Top 10 area games: Brentwood Academy, BGA in nationally-televised road contests; Oakland/CPA tilt caps opening week
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The long wait is officially over. After eight months of waiting, Week 1 of the 2026 TSSAA high school football season officially kicks off on Thursday.
It’ll be a busy week for our crew as we have games spanning Thursday, Friday and Saturday night.
As it is every year, the first week of the season is full of intriguing matchups. While some feature teams from out of the area, several more feature all-area matchups.
We combed through the list of games and nailed down our top 10 for Week 1. Here’s a little bit about each one that made our list.
Spotlight Game (Thursday): Nolensville at Lebanon
A pair of eight-win teams from 2025 kick things off locally on Thursday, when Nolensville makes its first-ever visit to Lebanon to face the Blue Devils.
These two kept it tight last season, with Lebanon pulling out a 27-22 win at Nolensville which started a seven-game winning streak to begin the year. The Knights reached the second round of the 5A playoffs last year before bowing out at Henry County.
The Blue Devils will look to have another strong start, while Nolensville aims to flip the script from last year’s opener.
Brentwood Academy at Baylor (Thursday)
Two of Tennessee’s top programs meet Thursday night as Brentwood Academy travels to Chattanooga for a DII-AAA state championship rematch.
The Eagles and Red Raiders both enter the matchup looking to make a statement, with Baylor defending their home turf against a Brentwood Academy team with plenty of experience under the spotlight. This one should have no shortage of talent on both sides, making it one of the marquee matchups on the national level.
Expect a physical battle from start to finish with all eyes on Tennessee commits David Gabriel Georges (Baylor) and Kesean Bowman (Brentwood Academy).
Brentwood at Smyrna
Brentwood hits the road Friday night to take on Smyrna in a matchup featuring two large class programs looking to grab a win in Week 1.
The Bruins will look to establish themselves on the road against a Smyrna squad that brings plenty of physicality and speed to the table. With both teams looking to build momentum early in the season, Friday night should provide a great test to both teams. It’ll be the first game at the helm for new Smyrna head coach Mark Williams.
Brentwood pulled out a 14-13 win in last year’s opener. Look forward to another hard-fought battle from start to finish as two heavyweight 6A teams look to set the tone.
Spotlight Game (Friday): MBA at Pearl-Cohn
It’s private vs. public as Pearl-Cohn meets MBA for the 17th consecutive season.
The Big Red have won the last two meetings, including a 17-14 victory over the Firebirds last season. Pearl-Cohn will look to end that streak Friday night, while MBA attempts to keep its recent dominance in the series.
With two of Nashville’s most recognizable programs going head-to-head, this matchup will not disappoint the city.
Coalfield at Gordonsville
Two of Tennessee’s most storied small-school programs meet Friday night as Coalfield travels to Gordonsville between teams ranked in the top 10 of their respective classes.
Both teams enter with plenty of postseason experience and a reputation for playing physical football. With Coalfield making the trip west, Gordonsville will look to defend its home turf while the Yellow Jackets aim to make a statement on the road. The Tigers have won the last three meetings, including a 21-18 win in East Tennessee last season.
Expect a physical, hard-nosed battle between these two programs that know how to win when the light gets the brightest.
Gallatin at Hendersonville
The 75th edition of Sumner County’s oldest rivalry shifts south to Hendersonville this year.
Gallatin took the 44-28 win in last year’s meeting, but Hendersonville with have home-field this time around as the Commandos look to steal one in the series. With decades of history between these two programs, this rivalry always carries extra weight when the two sides meet. The Green Wave will have a new signal-caller as sophomore Landry Roddy takes the reins.
Expect a packed house and a physical game as Gallatin and Hendersonville add another chapter to one of Sumner County’s biggest rivalries.
Madison Ridgeland (Miss.) at Ravenwood
Madison Ridgeland heads up to Ravenwood for a highly anticipated clash of Southeast powers. The Raptors took the win last season in Mississippi, edging the Patriots 28-24 in a close game that Ravenwood rally from a 17-6 halftime deficit.
With both teams coming off deep playoff runs last season, expect another hard-fought battle from start to finish. Ravenwood will look to defend home turf and prove last year’s victory was no fluke.
Two talented rosters, two championship-caliber programs, and one opportunity to make an early statement. Be on the look for big plays, physical football, and a game that could go down to the wire.
Rockvale at Independence
Two high-powered offenses take the field in week one in Thompson’s Station, as Rockvale takes the trip to Independence for another early-season rematch.
The Eagles got the best of the Rockets last season, earning a 37-23 victory at Rockvale. This time around, Rockvale will look to flip the script and come away with a win on Independence’s home turf. Rockvale sophomore Arden Lewis, who played wide receiver in 2025, takes over at quarterback for the Rockets. Murray State commit Matthew Horner is back for the Eagles as well.
Both teams bring experienced offenses capable of putting points on the board. With plenty of firepower on both sides, this match up has all the makings of a high-scoring battle to open the season.
BGA at St. Michael Catholic (Ala.) (Saturday)
BGA and head coach Bobby Bentley travel to Fairhope, Alabama, to take on Philip Rivers and St. Michael Catholic in a nationally televised showdown on ESPN2.
Fresh off a DII-AA state championship, the Wildcats are looking to test themselves against a Cardinals program coming off a 13-1 season in 2025. With talent on both sidelines, this matchup features plenty of star power, including St. Michael quarterback Gunner Rivers leading the Cardinals’ offense.
For BGA, expect the spotlight to shine on one of the nation’s top receiving duos in Maddox Porter and Maximus Curry. With explosive playmakers on both sides, this interstate battle has all the ingredients of a must-watch season opener.
Spotlight Game (Saturday): Oakland at CPA
Oakland heads to CPA for another opening rematch on Saturday, looking to repeat its 28-14 win in last year’s opener. Junior Jacob Vaughn debuts for the Patriots after transferring from Riverdale and looks to be their next standout running back.
CPA enters its second year in Division II-AAA hoping to learn from a tough 2025 that saw the Lions go 4-9 but still reached the state semifinals. Look for juniors Gabe Cabell and Wright Martin to be a focal point of their offense.
Oakland has never been the type to rebuild, they only reload. It’ll be interesting to see if CPA took anythuing away from last year and uses it to their advantage to possibly sneak away with a victory over one of Tennessee’s top powers.
Follow us on X @615Preps and vote who you think will win each of these matchups this week, then tune in to 615 Preps LIVE on Wednesday at 7 p.m. for our picks. You can watch live on YouTube, X, Facebook, Instagram Live or on TikTok.
