Last week, WEIS radio finalized plans for the 2026 Cherokee County football media day. That’s coming up on Saturday, July 25 beginning at noon at Easy Street restaurant in Centre, marking the unofficial beginning to the high school football season.

There’s always plenty to talk about when media days roll around, but particularly this year. There’s the Alabama High School Athletic Association’s statewide reclassification, new head coaches in Cherokee County High School’s Bayley Blanchard and Cedar Bluff’s Cole Murphy, and new opponents on almost everyone’s schedules.

Speaking of schedules, I thought I’d use this column to take a week-by-week look at some of the more intriguing area matchups and give you all a conversation starter as you’re celebrating our nation’s 250th anniversary, grilling those hot dogs, and preparing to shoot those fireworks.

Happy Independence Day everyone!

Week 0
Thursday, Aug. 20 and Friday, Aug. 21

We kick the 2026 football season off with a Thursday night special, Gaston at Spring Garden.

The contest marks the first meeting between the two teams since 2021. Gaston holds a 17-3 advantage in the series, but the Panthers won the last meeting 47-0 back in 2021.

Then on Friday, Murphy makes his head football coaching debut when the Cedar Bluff Tigers travel to Walnut Grove to take on the West End Patriots. That game marks the two teams’ first meeting since 1997. West End holds a 5-3 edge in the series.

Another big Week 0 battle takes place in Piedmont when the Class 2A Bulldogs welcome Class 4A Jacksonville to the Field of Champions. It’s those two teams’ first meeting in five years. Piedmont holds a 26-25-3 edge in that series.

Week 1
Friday, Aug. 28

Blanchard makes his debut as the new head coach of the Cherokee County Warriors at home against his alma mater, the Piedmont Bulldogs. Piedmont has a 40-39-3 edge in the series and has won the last two meetings, including last year’s 24-8 victory.

Another longtime rivalry takes place at Russell Jacoway Stadium in Sand Rock when the Wildcats welcome Spring Garden. Sand Rock holds a 24-13 edge in that series, but Spring Garden has won the last eight meetings, including last year’s 44-28 contest.

Cedar Bluff takes a short trip to Gaston in a series that dates back to 1938. The Tigers have won the last six meetings in that series, including last year’s 42-20 win.

This week also features a first-ever meeting between Lindsay Lane and Gaylesville.

Week 2
Friday, Sept. 4

Region play begins with a huge early showdown in Class 1A, Region 8 between Appalachian and Spring Garden. The Eagles won last year’s game 20-8 on their way to the region title.

Ragland is at Cedar Bluff in those two teams’ first meeting since 2015. Cedar Bluff has won the last two meetings, including a 28-26 victory in 2015, and holds a 26-8-1 edge in the series.

Another big early region clash in Week 2 features the Gaylesville Trojans at Valley Head. Valley Head has won the last seven meetings in that series, including last year’s 55-38 shootout.

Week 3
Friday, Sept. 11

Two Cherokee County rivals collide when Gaylesville travels to Spring Garden. The Trojans hold a 30-18 edge in that series, but the Panthers have won the last seven meetings, including last year’s 34-8 victory.

Week 4
Friday, Sept. 18

The Cherokee County Warriors face the Guntersville Wildcats for the first time since 2011 in a key Class 4A, Region 8 clash. The Wildcats are 13-5 in the all-time series, which dates back to 1932.

Other key region battles in Week 4 include Valley Head at Cedar Bluff, Sand Rock at Collinsville, and Spring Garden at Ragland.

Week 5
Friday, Sept. 25

Week 5 features a rivalry renewed between Valley Head and Sand Rock. This game marks the first meeting between the two schools since 1999. Sand Rock has won the last four meetings in a series that dates all the way back to 1946.

Two more top non-region battles in Week 5 are Alexandria at Piedmont and Cherokee County at Jacksonville. Both contests feature teams who haven’t met each other on the football field since 2021.

Week 6
Friday, Oct. 2

Longtime Cherokee County rivals face off against each other to highlight Week 6 when Cedar Bluff travels to Spring Garden. The Panthers have won five of the last six meetings, including last year’s 42-14 victory, but the Tigers hold an overall 43-8 edge in the series.

Scottsboro is at Cherokee County in those two teams’ first meeting since 2009. The Warriors hold a 4-3 edge in that series.

Also in Week 6, Sand Rock is at North Sand Mountain. Those two teams have split their last two meetings. Sand Rock won 16-0 in 2024, while the Bison blanked the Wildcats 41-0 last year. NSM holds a 14-10 edge in that series.

Week 7
Friday, Oct. 9

Fyffe has dominated the 2A ranks the last several years, and the Sand Rock Wildcats will try to derail the Red Devil express at home in this key Region 8 clash.

Another crucial battle within Region 8 will take place at Collinsville when the Panthers welcome North Sand Mountain. Collinsville has won six of the eight meetings in that series.

In Class 1A, Region 8, Spring Garden is at Valley Head. The Tigers hold a 19-13 edge in that series, but the Panthers have won the last five meetings, including last year’s 58-23 victory.

Week 8
Friday, Oct. 16

Cherokee County seeks revenge from last year’s early playoff exit by welcoming Good Hope to Warrior Stadium. Good Hope defeated Cherokee County 28-26 to advance out of the first round.

Other marquee matchups in Week 8 include Appalachian at Cedar Bluff, Collinsville at Fyffe, and Piedmont at Vincent.

Week 9
Friday, Oct. 23

Cedar Bluff’s Murphy faces his alma mater when the Tigers make the short trip to Gaylesville. It’s the two teams’ first meeting since 2023.

In other crucial region action, Pisgah is at Collinsville. The two teams have split their eight meetings. Collinsville won the first four, but Pisgah has won the last four, including the last in 2023.

Week 10
Thursday, Oct. 29 and Friday, Oct. 30

The 2026 regular season concludes Halloween weekend. On Thursday night, Sand Rock seeks to spook Cedar Bluff in a longtime Cherokee County rivalry. Cedar Bluff holds a 36-34 edge in the series, but the Wildcats won last year’s game in a shootout 68-40 in a series that dates back to 1946.

Also that Thursday, DeKalb County rivals Collinsville and Valley Head collide. Collinsville has won the last four meetings in that series, including last year’s 49-21 decision. The Panthers hold a 46-37-5 edge in the series.

Then on Friday, Fairview is at Cherokee County in those two teams’ first meeting since 2011. The Aggies have won both meetings.

Ranburne travels to Spring Garden, and Gaylesville is at Verbena to close out the regular season.

The 2026 high school state football playoffs begin on Friday, Nov. 6 and will continue through Nov. 27. State championship games will be held Dec. 2-5 at Hancock Whitney Stadium in Mobile.