The 2025 season kicks off nine weeks from today (Wednesday, Aug. 13) with the Corky Kell + Dave Hunter Classic and the statewide slate Week 1 features incredible matchups across Class 6A that are fueling the preparation this offseason. With 56 total schools and 32 playoff spots available, Class 6A will send a little more than half (57.1 percent) of its teams into the playoffs this year. In 2024, Richmond Hill was arguably the most successful team in any classification to miss out of the playoffs. The Wildcats finished the year with a 7-3 overall record, but the 2-3 mark in Region 1 ultimately sent Camden County into the playoffs as the No. 4 seed. There is a lot of positive momentum regardless that is surrounding the Richmond Hill program and there is no doubt that the team is eager to take another crack at the postseason in 2025.
Richmond Hill and Alpharetta are the only two schools in all of Class 6A that will observe Week 1 byes. Additionally, there are 12 matchups that will pair Class 6A opponents from different regions on the Week 1 slate. As a result, the opening week of the GHSA season will have 41 total games—with 12 intra-classification matchups and 29 cross-classification games. Today’s blog will include the full Week 1 slate with developments and storylines that will carry into the 2025 season.
Region 2’s Douglas County and Region 7’s North Gwinnett will faceoff on Saturday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in what is sure to be a top 10 matchup when the polls come out. Corky Kell will also pin Region 5’s Walton and Region 3’s McEachern in a Saturday showdown at the Benz. Walton will need to replace the production of Christian and Alex Ward—who recently transferred to IMG Academy. Last season, Christian Ward led the Raiders with a team-high 10 touchdowns and Alex was a two-way player that led the secondary. Lambert at Mill Creek, Grayson vs. Collins Hill and North Paulding vs. Parkview are also intriguing 6A matchups.
There will be 10 head coaching debuts Week 1 and Alpharetta’s Brian Landis will make his debut with the Raiders the following week as Alpharetta faces Kell. The other new head coaches in Class 6A include Berkmar (Bre’nard Williams), Brookwood (Chad Nighbert), Central Gwinnett (Terrance Banks), Etowah (Brett Vavra), Marietta (Camerson Duke), Meadowcreek (Johnny Burdette), Norcross (Corey Richardson), Parkview (Adam Clack), Pebblebrook (Rodney Hackney) and South Forsyth (James Thomson).
Class 6A’s Week 1 Schedule
REGION 1
Camden County vs. Brunswick
Colquitt County vs. Benedictine (Mack Tharpe Stadium)
Lowndes vs. Jenkins
Richmond Hill (BYE)
Tift County vs. Griffin (Brodie Field)
Valdosta vs. Tucker (Bazemore-Hyder Stadium)
REGION 2
Carrollton vs. Woodward Academy
Chapel Hill vs. Campbell
Douglas County vs. North Gwinnett (MBS 8/16)
East Coweta vs. Sandy Creek
Westlake vs. Hughes
REGION 3
Campbell at Chapel Hill
Harrison at Kennesaw Mountain
Hillgrove vs. Mountain View
McEachern vs. Walton (MBS 8/16)
Osborne vs. Banneker
Paulding County at Hiram
Pebblebrook vs. Locust Grove
South Cobb vs. South Forsyth
REGION 4
Archer at North Cobb
Grayson at Collins Hill
Grovetown at Lakeside-Evans
Heritage-Conyers at M.L. King
Newton vs. Eastside (Sharp Stadium)
Rockdale County at Salem
South Gwinnett vs. Shiloh
REGION 5
Cherokee at River Ridge
Etowah vs. Woodstock
Marietta at Gainesville
North Cobb vs. Archer
North Paulding vs. Parkview
Walton vs. McEachern (MBS 8/16)
Wheeler at North Forsyth
REGION 6
Alpharetta (BYE)
Denmark at Sequoyah
Forsyth Central vs. East Forsyth
Lambert at Mill Creek
North Atlanta vs. Hebron Christian (West Forsyth 8/14)
North Forsyth vs. Wheeler
South Forsyth at South Cobb
West Forsyth vs. Douglass (8/14)
REGION 7
Berkmar at Lakeside-DeKalb
Brookwood vs. Houston County (MBS 8/16)
Duluth vs. Dacula
Meadowcreek vs. Central Gwinnett
Norcross vs. Lanier
North Gwinnett vs. Douglas County (MBS 8/16)
Parkview at North Paulding
Peachtree Ridge at Roswell
REGION 8
Buford vs. Milton
Central Gwinnett at Meadowcreek
Collins Hill vs. Grayson
Dacula at Duluth
Discovery at Walnut Grove
Mill Creek vs. Lambert
Mountain View at Hillgrove
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