The 25 Biggest New Jersey High School Football Matchups of 2026

New Jersey’s 2026 high school football season won’t waste any time delivering marquee matchups.

From interstate showdowns against national powers to rematches of last season’s state championship games, the Garden State schedule is loaded with games that could shape conference races, playoff positioning and statewide rankings. Whether you’re looking for traditional rivalries or early-season measuring sticks, these are the 25 regular-season games every fan should have circled on the calendar.

Nos. 25-16: Early-Season Statement Tests

25. Camden at Imhotep Charter (PA), Saturday, Aug. 29

Camden is coming off its first NJSIAA Group 2 state championship. They open the season with an interstate showdown against Pennsylvania-based Imhotep Charter.

24. St. Augustine Prep at Atlantic City, Saturday, Sept. 5

The Hermits enter the 2026 season with a new head coach, as Bill Belton replaces Pete Lancetta. They have an early-season test against Keenan Wright’s Vikings in a private-public showdown.

23. Millville at Washington Township, Friday, Sept. 4

Last year, Michael Schatzman led the Minutemen to a perfect 14-0 season and their first NJSIAA Group 5 state title. This Labor Day weekend, they host Humberto Ayala’s Thunderbolts, who previously won back-to-back state championships in 2021-22.

22. St. Anthony’s (NY) at Red Bank Catholic, Friday, Sept. 4

Since his 2020 hiring, Mike Lange has led the Caseys to multiple state championships, including in 2021 and 2023. They have an early-season matchup against the New York-based Friars, one of the top teams in that state.

21. Ramapo at Old Tappan, Friday, Sept. 4

Brian Dunn previously led the Knights to the 2024 NJSIAA Group 3 state championship, and an appearance in the 2025 state title game. Nick Guttuso’s Raiders finished as the 2025 Group 4 runners-up. Both teams will look to return to championship contention as they face each other this Labor Day weekend.

20. Paramus Catholic at Iona Preparatory (NY), Saturday, Sept. 12

Greg Russo’s Paladins are coming off an appearance in last year’s NJSIAA Non-Public B state title game. This September, they will head up to New York to face the back-to-back New York state champion Gaels.

19. DePaul Catholic at Red Bank Catholic, Thursday, Aug. 27

Nick Campanile has led the Spartans to multiple NJSIAA Non-Public B state championships, including in 2022, 2024, and 2025. Meanwhile, the Caseys have also won multiple state titles this decade.

18. St. Thomas More (CT) at St. Peter’s Prep, Saturday, Sept. 5

St. Peter’s Prep has promoted Ryan O’Flaherty from assistant to head coach, succeeding Rich Hansen III. The Marauders open their season against Connecticut powerhouse St. Thomas More this Labor Day weekend.

17. St. Joseph’s Prep (PA) at Bergen Catholic, Saturday, Sept. 12

Vito Campanile’s Crusaders are one of the top teams in the state, having won four consecutive NJSIAA Non-Public A championships from 2021-24. After seeing their four-year championship run end last year, they will look to bounce back as they host the Philadelphia-based Hawks, who won a state championship of their own last season.

16. St. Joseph Regional at Mount Carmel (IL), Friday, Aug. 28

Augie Hoffman just led the Green Knights to the 2025 NJSIAA Non-Public A state title. They travel to Chicago to open the 2026 season against powerhouse Mount Carmel, which won a state title last season.

Nos. 15-6: Rivalries and Playoff Previews

15. Kingsway at Atlantic City, Friday, Oct. 23

Last season, Matt Hendricks led the Dragons to the NJSIAA Group 5 semifinals, where they fell to eventual champion Washington Township. This October, they will visit the Vikings in a rematch of last year’s South Jersey Group 5 final.

14. Northern Highlands at Ramapo, Friday, Oct. 2

These two schools met in last year’s North 1, Group 4 sectional final, where the Raiders made a 21-point comeback over Dave Cord’s Highlanders. They will meet again in a crucial early-October regular-season matchup.

13. Kingsway at Camden, Friday, Oct. 23

This is a matchup of a defending state champion and a team that made it to the semifinals. They also met in the regular season early last year, where the Panthers prevailed 26-21.

12. St. Augustine Prep at Millville, Friday, Sept. 25

The Hermits and Thunderbolts are two South Jersey contenders in 2026. Last season’s meeting was a thriller where Millville won 28-21 on a game-winning touchdown by Reggie Holley.

11. Delbarton at DePaul Catholic, Friday, Sept. 25

Brian Bowers is only Delbarton’s third head coach and has led the Green Wave since 2003. They are coming off a disappointing 4-6 season, but their late-September matchup against the Spartans is one to watch.

10. The Hun School at Paramus Catholic, Friday, Sept. 25

Since his hiring in 2014, Todd Smith has helped turn the Raiders into a football powerhouse. Their late-September matchup against the Paladins should be an exciting game between as two perennial New Jersey private-school powers meet in one of September’s marquee matchups.

9. Winslow Township at St. Augustine Prep, Friday, Sept. 18

Jamal White is the new head coach for Winslow Township. He replaces Bill Belton, who led the Eagles to back-to-back NJSIAA Group 4 state championships. More importantly, Belton will face his former team as the Hermits’ new head coach.

8. Washington Township at St. Augustine Prep, Friday, Oct. 23

The Hermits will face reigning Group 5 champion later on in the season, as the Minutemen look to capitalize on their perfect 14-0 season a year ago.

7. Winslow Township at Washington Township, Friday, Oct. 16

This will be a showdown between two state champions from 2025, as the Eagles won the Group 4 championship, while the Minutemen claimed the Group 5 title. All eyes will be on this public school matchup in October.

6. DePaul Catholic at Paramus Catholic, Friday, Oct. 23

This is a rematch of last season’s NJSIAA Non-Public B state championship game. The Spartans prevailed 21-12 to win their third state title in four years.

Top Five: New Jersey’s Biggest Games of 2026

5. Bergen Catholic at St. Peter’s Prep, Friday, Sept. 18

One major storyline with this much-anticipated matchup is 2028 3-star defensive lineman Jayden Beckley transferring from Bergen Catholic to St. Peter’s Prep. But that’s not all, twin brothers Amiir and Adrian Woodward also left the Crusaders for the Marauders.

4. St. Peter’s Prep at St. Joseph Regional, Saturday, Oct. 10

This is a rematch of last year’s NJSIAA Non-Public A state semifinal matchup, where the Green Knights beat the Marauders 25-21 en route to the state title. They also met earlier in the regular season, with St. Peter’s Prep sneaking by 29-28.

3. Bergen Catholic at St. Joseph Regional, Saturday, Oct. 24

This is a showdown between two schools who won the last two NJSIAA Non-Public A state championships. It’s also a rematch of a regular-season thriller from last season, where the Crusaders edged the Green Knights 43-42 in overtime.

2. St. Joseph Regional at Don Bosco Prep, Friday, Sept. 25

In a sequel to last year’s NJSIAA Non-Public A state championship game. Dan Sabella’s Ironmen entered the state championship undefeated before falling to the Green Knights 24-21.

1. Don Bosco Prep at Bergen Catholic, Saturday, Oct. 3

The state’s premier rivalry once again carries major postseason implications after Don Bosco ended Bergen Catholic’s pursuit of a fifth straight Non-Public A title with a semifinal victory last fall.