25 best high school football rivalries in America

Most are old, a couple are new (Mater Dei-St. John Bosco, Duncanville-DeSoto), and one involves 'a large cat leg' trophy

Duncanville-DeSoto in Texas has quickly developed into one of the best high school football rivalries in America. / Robbie Rakestraw

Are you ready for some high school football rivalries?

Two of the biggest, oldest high school football rivalry games in America took place Friday, and one of the most talent-laden rivalry games is coming up Oct. 11 in Texas.

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Most of the games on SBLive/SI's list of the Top 25 high school football rivalries in America have yet to be played in 2024.

25 Best High School Football Rivalries in America

1. Allegany vs. Fort Hill (Maryland)

Allegany and Fort Hill boast a combined 18 state championships and have been playing annually since 1936. They've shared the same venue, Greenway Avenue Stadium, since 1937. The teams play at Homecoming every year on the last week of the regular season, drawing thousands of fans (with a record attendance of 14,000). Cumberland residents decorate their homes and yards with red or blue, and the streets are lined with blue or red streamers. Fort Hill won last year's edition 47-21 and went on to win its third consecutive state championship.

2. Auburn-Opelika (Alabama)

Auburn and Opelika squared off for the 99th time this season, with the Tigers winning a back-and-forth 28-21 game, which is the Bulldogs' only loss this season. Auburn extended its all-time series to 49-47-3, and the last time Opelika beat Auburn was in 2019.

3. Batavia vs. Geneva (Illinois)

These two Chicago-area schools separated by just 4 miles started their rivalry in 1913 and have played more than 100 times since then. Batavia has owned the series in recent years, winning its 13th in a row in 2023 with a 21-18 squeaker, but Geneva broke the streak with a 30-7 win Friday, Oct. 4, and holds the series lead at 52-49-5.

4. Benton vs. Bryant (Arkansas)

Bryant has owned the Salt Bowl in recent years. / Photo by Tommy Land

The Salt Bowl draws more than 20,000 fans per year to War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock, as two of the largest schools in Arkansas square off in a rivalry that began in 1974. A reported 29,150 fans attended the 2022 Salt Bowl, which Bryant won 38-17, and Bryant prevailed again in 2023 and 2024 to continue the Hornets' recent reign.

5. Brandon vs. Pearl (Mississippi)

Brandon's Nate Blount IV (6) and Pearl's Ken Mangum (28) go head-to-head in the 2023 "Eat Dirt" game. / Barbara Gauntt/Clarion Ledger / USA TODAY NETWORK

The series, known as the "Eat Dirt" game, features two Class 6A schools separated by just 10 miles. On top of being a rivalry game, the two powerhouse programs usually meet with a lot on the line. Brandon has made Pearl eat dirt in consecutive years to run its series lead up to 46-26-1. This year's edition will be Oct. 25 at Brandon.

6. Calvert Hall vs. Loyola Blakefield (Maryland)

Nicknamed the Turkey Bowl, Calvert Hall-Loyola Blakefield is the longest continuous Catholic prep-school football rivalry in the United States. Played every Thanksgiving morning, this rivalry game celebrated its 103rd anniversary last year. Students and alumni of both schools will pack the current venue, Towson University’s Johnny Unitas Stadium, for the regionally televised 10 a.m. kickoff this year on Nov. 28. 

7. Canton McKinley vs. Massillon (Ohio)

Massillon players Shon Robinson, left, Michael Looney and Malachi Card ring the victory bell after beating McKinley in 2023. / Kevin Whitlock / Massillon Independent / USA TODAY NETWORK

Dating back to 1894, the two schools are ranked first and second in the state in total wins with over 1,700 between them. Countless famous NFL players, coaches and all-Americans have taken part in this series — including Paul Brown, Earle Bruce and Josh McDaniels, just to name a few. Massillon rang the victory bell last year for the eighth consecutive season. They play this year on Oct. 26.

8. DeSoto vs. Duncanville (Texas)

A DeSoto player reacts to a momentous upset of undefeated Duncanville in a rivalry in 2023. / Photo by Robbie Rakestraw, SBLive

Although this isn't among the oldest rivalries on the list, it's annually filled with as many Division I prospects as you can get in one game. The DeSoto Eagles are 11-6 in the matchups against their nearby neighbors in Dallas Fort Worth. In a weird scheduling fluke due to the COVID-19 pandemic delaying the start of the 2020 season, the Duncanville Panthers beat DeSoto in the 6A quarterfinals twice in 2021 — in January and December. DeSoto's rain-delayed 2023 win was one for the ages. They play Oct. 11 this year, with both teams coming off a bye.

9. Dover vs. New Philadelphia (Ohio)

Dover celebrates a win over New Philadelphia in the 120th annual rivalry game in 2023. / ANDREW DOLPH/TIMES-REPORTER / USA TODAY NETWORK

Just a couple of years younger than Canton McKinley-Massillon, Dover and New Philadelphia have been playing each other since 1896, and New Philadelphia narrowed its series deficit in an overtime classic two years ago, but Dover bounced back with a 20-13 win in 2023 to extend its series lead to 59-52-9 heading into the 121st edition of the game on Oct. 25.

10. Dowling vs. Valley (Iowa)

Dowling Catholic celebrates their overtime win over West Des Moines Valley on Sept. 6, 2024, at Valley Stadium. / Cody Scanlan/The Register / USA TODAY NETWORK

The two West Des Moines schools are 2 miles apart, and Dowling uses Valley's stadium for its home games. The rivalry began in 1968 and has produced several memorable matchups over the years. Dowling beat Valley in the 2019 4A state championship to claim its seventh consecutive state title, but Valley upset Dowling in the semifinals in 2022. Dowling followed its 2023 win with a 26-23 overtime victory in Week 2 of the 2024 season.

11. El Paso vs. El Paso Austin (Texas)

El Paso's Sebastian Ruvalcaba makes a catch against Austin in the 93rd annual "Battle of the Claw" in 2023. / Alberto Silva Fernandez/ El Paso Times / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Battle of the Claw stayed with the Austin Panthers this year in a 21-19 game that was delayed a day due to weather issues in Week 1. The win was the 60th for the Panthers over the Tigers in a series first played in 1930. In 1960, a travel trophy of a “large cat leg” was introduced by a 16-year-old student at El Paso High School.

12. Garfield vs. Roosevelt (California)

Garfield celebrates its win over Roosevelt in the 2022 East L.A. Classic. / Heston Quan

The 87th East L.A. Classic in 2022 was unforgettable for several reasons. Garfield won the game 16-8, which was played in front of 45,000 fans at the L.A. Coliseum, and the Black Eyed Peas played the halftime show.  Black Eyed Peas frontman will.i.am is an ardent supporter of Roosevelt. He started the i.am Angel foundation in 2009 to provide a college-track robotics program, scholarships and FIRST robotics clubs for East L.A. kids. SoFi Stadium will host the 89th edition on Oct. 25.

13. Germantown Academy vs. Penn Charter (Pennsylvania)

Germantown Academy wide receiver AJ Towsen breaks a tackle by Penn Charter's Tate Taylor in 2023. / Michele C. Haddon / Bucks County Courier Times / USA TODAY NETWORK

Germantown Academy won the first two games — all the way back in 1887 and 1888 — but in terms of overall history, this rivalry has been dominated by Penn Charter, which holds an 88-38-11 series lead. The Philadelphia schools separated by 11 miles meet for the 138th straight year on Nov. 11, making it the longest continuous prep school football rivalry in the country. Penn Charter was founded in 1689, and Germantown Academy followed in 1759.

14. Glades Central vs. Pahokee (Florida)

Glades Central QB Taj Barnes (17) fumbles after getting hit by Hardley Gilmore (2) and Kani Smith (28) of Pahokee in 2023. / Jim Rassol / USA TODAY NETWORK

These two schools are 13 miles apart in small towns on the south side of Lake Okeechobee, and it's called the Muck Bowl in honor of the swampy soil in the area. Despite being played in small stadiums, the annual game attracts up to 25,000 people, including NFL alums. Among Glades Central's NFL alumni are Santonio Holmes, Kelvin Benjamin, Deonte Thompson, Ray McDonald, Jessie Hester, Fred Taylor and Reidel Anthony. Pahokee's NFL class includes Janoris Jenkins, Anquan Boldin, Andrew Waters and Rickey Jackson. This year's game closes out the regular season on Nov. 1 at Glades Central.

15. Gonzaga vs. St. John’s (Washington, D.C.)

Played annually on the last weekend of the regular season, Gonzaga vs. St. John's is one of the oldest high school football rivalries in the country. The parity for a 101-game series has been pretty remarkable. With a 23-20 overtime win last year, St. John's took the all-time series 49-48-5. Gonzaga will try to tie it back up this year on Nov. 9 at St. John's.

16. Holy Cross vs. Jesuit (Louisiana)

This New Orleans rivalry is the fifth-oldest continuously played prep rivalry in the country, dating back to 1922. The pregame tailgate has the atmosphere of a big-time college game, with varieties of food and custom T-shirts at every turn. Holy Cross won 21-7 Friday, Oct. 4, to retain the Golden Football for the second straight season, but Jesuit holds a 61-42-1 series lead.

17. Jenks vs. Tulsa Union (Oklahoma)

What makes the Backyard Bowl really stand out is how good these two teams usually are, and the schools are separated by just 9 miles. One of these two juggernauts took the large-school state championship every year from 1996 to 2016, and Jenks beat Union for the title in the 2021 championship game. Jenks came away with a 31-24 win in the 2023 regular season and a 33-27 win in the playoffs, but Union got its revenge this year with a 9-3 victory.

18. Kirkwood vs. Webster Groves (Missouri)

This game's been played since 1898 and on Thanksgiving Day since 1907, and it's evolved into being much more than a football game. The St. Louis schools located 5 miles apart spend the whole week leading up to the game decorating the campus in varying themes, along with staging multiple pep rallies. Kirkwood has won 10 straight in the series, but Webster Groves clings to an all-time series lead of 58-56-7.

19. Lowndes vs. Valdosta (Georgia)

Now-UCF quarterback Jacurri Brown hoists the Winnersville Classic Trophy in 2021. / Zach Edmondson

The Winnersville Classic features crosstown rivals and perennial powerhouses squaring off against each other in South Georgia. Valdosta stakes claim to 24 state titles and more wins than any other team in the history of high school football, and it began playing Lowndes in 1968 a couple of years after that school opened. The two have played every year since, and there’s never a lack of talent or hype when the Wildcats and Vikings get together. Valdosta leads the all-time series to 39-23 heading into the teams' 2024 regular-season finale on Nov. 1.

20. Mater Dei vs. St. John Bosco (California)

Lance Olive-Enos of St. John Bosco celebrates against Mater Dei on Oct. 13, 2023. / Heston Quan

This has become the de-facto Super Bowl of high school football in recent years, with the Southern California schools squaring off annually as two of the top-ranked teams in the nation. St. John Bosco snapped the Monarchs' 29-game win streak with a 24-22 win in the 2022 Division I championship game at the Rose Bowl. Mater Dei got its revenge with a dominant win in the 2023 CIF Division 1 championship. They meet again Oct. 25.

21. Nederland vs. Port Neches-Groves (Texas)

Separated by less than 5 miles, these two schools near the Gulf of Mexico and Louisiana border have been playing each other since 1925. Bum Phillips coached Nederland from 1951-1956 and Port Neches-Groves from 1963-1964, and the winner of the game takes the Bum Phillips Bowl trophy. Port Neches-Groves leads the overall series 53-39-7 after a 41-16 win last year. They meet again Oct. 25.

22. Needham vs. Wellesley (Massachusetts)

Wellesley running back James Dolan drags Needham defenders Tyler Harris and Hanson Miller to the goal line in 2021. / Daily News and Wicked Local Staff Photo/ Art Illman via Imagn Content Services, LLC

Wellesley and Needham renewed the United States' oldest public high school football Thanksgiving rivalry in 2021 after missing 2020 because of COVID. Wellesley holds the all-time series lead with a 66-61-9 record, but Needham won the 136th edition last year to snap Wellesley's four-game winning streak in the series, which started in 1882.

23. Pasco vs. Zephyrhills (Florida)

This rivalry is called the "9-Mile War," a game that's been played since World War II in 1941. Pasco leads the overall series 42-25, but Zephyrhills has dominated in recent years, winning five straight and nine of the last 10. From cannons firing to boiled peanuts to small-town vibes, what more can you ask for?

24. Pisgah vs. Tuscola (North Carolina)

Tuscola snapped Pisgah's nine-game series winning streak in 2022. / Angela Wilhelm/Asheville Citizen Times / USA TODAY NETWORK

One of the fiercest rivalries in North Carolina is also one of the longest-running ones, as Pisgah and Tuscola have met every year since 1966. Technically, the schools have played for over 100 years, before the school system consolidated multiple schools. Tuscola snapped Pisgah's nine-year win streak in the Haywood County rivalry two years ago with a 35-34 double-overtime win, then made it two in a row with a 27-10 victory last year. They play Oct. 18 this season, with Pisgah leading the overall series 31-28-1.

25. St. Xavier vs. Trinity (Kentucky)

The shillelagh is handed over to St. Xavier coach Kevin Wallace after a 16-10 win over Trinity on Sept. 28, 2024. / Clare Grant/Courier Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

St. Xavier and Trinity are approaching 100 matchups against each other on the gridiron, with St. X winning the 2024 edition in a game postponed by Hurricane Helene. Trinity leads the all-time series 49-41-2 in a rivalry between annual state championship contenders that dates back to 1956.

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-- Mike Swanson | swanson@scorebooklive.com | @sblivesports