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We’re inching closer and closer to the start of the 2025 high school football season. For the most part we have a good idea on who’s playing who this season.
It’s never too early to look ahead at this year’s games and what teams will be in contention for must-watch games on a weekly basis. With that in mind, we decided to go ahead and do some research on each of our area teams and their schedules heading into the new season.
Here are the 10 teams in our coverage area who we think have the hardest schedules to traverse in 2025:
1. CPA
2024 Record: 14-0 (Division II-AA Champions)
Summary: Not only are the Lions moving up a class, the two-time defending DII-AA champions play arguably the hardest schedule in the state.
Their first six games include road trips to Oakland (8/22) and Ravenwood (9/26) as well as home matchups against Pearl-Cohn (8/29), Tupelo out of Mississippi (9/5), Archbiship Moellier out of Ohio (9/12) and Baylor (9/19). Those six schools combined to go 77-9 overall last season.
Things don’t get easier after that as the Lions go to MBA (10/3), host Ensworth (10/10) and travel to Knox Catholic (10/24) and McCallie (10/31) to close out the reguar season.
2. Pearl-Cohn
2024 Record: 10-4 (Lost to Melrose 14-7 in Class 4A semifinal)
Summary: Some may argue Pearl-Cohn’s schedule should be at No. 1 and for good reason. The Firebirds have a brutal opening to their season facing three opponents in their first four games who all played for state titles last season. Two of which, CPA and Oakland, won gold.
What makes it harder is the travel. Pearl-Cohn will play its first six games on the road. That slate includes MBA (8/22), CPA (8/29), BGA (9/5), Oakland (9/12), Kenwood (9/19) and Springfield (9/26).
Returning home, they face Class 6A Bartlett (10/3) before wrapping up region play at Greenbrier (10/10) and a pair of home games against White House (10/24) and Liberty Creek (10/30).
3. Beech
2024 Record: 11-2 (Lost to Springfield 47-14 in Class 5A quarterfinals)
Summary: Beech historically plays a tough schedule but this year’s slate could be the hardest the Buccaneers have played in some time.
They’ll kick off the season with a pair of Wilson County matchups playing Green Hill (8/21) and Mt. Juliet (8/29). After that they’ll host Henry County (9/5) and East Nashville (9/11) at Shackle Island.
Upperman (9/19) provides another tough out-of-region matchup before they turn their attention to the remainder of their region schedule and a non-region rivalry game against Gallatin on October 17th.
4. Green Hill
2024 Record: 10-1 (Lost to Blackman 45-14 in Class 6A first round)
Summary: The Hawks unbeaten run came to an end with a first-round loss to Blackman last season. While last year ended with a brutal matchup, Green Hill isn’t sliding away from anyone this season.
After hosting Beech to open the year, the Hawks will face three straight Williamson County programs. They’ll host Page (8/29) before back-to-back road games against Ravenwood (9/5) and Centennial (9/12).
Region play is also never a gimme for the Hawks as they’ll play the likes of Gallatin (9/19), Cookeville (9/26), Lebanon (10/17) and Mt. Juliet (10/30). All are teams they beat last year looking for some revenge.
5. Ensworth
2024 Record: 11-1 (Lost to McCallie 31-in DII-AAA semifinals)
Summary: Year 1 of the Tim Hasselbeck era with the Tigers was an overwhelming success. Heading into Year 2, thing’s don’t get any easier.
While the schedule isn’t set in stone yet, the Tigers have some massive games on the horizon. One of those matchups comes Week 2 as they’ll host the defending DII-A champion Nashville Christian Eagles headlined by five-star quarterback Jared Curtis.
Region play offers no letups either. A rematch with McCallie is set for September 12th and they’ll close out the year at CPA (10/10), at Baylor (10/24) and finally at home against MBA (10/31).
6. East Nashville
2024 Record: 11-3 (Lost to Westview 50-36 in Class 3A semifinal)
Summary: The Eagles may be moving down from 3A to 2A but don’t let that move fool you. It could be argued that East plays the hardest 2A schedule in the state.
Things start off with a bang as they’ll open the season on the road at Class 6A Collierville (8/23) before returning home for a Metro Nashville battle with Antioch (8/29). Their next three games see the Eagles squaring off with teams in bigger classes as well.
They’ll travel to Hillsboro (9/5) and Beech (9/11) before finally coming back home and playing Springfield (9/18). Region play shouldn’t pose much of a threat to East before they a season-finale with East Robertson (10/30) that should decide the region title
7. MBA
2024 Record: 4-8 (Lost to Ensworth in DII-AA second round)
Summary: The Big Red will be experiencing a lot of new things this year in the first season of the Chris Chauvin era. They’re also trying to turn things around after back-to-back down years.
They’ll kick things off at home against Pearl-Cohn (8/22) and Hamilton (8/29) before their first road game at FRA (9/5).
Playing in the region they have, region games are always tough and this year’s slate is particularly hard.
After games against Christian Brothers and Knoxille Catholic, the Big Red’s final five games are home against Baylor (9/26), CPA (10/3) and Father Ryan (10/10), at McCalie (10/24) and on the road at Ensworth (10/31).
8. Ravenwood
2024 Record: 13-1 (Lost to Houston 24-21 in Class 6A semifinal)
Summary: Ravenwood came up just a game short of playing for gold last year. Another tough slate of games this season should have them more than ready for the grind that is November playoff football.
The Raptors open the year with a six-hour road trip into Mississippi squaring off against Madison Ridgeland Academy (8/22). Non-region matchups continue over the next two weeks aas they’ll travel to Lipscomb Academy (8/29) before finally coming home and playing Green Hill (9/5).
Region play is never easy either and adding in the likes of Shelbyville (10/17) and Coffee County (10/24) make things that much harder. Expect another close battle with Brentwood as the Battle of the Woods (10/30) closes the regular season out for both sides.
9. Brentwood
2024 Record: 9-3 (Lost to Stewarts Creek in Class 6A second round)
Summary: Like their hated rivals a few miles down the way, Brentwood once again has a tough road to traverse in 2025.
Smyrna (8/22), Brentwood Academy (8/29) and Summit (9/5) set the tone for a massive Williamson County showdown with Page (9/12) in Week 4. It doesn’t slow down after that as the Bruins will then have to play new region foe Shelbyville (9/19) before a road trip to Henry County (9/26).
Independence (10/24) is sandwiched in between a pair of rivalry games against Franklin (10/17) and Ravenwood (10/30).
10. Oakland
2024 Record: 14-1 (Class 6A state champions)
Summary: The Patriots are coming off of another gold ball season with asperations of starting another multi-year reign. Keeping that spot at the top won’t be easy though.
A season-opening showdown with CPA is no doubt the best game of Week 1 pitting the area’s two best coaches and two of the best team’s around against each other right away. Thing’s won’t get easier the next week as the Patriots host Huntington (W.V., a program that went 11-2 last year), followed up with games against Smyrna (9/5) and Pearl-Cohn (9/12).
Region play hasn’t proven to be much of a challenge for Creasy and the Patriots in recent years but keep an eye on the matchups with Blackman (9/26), Stewarts Creek (10/24) and Riverdale (10/30).
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