 last week; Alexandria defeated Pineville (LA) 48–10. Alexandria has won the past two meetings, including a comeback from 21 points down last October, according to KALB’s Harrison Vapnek. Ruston can answer that history with a ranked road win; Alexandria can make it three straight in the series.
Prattville follows its 28–27 road victory at Thompson with another serious test. The Lions are 8–0 and 6–0 in region play. Vestavia Hills is 7–1 and 5–1 in the region after beating Hewitt-Trussville (AL) 27–24, as reported by Vestavia Voice’s Kyle Parmley. A Rebels win would complicate the race at the top; Prattville can strengthen both its region position and newly earned national top-10 place.
Both teams are 5–0 and defending CIAC champions. GameTimeCT’s Dave Stewart identifies the matchup as a meeting of the top two teams in Connecticut’s state poll. For New Canaan, it is a major road test at the edge of the T25PS Top 100. For Greenwich, it is a chance to beat a nationally ranked opponent. Greenwich Public Schools confirms the Friday evening kickoff.
North Shore is 7–0 and C.E. King is 6–1; both were idle during the latest completed week covered by the rankings. The matchup puts a ranked challenger in front of an unbeaten top-10 team. North Shore can add a Top 100 result, while C.E. King has a chance to turn a strong record into a significant road win. The unbeaten Mustangs are defending a national top-10 place; the Panthers would be challenging a team 59 positions above them.
Grimsley is 8–0 after beating Page (NC) 43–12. Dudley is 6–3, making this a rivalry selection rather than a clash of one-loss contenders. The Greensboro matchup has been featured by the Great American Rivalry Series. Grimsley brings the national top-15 position; Dudley brings a familiar opponent’s chance to interrupt that unbeaten run. The records do not make this an evenly matched contest on paper. Its place on the slate comes from the established rivalry, with Grimsley seeking a ninth win and Dudley looking for a result that would stand apart from its three losses.
The Battle of the Lakes puts Westlake’s 6–1 record on the line. The Chaparrals beat McNeil (TX) 70–6 last week, but the next assignment carries a different kind of pressure: a road meeting with their established local rival. Lake Travis is outside the current Top 100.
San Clemente remains 7–0 after its game against Mission Viejo (CA) was cancelled. The Tritons return against a 7–1 San Juan Hills team. San Juan Hills can hand the Tritons their first defeat; San Clemente can reach 8–0 against a one-loss opponent.
Puyallup reached 7–0 with a 36–34 win against Sumner (WA). Emerald Ridge is 6–1 and can hand Puyallup its first loss. The Jaguars have a direct chance against a Top 100 team in the Pacific Northwest’s late window. Puyallup is looking for an eighth win after a finish that left little margin against Sumner.
SATURDAY RIVALRIES • OCTOBER 24
Canton McKinley (OH) at #22 Massillon Washington (OH)
Massillon is 8–1 after beating Warren Harding (OH) 49–16; McKinley arrives at 7–2. The regular-season finale is one of Ohio’s signature rivalries, documented in Massillon’s current rivalry-week coverage. The City of Canton corroborates the afternoon kickoff. Massillon can close its regular season at 9–1; McKinley can reach eight wins while denying its rival that finish. Those concrete season-ending stakes sit alongside the history, making this more than a game included for the name of the rivalry alone.
Burlington Township (NJ) at #92 Rancocas Valley Regional (NJ)
Rancocas Valley is 8–0 after beating Pleasantville (NJ) 52–16. Burlington Township is 4–4 and lost to Shawnee (NJ) 27–26 last week. Kevin Emmons of D2 Sports Network reports this restores a former Thanksgiving rivalry for the first time since 2023. The renewed rivalry supplies the story here; undefeated Rancocas Valley has the stronger record. The school schedule lists Saturday afternoon.
