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- Early-season proving grounds (Games 25–16)
- 25. Junction City at Scappoose — Fri., Sept. 4
- 24. St. Paul at Heppner — Fri., Sept. 4
- 23. Vale at La Grande — Thu., Sept. 17
- 22. Glencoe at Mountainside — Fri., Sept. 4
- 21. Mountainside at Tualatin — Fri., Aug. 28
- 20. West Albany at Thurston — Fri., Sept. 4
- 19. Lake Oswego at Sherwood — Fri., Sept. 18
- 18. Tri-Valley (ID) at Adrian — 6 p.m., Fri., Aug. 28
- 17. Graham Kapowsin (WA) at Central Catholic — Fri., Sept. 18
- 16. Coeur d’Alene (ID) at Silverton — Fri., Aug. 28
- Playoff-caliber tests (Games 15–6)
- 15. Nelson at Grants Pass — Fri., Aug. 28
- 14. Grants Pass at Central Catholic — Fri., Oct. 30
- 13. West Linn at Wilsonville — Fri., Sept. 18
- 12. Willamette at Silverton — Fri., Sept. 4
- 11. Tualatin at Sherwood — Fri., Sept. 4
- 10. Jesuit at Willamette — Fri., Sept. 18
- 9. Summit at Bishop Kelly (ID) — Fri., Sept. 4
- 8. Heppner at Lost River — Fri., Sept. 18
- 7. Jesuit at Nelson — Fri., Sept. 4
- 6. Lake Oswego at Willamette — Fri., Aug. 28
- Top five must-see matchups
With Moratorium Week behind them and the first Friday night in late August looming, Oregon high school football is entering a busy, consequential stretch. These 25 regular-season showdowns — from interstate tests to state-title rematches and rivalry clashes — contain early indicators of which teams will contend this fall and which players will emerge on college radars.
All games 7 p.m. unless noted.
Early-season proving grounds (Games 25–16)
25. Junction City at Scappoose — Fri., Sept. 4
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Junction City caught eyes last year under first-year coach Tye Rauschert. Their opener at Scappoose will be an early barometer against a program that has been a consistent 4A semifinal participant.
24. St. Paul at Heppner — Fri., Sept. 4
These small-school powers have traded blows in recent postseason meetings — Heppner took the semifinal two years ago, while St. Paul returned the favor last November. Expect a physical rematch.
23. Vale at La Grande — Thu., Sept. 17
Two of Eastern Oregon’s top signal-callers headline this one: junior Cal Johnson for Vale and La Grande’s junior Jack Musgrove. La Grande will try to protect home-field advantage against a team chasing a third straight win there.
22. Glencoe at Mountainside — Fri., Sept. 4
Glencoe loses a 2,000-yard rusher but returns playmakers. Look for freshman-to-junior contributors such as RB Abraham Castro and QB Nolan Wolfe to define the Crimson Tide’s early offense.
21. Mountainside at Tualatin — Fri., Aug. 28
Mountainside’s season after its first Metro League title was derailed by injuries. A season-opening trip to Tualatin will show whether they’ve recovered depth after graduating QB Cade Mitchell.
20. West Albany at Thurston — Fri., Sept. 4
Two established 5A programs square off in Springfield aiming to build momentum before league play. Expect a tactical, low-error contest as both teams tune up for tougher opponents.
19. Lake Oswego at Sherwood — Fri., Sept. 18
Sherwood’s run of Pacific Conference titles continues, but the Bowmen have an opportunity to claim a marquee nonconference scalp against last season’s 6A champion.
18. Tri-Valley (ID) at Adrian — 6 p.m., Fri., Aug. 28
An eight-man matchup between Idaho’s 1A runner-up and Oregon’s two-time defending eight-man champion. Adrian returns much of the roster that could make a three-peat realistic.
17. Graham Kapowsin (WA) at Central Catholic — Fri., Sept. 18
Central Catholic again opens its schedule against a West Coast opponent. The Eagles from Washington bring Division-level recruits such as WR Kase Betz and OT Ayden Bullinger, making this an early talent showcase.
16. Coeur d’Alene (ID) at Silverton — Fri., Aug. 28
Last year Coeur d’Alene opened the season by beating Silverton on their way to a 5A title run. The return trip promises competitive spirit and regional bragging rights.
Playoff-caliber tests (Games 15–6)
15. Nelson at Grants Pass — Fri., Aug. 28
Nelson capped a breakthrough season last fall with a conference title and a deep playoff run. Their trip to Grants Pass will reveal whether they’ve built sustainable momentum.
14. Grants Pass at Central Catholic — Fri., Oct. 30
Both clubs are expected to be in the 6A championship mix. Scheduling this head-to-head in Week 9 effectively turns a bye week into a late-season playoff tune-up.
13. West Linn at Wilsonville — Fri., Sept. 18
District neighbors for the first time in a nonconference setting. Fans should tune in to a quarterback duel: West Linn’s Sloan Baker vs. Wilsonville’s Trevor Glos.
12. Willamette at Silverton — Fri., Sept. 4
Willamette travels up I‑5 to face the defending 5A champions — a stern early assignment for the Wolverines.
11. Tualatin at Sherwood — Fri., Sept. 4
Sherwood will be out to correct a lopsided loss from last season when they were blanked 43‑0 at Tualatin; expect adjustments and added urgency.
10. Jesuit at Willamette — Fri., Sept. 18
Jesuit remains a 6A standard-bearer. Willamette, under coach Josh Line, has been on the rise and will look to prove it on their home field.
9. Summit at Bishop Kelly (ID) — Fri., Sept. 4
Summit, Oregon’s 5A runner-up, tests itself against Idaho’s reigning 5A champion — a benchmark game against high-level out-of-state competition.
8. Heppner at Lost River — Fri., Sept. 18
A rematch of last season’s 2A title that went to the Raiders 24‑22. Lost River returns standouts including RB Alakae Rodriguez and WR Tripp Stewart, setting up another thriller.
7. Jesuit at Nelson — Fri., Sept. 4
This will be the first game under new Jesuit coach Phil Rombach, and it comes against one of 2025’s more surprising teams — a tough opening audition.
6. Lake Oswego at Willamette — Fri., Aug. 28
A heavyweight matchup to open the calendar: the defending 6A champions travel to Eugene where Willamette’s loaded roster will be hunting a statement win — a plausible early state-title preview.
Top five must-see matchups
- 5. Casteel (AZ) at Lake Oswego — Fri., Sept. 4
A cross-state test when Arizona’s 6A champion visits — a chance to measure Oregon’s best against one of the West’s top programs. - 4. Nelson at West Linn — Fri., Sept. 25
A duel with clear NFL and college implications: Hawks WR Malachi Garlington vs. Lions CB Josiah Molden, who are both headed to Oregon. Scouting report material for college coaches. - 3. Central Catholic at West Linn — Fri., Sept. 4
West Linn is looking for revenge after a narrow 6A semifinal loss last season that ended a perfect run. This early rematch carries emotional weight for the Lions. - 2. Central Catholic at Jesuit — Fri., Sept. 25
The “Holy War” is always a calendar highlight. With Jesuit under new leadership, the rivalry’s texture could shift — and so could the competitive balance. - 1. Central Catholic at Lake Oswego — Fri., Sept. 11
A direct rematch of last year’s 6A final, where Lake Oswego dominated from kickoff. The Rams will be eager to erase that result; Lake Oswego will aim to reaffirm its championship status. This one could preview another title game.
Why these games matter: several are early indicators of playoff trajectories, while others feature high-school prospects likely to draw college attention. Nonconference clashes — particularly interstate matchups — also help coaches and recruiters compare talent across regions.
Below is a compact schedule snapshot you can scan quickly; times are included where they differ from the default 7 p.m.
| Rank | Matchup | Date | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 25 | Junction City at Scappoose | Sept. 4 | Rauschert’s second season test |
| 24 | St. Paul at Heppner | Sept. 4 | Recent semifinal rematch |
| 23 | Vale at La Grande | Sept. 17 | Top Eastern Oregon QBs |
| 22 | Glencoe at Mountainside | Sept. 4 | New offensive leaders |
| 21 | Mountainside at Tualatin | Aug. 28 | Can they bounce back? |
| 20 | West Albany at Thurston | Sept. 4 | 5A tune-up |
| 19 | Lake Oswego at Sherwood | Sept. 18 | Pac Conference clash meets 6A champ |
| 18 | Tri-Valley (ID) at Adrian | Aug. 28 — 6 p.m. | Eight-man interstate showdown |
| 17 | Graham Kapowsin (WA) at Central Catholic | Sept. 18 | Division-level recruits on display |
| 16 | Coeur d’Alene (ID) at Silverton | Aug. 28 | Last year’s opener rematch |
| 15 | Nelson at Grants Pass | Aug. 28 | Conference champion out of the gate |
| 14 | Grants Pass at Central Catholic | Oct. 30 | Week 9 playoff-caliber meeting |
| 13 | West Linn at Wilsonville | Sept. 18 | First district nonconference matchup |
| 12 | Willamette at Silverton | Sept. 4 | Wolverines vs. defending 5A champ |
| 11 | Tualatin at Sherwood | Sept. 4 | Sherwood wants a rebound |
| 10 | Jesuit at Willamette | Sept. 18 | Established 6A power vs. rising program |
| 9 | Summit at Bishop Kelly (ID) | Sept. 4 | 5A runner-up tests Idaho champion |
| 8 | Heppner at Lost River | Sept. 18 | 2A championship rematch |
| 7 | Jesuit at Nelson | Sept. 4 | New Jesuit coach’s first game |
| 6 | Lake Oswego at Willamette | Aug. 28 | Potential state-title preview |
| 5 | Casteel (AZ) at Lake Oswego | Sept. 4 | Out-of-state heavyweight |
| 4 | Nelson at West Linn | Sept. 25 | Garlington vs. Molden |
| 3 | Central Catholic at West Linn | Sept. 4 | Revenge on the line |
| 2 | Central Catholic at Jesuit | Sept. 25 | Holy War with new coaching narrative |
| 1 | Central Catholic at Lake Oswego | Sept. 11 | Rematch of last season’s 6A final |
Plan ahead: many of these games will draw college scouts and regional media attention, and a handful could shape seeding come playoff time. Fans setting their calendars now will be guaranteed early-season drama and, in several cases, a preview of what the state brackets might look like come November.
