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As the 2025 high school football season inches closer and closer, we can’t help but look ahead to schedule’s for the new season.
With each schedule we’re continually circling and highlighting games we think will be in the ‘must-watch’ category in 2025. So what are the 10 best games we’ve found?
Over the next three days we’ll highlight the top-10 games for our large, medium and small class schools.
What will determine the category for each game will be the home team for that matchup. If a small class school is hosting a large class school, that game will be featured in the small class list.
Large Class teams include 6A and Division II-AAA. Medium Class teams include 5A, 4A, and Division II-AA. Small Class teams include 3A, 2A, 1A, and Division II-A, and each grouping has roughly 30 teams in it.
With that in mind, here are the top-10 large games we’ve found entering the 2025 season:
1. CPA at Oakland
Date: August 22
Summary: Two defending champions squaring off Week 1 with both returning several elite players? Sign us up.
Not only does this game feature two teams full of future Division I talent, it pits two of the state’s best coaches against each other in CPA’s Ingle Martin and Oakland’s Kevin Creasy.
With 13 state titles between the two of them, fans headed to Murfreesboro should expect nothing less than a coaching masterclass to kick off the season.
2. Ensworth at CPA
Date: October 10
Summary: You’re going to see CPA on this list a lot and for good reason. The Lions play arguably the hardest schedule in the state and they aren’t ducking anyone.
When it comes to region play, the Lions move up to Division II-AAA and have several high-profile region matchups. This one against Ensworth is particularly intriguing as the Tigers were the area’s best DII-AAA program in 2024 and return a plethora of future Division I talent.
Justin Hopkins, Rawls Patterson, Owen Cabell, Taylor Hasselbeck, the list seemingly doesn’t end.
3. Page at Green Hill
Date: August 29
Summary: Is Green Hill ready to take that next leap forward? Will Page suffer any setbacks after all of their 2025 graduations?
This game features two teams with massive expectations this season. Green Hill brings back its core from a team that went unbeaten last season while Page, while they did lose some key pieces, still appears to be a force ready to finally lift the Class 5A state title.
The matchup to watch here is Page’s defense against Green Hill’s offense. Kannon Burroughs may not face a better defense all season.
4. CPA at Ravenwood
Date: September 26
Summary: The grind just never stops for the Lions. A week after their region opener against Baylor, they’ll travel to a Ravenwood squad with massive expectations.
While the Raptors have a couple of big matchups early in the year including Lipscomb Academy, Green Hill and Franklin, a win over CPA here would be enough to solidify them a true contender for the Class 6A title.
5. Beech at Green Hill
Date: August 21
Summary: Our coverage for the 2025 season will start off with a bang as a loaded, and likely very angry, Beech squad travels to Green Hill.
Both sides bring back nearly every major piece of their teams from last season and both appear to be true state title contenders. Kannon Burroughs, Chelton Swafford, Kaden Powell, the list goes on when it comes to the names fans will need to know when they head up to the Hill on opening night.
6. Oakland at Blackman
Date: September 26
Summary: Battle of the ‘Boro may typically steal the spotlight but this rivalry game produced some fireworks last season. Oakland rallied late to take a lead and blocked the Blaze’s last-second field goal to secure the 13-12 win.
While the postgame scuffle was an unfortunate situation, what happened during the actual game proved that the Blaze may be ready to actually try compete with the Patriots for the top spot in the region.
Both teams bring back a lot so another classic could be in store.
7. Ravenwood at Lipscomb Academy
Date: August 2
Summary: If you want a great quarterback matchup, look no further than this Week 2 matchup.
The Raptors bring back two of the area’s best signal-callers in Maverick Chance and Femi Babalola. As for the Mustangs, they have who could be the area’s next great quarterback in freshman Ty Snell.
Snell impressed as an eighth-grader and a standout performance against what should be a great Raptors defense could make him a household name.
8. CPA at McCallie
Date: October 31
Summary: Are the Lions a legit state title contender in their first year as a DII-AAA program? A win here could solidify that.
McCallie has been the class of DII-AAA for years now and good showings or even wins against Baylor and Ensworth heading into this matchup would build the momentum needed to top a team many once again consider to be the best in the state.
9. Pearl-Cohn at Oakland
Date: September
Summary: If CPA’s brutal schedule didn’t exist, then Pearl-Cohn’s would easily be the hardest in the state. Their first four games show they aren’t afraid of anyone, and that stretch ends with a road trip to Oakland.
This will be another great coaching matchup as Creasy takes on Metro Nashville’s winningest coach in Tony Brunetti. It should also be a test for LJ Funk as he looks to solidify himself as one of the area’s best quarterbacks.
10. FRA at Antioch
Date: October 10
Summary: This may not be a must-win region game late in the season for either side, but it is a fun non-region game featuring several standout players.
Andre Adams has played a major factor in the Bears’ revitalization as a program and is easily one of the state’s top quarterbacks. Against FRA, he’ll face the best defense that he’ll see all season.
As for the Bears defense, FRA’s offense led by Mike Hassell could be their biggest challenge all year.
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