Game week is finally here.
The 2018 high school football season will get going for real on Friday -- get all you need to prep for the campign here with our full Season Preview Section -- and Week Zero kicks off with some intriguing showdowns.
Three of the battles will air live on the Jacobs Media family of stations, including the battle for Highway 60, as Chestatee travels to North Hall in a game carried by WDUN 102.9 FM. The War Eagles got the better of the Trojans for just the second time in their 16 meetings last season, 42-12 at Chestatee.
Meanwhile, Flowery Branch travels to East Hall in a contest that will air on WDUN AM 550. Each team is coming off a second round state playoff berth in 2017, but the Vikings have undergone a coaching in the interim, while the Falcons are entering their second season under coach Ben Hall.
And on 94.9 FM, Gainesville will get the Heath Webb era under way when the Red Elephants travel to Mary Persons in Forsyth. The Bulldogs are coming off back-to-back Class 4A semifinal berths, and Gainesville is under a new head coach for the first time in 16 years.
And those are just a handful of the contests slated for this weekend. Elsewhere, Buford will travel to Atlanta to take on Tucker in the Kell Classic. The Wolves and Tigers will face off at 5:30 p.m. at Georgia State's home stadium (formerly Turner Field). Both are coming off semifinal berths in their respective classifications.
Also, Dawson County treks to Habersham Central looking to maintain its strong form of the past three seasons. The Tigers do so with a new quarterback, SeVaughn Clark who was the team's leading rusher last season, taking over from longtime standout Coey Watson. The Raiders also have a new QB as Tre Luttrell looks to kickstart Habersham's revival after so many near misses last season.
West Hall will also trek to Commerce; Jackson County heads to Banks County; and Johnson looks to pounce for its first victory since 2015 in a trip to Oglethorpe County.
But the action doesn't end on Friday, as two northeast Georgia squads also open the season with Saturday games, including the first ever contest for Cherokee Bluff, as the Bears tackle Whitefield Academy at home. And Rabun County makes the long voyage to Statesboro to face Bremen in a kickoff classic at the home of Georgia Southern.
WEEK ZERO AREA HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL SCHEDULE
(Radio schedule for Jacobs Media Stations included)
FRIDAY
Buford vs. Tucker, 5:30 p.m. Corky Kell Classic (at Georgia State)
Chestatee at North Hall -- 102.9 FM
Dawson County at Habersham Central
Flowery Branch at East Hall -- AM 550
Gainesville at Mary Persons -- 94.5 FM
Jackson County at Banks County
Jefferson at Oconee County
Johnson at Oglethorpe County
Lumpkin County at East Jackson
Riverside Military at Christian Heritage
Towns County at Hayesville, N.C.
West Hall at Commerce
SATURDAY
Cherokee Bluff vs. Whitefield Academy
Rabun County vs. Bremen (at Georgia Southern)
