5 games to watch in the 2024 Tennessee high school football season

Here's a look at five Tennessee high school football games that should be on your radar for the 2024 season

Pearl Cohn's Malachi Cromwell (0) runs the ball against Upperman during the third quarter of the Class 4A Championship game at Finley Stadium in Chattanooga, Tenn., Saturday, Dec. 2, 2023. / Andrew Nelles / The Tennessean / USA

We are exactly one month away from the start of the 2024 Tennessee high school football season and it's time to start talking about which matchups stand out on the regular season schedule.

Whether it's a state title rematch, a showdown between champions in different classifications, or a meeting between two heated rivals, there are always a few games that really catch your eye when looking ahead to the upcoming season.

You can pick out your own must-see games with schedules for all teams in every TSSAA classification on SBLive Tennessee, but here is a look at five games that get us excited for the 2024 Tennessee high school football season.

1. Pearl-Cohn vs. CPA - August 30

The season doesn't take long to heat up as a pair of reigning state champions square off in Week 2 when Class 4A state champion Pearl-Cohn hosts Division II-AA state champion Christ Presbyterian Academy.

The Firebirds finished the 2023 season undefeated, including a thrilling 15-13 win over CPA when the two met during the regular season last year.

While both teams went on to win their respective state titles, only Pearl-Cohn finished the season unbeaten.

2. Friendship Christian vs. MTCS - September 27

It is not every week you turn your eyes to a matchup between two of the smaller schools in the state, but fans could be in for a fun one in September when Friendship Christian hosts Middle Tennessee Christian School.

The Cougars eked by Friendship Christian with a 16-14 victory at home in the regular season last year, then went on to beat them again with a 28-13 victory in the DII Class A state finals

3. McCallie at Baylor - October 4

These two schools have been going at it for over a century and the rivalry only grows stronger as the years go by.

A combined nine points decided their two matchups last season, but McCallie came out on top both times, including when it mattered most with a 34-28 victory over Baylor in the 2023 DII Class AAA state title game.

4. Alcoa vs. Knoxville West - October 4

Knoxville West (Class 5A) and Alcoa (Class 3A) both won their respective state titles in 2023, but the Tornadoes routed the Rebels 24-7 when the two met last season despite playing two classes below them.

That ended up being the Rebels' only loss of the season, so they'll likely be looking for revenge when the two run it back in October.

5. Oakland at Riverdale - October 31

This game might be last on the list, but only because this list is chronological.

Oakland and Riverdale are longtime rivals, and they do not like one another.

The Warriors stunned the Patriots with a 25-24 victory in the final week of the regular season last year, but it was Oakland that had the final laugh as the Patriots destroyed Riverdale 56-0 when they met in the quarterfinals a few weeks later.

With these two meeting in the final week of the regular season once again, you do not want to miss it.

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You can find schedules teams in every state on SBLive.

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-- Sam Brown | sam@scorebooklive.com | @sblivesports