20 best high school football rivalries in the United States

Two of them will be played this Friday, Oct. 13 — Mater Dei vs. St. John Bosco in California and Pisgah vs. Tuscola in North Carolina

Author:
Mike Swanson, SBLive Sports
Updated:
Oct 12, 2023 11:59 AM EDT
Original:
Oct 9, 2023

Thanksgiving Day and the final game of the regular season are common homes of the best high school football rivalries, but two of the biggest in the country are happening this week.

Mater Dei vs. St. John Bosco is one of the youngest of our top 20 high school football rivalries in the country, but the Southern California teams' collective strength has turned the game into a Super Bowl of sorts every year.

They play Friday at St. John Bosco, while Tuscola hosts Pisgah in North Carolina's biggest high school football rivalry.

Vote: Which high school football rivalry is best in the United States?

From new to old, East to West, South to Midwest, here are SBLive Sports' 20 top high school football rivalries in the nation.

Batavia vs. Geneva (Illinois)

These two Chicago-area schools separated by just 4 miles started their rivalry in 1913 and have played more than 100 times since then. Batavia has owned the series in recent years, winning its 13th in a row with a 21-18 squeaker in September, but Geneva still holds the series lead at 51-49-5.

Benton vs. Bryant (Arkansas)

The Salt Bowl draws more than 20,000 fans per year to War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock, as two of the largest schools in Arkansas square off in a rivalry that began in 1974. A reported 29,150 fans saw last year's Salt Bowl, which Bryant won 38-17, and Bryant prevailed again this year after cruising in the second half when Benton star running back Braylen Russell exited with a high ankle sprain.

Brandon vs. Pearl (Mississippi)

The series, known as the "Eat Dirt" game, features two Class 6A schools separated by just 10 miles. On top of being a rivalry game, the two powerhouse programs usually meet with a lot on the line. Brandon made Pearl eat dirt in last year's game to run its series lead up to 45-26-1. This year's edition will be Oct. 20 at Pearl, and it's shaping up to be a good one, with Pearl sitting at 5-1 and Brandon at 4-2.

Calvert Hall vs. Loyola Blakefield (Maryland)

Nicknamed the Turkey Bowl, Calvert Hall-Loyola Blakefield is the longest continuous Catholic prep-school football rivalry in the United States. Played every Thanksgiving morning, this rivalry game celebrated its 102nd anniversary last year. Students and alumni of both schools will pack the current venue, Towson University’s Johnny Unitas Stadium, for the 10 a.m. kickoff this year, which is televised regionally.

Canton McKinley vs. Massillon (Ohio)

Dating back to 1894, the two schools are ranked first and second in the state in total wins with over 1,700 between them. Countless famous NFL players, coaches and all-Americans have taken part in this series — including Paul Brown, Earle Bruce and Josh McDaniels, just to name a few. Massillon rang the victory bell last year for the seventh consecutive season, and the nationally ranked Tigers will be heavily favored to make it eight in a row on Oct. 21.

Dover vs. New Philadelphia (Ohio)

Just a couple of years younger than Canton McKinley-Massillon, Dover and New Philadelphia have been playing each other since 1896, and New Philadelphia narrowed its series deficit in an overtime classic last year. Dover leads the series 58-52-9 heading into the 120th edition of the game on Friday, Oct. 20, when New Philadelphia will travel 2.8 miles up the road to Dover.

Dowling vs. Valley (Iowa)

The two West Des Moines schools are 2 miles apart, and Dowling uses Valley's stadium for its home games. The rivalry began in 1968 and has produced several memorable matchups over the years. Dowling beat Valley in the 2019 4A state championship to claim its seventh consecutive state title, but Valley upset Dowling in the semifinals last year. Dowling got revenge in Week 2, winning 14-0, and is undefeated this season.

Garfield vs. Roosevelt (California)

The 87th East L.A. Classic last year was unforgettable for several reasons. Garfield won the game 16-8, which was played in front of 45,000 fans at the L.A. Coliseum, and the Black Eyed Peas played the halftime show. Black Eyed Peas frontman will.i.am is an ardent supporter of Roosevelt. He started the i.am Angel foundation in 2009 to provide a college-track robotics program, scholarships and FIRST robotics clubs for East L.A. kids. The 88th edition of the game will return to East L.A. College this season on Oct. 27.

Germantown Academy vs. Penn Charter (Pennsylvania)

Germantown Academy won the first two games — all the way back in 1887 and 1888 — and the most recent game, a 28-27 thriller last year. But in terms of overall history, this rivalry has been dominated by Penn Charter, which holds an 87-38-11 series lead. The Philadelphia schools separated by 11 miles meet for the 137th straight year on Nov. 11, making it the longest continuous prep school football rivalry in the country. Penn Charter was founded in 1689, and Germantown Academy followed in 1759.

Glades Central vs. Pahokee (Florida)

These two schools are 13 miles apart in small towns on the south side of Lake Okeechobee, and it's called the Muck Bowl in honor of the swampy soil in the area. Despite being played in small stadiums, the annual game attracts up to 25,000 people, including NFL alums. Among Glades Central's NFL alumni are Santonio Holmes, Kelvin Benjamin, Deonte Thompson, Ray McDonald, Jessie Hester, Fred Taylor and Reidel Anthony. Pahokee's NFL class includes Janoris Jenkins, Anquan Boldin, Andrew Waters and Rickey Jackson. This year's game closes out the regular season on Nov. 4 at Pahokee.

Gonzaga vs. St. John’s (Washington, D.C.)

Played annually on the last weekend of the regular season, Gonzaga vs. St. John's is one of the oldest high school football rivalries in the country. The parity for a 101-game series has been pretty remarkable. With a 22-13 win last year, St. John's tied the all-time series 48-48-5. Gonzaga hosts the tiebreaker on Nov. 4.

Holy Cross vs. Jesuit (Louisiana)

This New Orleans rivalry is the fifth-oldest continuously played prep rivalry in the country and dates back to 1922. The pregame tailgate has the atmosphere of a big-time college game, with varieties of food and custom T-shirts at every turn. Jesuit trailed for three quarters but stormed back to win 16-12 last season to retain the Golden Football and extend its series lead to 61-40-1. The 104th edition of the game will be on Oct. 27.

Hoover vs. Thompson (Alabama)

What this rivalry lacks in history, it makes up for with its high level of talent, as Hoover and Thompson have faced off the past seven years as two of the nation’s top programs. Last year didn't disappoint, as Hoover won a defensive slugfest 9-0 during the regular season, and Thompson thumped the Buccaneers 40-10 in the Class 7A semifinals before winning its fourth consecutive state championship. Hoover, which has had a rough 2023, hosts Thompson in the regular-season finale on Oct. 27.

Jenks vs. Tulsa Union (Oklahoma)

What makes the Backyard Bowl really stand out is how good these two teams always are, and the schools are separated by just 9 miles. One of these two juggernauts took the large-school state championship every year from 1996 to 2016, and Jenks beat Union for the title in the 2021 championship game. Jenks avenged last season's 38-3 Backyard Bowl loss with a 31-24 win in the second game of the 2023 season.

Kirkwood vs. Webster Groves (Missouri)

This game's been played since 1898 and on Thanksgiving Day since 1907, and it's evolved into being much more than a football game. The St. Louis schools located 5 miles apart spend the whole week leading up to the game decorating the campus in varying themes, along with staging multiple pep rallies. Kirkwood has won nine straight in the series, but Webster Groves clings to an all-time series lead of 58-55-7.

Lowndes vs. Valdosta (Georgia)

The Winnersville Classic features crosstown rivals and perennial powerhouses squaring off against each other in South Georgia. Valdosta stakes claim to 24 state titles and more wins than any other team in the history of high school football, and it began playing Lowndes in 1968 a couple of years after that school opened. The two have played every year since, and there’s never a lack of talent or hype when the Wildcats and Vikings get together. Valdosta snapped Lowndes’ five-year win streak last year and made it two in a row with a 37-27 win Oct. 6, improving its lead in the all-time series to 39-23.

Mater Dei vs. St. John Bosco (California)

This has become the de-facto Super Bowl of high school football in recent years, with the Southern California schools squaring off annually as two of the top-ranked teams in the nation. They played twice last season, with Mater Dei winning the regular-season matchup and St. John Bosco getting revenge by snapping the Monarchs' 29-game win streak with a 24-22 win in the Division I championship game at the Rose Bowl. Tickets for this week's game between the two titans at St. John Bosco sold out in three minutes.

Nederland vs. Port Neches-Groves (Texas)

Separated by less than 5 miles, these two schools near the Gulf of Mexico and Louisiana border have been playing each other since 1925. Bum Phillips coached Nederland from 1951-1956 and Port Neches-Groves from 1963-1964, and the winner of the game takes the Bum Phillips Bowl trophy. Nederland, which hosts this year's edition on Oct. 27, will try to get the trophy back after losing 26-24 last year. Port Neches-Groves leads the overall series 52-39-7.

Needham vs. Wellesley (Massachusetts)

Wellesley and Needham renewed the United States' oldest public high school football Thanksgiving rivalry in 2021 after missing 2020 because of COVID. Wellesley holds the all-time series lead with a 66-60-9 record after winning the 135th edition last year, its fourth straight victory in the series that started in 1882.

Pisgah vs. Tuscola (North Carolina)

One of the fiercest rivalries in North Carolina is also one of the longest-running ones, as Pisgah and Tuscola have met every year since 1966. Technically, the schools have played for over 100 years, before the school system consolidated multiple schools. Tuscola snapped Pisgah's nine-year win streak in the Haywood County rivalry last year with a 35-34 double-overtime win over the Bears. They play Friday, Oct. 13, with Pisgah leading the overall series 31-27-1.