Big weekend of high school football on ESPN

All five games on the weekend’s ESPN High School Kickoff Classic will feature head-to-head matchups inside the High School Football America 300, powered by NFL Play Football.

Below are the games.

Thursday, August 22

No. 170 Grayson (Georgia) at No. 42 Thompson (Alabama), 8PM on ESPN2

After advancing to the Georgia 7A semifinals last year, the Grayson started at No. 170 in our national rankings. The Rams (0-1) opened the season last week with a surprising 20-19 loss to Collins Hill that saw them blow a 19-3 lead.

Thompson has won four of the last five Alabama 7A state championships.

Friday, August 23

No. 9 Milton (Georgia) at No. 24 American Heritage (Plantation, Florida), 7PM on ESPN

A great Florida/Georgia matchup between Milton, winners of the 2023 Georgia Class 7A state title, and a loaded American Heritage team. Both teams have highly-skilled quarterbacks. Milton is led by senior Luke Nickel, who’s given his verbal to the Miami Hurricanes. The Patriots are under the control of junior Dia Bell, has said yes to the University of Texas.

Milton (1-0) opened with an impressive 13-10 win over No. 26 Buford (Georgia). This is the season opener for American Heritage.

August 24

No. 2 Bishop Gorman (Nevada) at No. 7 St. Thomas Aquinas (Florida), 4PM on ESPN

This one is the first of two from the loaded Broward County National Football Showcase. Both schools have a loaded football trophy case. Bishop Gorman has won 13 of the last 14 Nevada state titles in the state’s largest classification. St. Thomas Aquinas has won a state record five straight state crowns, giving them fifteen overall Florida high school football championship.

Bishop Gorman is 1-0 after opening with a 33-7 win over No. 30 Kahuku (Hawaii).

No. 5 St. John Bosco (California) vs. No. 3 Chaminade-Madonna (Florida), 8PM on ESPN2

This is the nightcap on the Broward County event. While the game in south Florida, it is a neutral site game, since it’s been played a St. Thomas Aquinas’ Brian Piccolo Stadium.

St. John Bosco, winner of two High School Football America national titles in 2019 and 2022, are no strangers to success on the other side of the country. Last year, the Braves won a hard-fought 20-7 win on this field of St. Thomas Aquinas.

After graduating a ton of talent from last year’s squad that won its third straight state title, Chaminade-Madonna has reloaded with plenty of high-profile transfers. The Lions, who finished No. 2 in the nation last year, will be in the national championship conversation, if they can beat the Braves, who finished No. 3 in the HSFA 300 last year.

August 25

No. 81 Rabun Gap-Nacoochee (Georgia) at No. 83 Baylor (Tennessee), 1PM on ESPN

This will be a rematch of last year’s season opener between the two. The northern Georgia private school won 35-24, which was one of four against out-of-state opponents. The Eagles finished No. 71 in the nation after losing to No. 69 Providence Day (North Carolina) in the North Carolina Association of Independent Schools Athletic Association 3A championship.

Baylor’s led by two-way standout Cameron Sparks, who has 20 college scholarship offers. The 4-star prospect is expected to play receiver at the next level. The Red Raiders finished last runner-up in Tennessee’s Division II-AAA after winning the crown in 2022.

Rabun Gap-Nacoochee is 1-0 after beating No. 176 Benedictine last Saturday.

Related: Derek White, head coach of Rabun Gap-Nacoochee on HSFA Podcast

According to an ESPN news release, 28 players ranked in the ESPN 300 and ESPN Junior 300 and will be featured.. Of the ESPN 300 athletes participating, eleven have already committed to top Division I college football programs, including Alabama, Auburn, Florida State, Georgia, Georgia Tech, LSU, Miami, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas, and USC.

2025 ESPN 300 Participants (Seniors)

2026 ESPN Junior 300 Participants

2024 Prep Gridiron Logistics/FloFootball Broadcast Schedule