Whether it’s a heated rivalry, playoff rematches or programs with championship aspirations, these are the games every football fan should have on their calendar this fall.
As kickoff draws closer, these are the Friday night matchups worth planning around — the ones that make you skip dinner reservations and head for the bleachers instead.
Here are our top five games of the 2026 season:
5: Malvern at Mogadore, Sept. 11 at 7 p.m.
This game features Malvern, which lost in the quarterfinals last season, and the Mogadore Wildcats, who lost in the regional semifinals.
A season ago, the Hornets finished 7-5 with their season ending at the hands of Monroeville 34-14.
For the Wildcats, they finished 11-2, losing 42-21 to McDonald to end their season.
4: Conotton Valley at Bishop Rosecrans, Aug. 28 at 7 p.m.
The next game is a rematch of last season’s first-round playoff game between Conotton Valley and Bishop Rosecrans.
In an offensive showdown, the Rockets took down Bishop Rosecrans 78-46 in the opening round of the playoffs. This was the seventh time Conotton Valley scored 40 or more points in a game in 2025.
3: Conotton Valley at Strasburg, Sept. 11 at 7 p.m.
Last season, both teams lost in the quarterfinals and look to build on that success.
After a dominating opening tournament game, the Rockets offense was limited to six points in a 63-6 loss to end their season. For Strasburg, it went 7-3 in the regular season and saw its tournament run come to an end at the hands of Waterford, losing 42-7.
2: Garaway at Dalton, Aug. 28 at 7 p.m.
A year after meeting in the regional semifinals, Garaway gets another shot at Dalton in one of the state’s marquee Week 2 matchups.
The Pirates ended last season’s semifinal run, going 9-3 and outscoring opponents 108-23 in their first three tournament games before losing 21-7 to the eventual D6 state champion Kirtland.
1: Dover at New Philadelphia, Oct. 23 at 7 p.m.
No game on the schedule carries more history than Dover and New Philadelphia. It is a game that has been played since 1896 with over 120 meetings with one coming in the playoffs.
It is Dover at New Phila, squaring off in the final week of the regular season.
Since 2020 neither team has been able to string back-to-back wins, with Dover winning 35-28 a season ago.
All-time, the Crimson Tornadoes lead the series 60-53-9.
Dover holds the longest winning streak, nine games, from 1995-2003. This was the start of the Crimson Tornadoes winning 17 matchups in 19 years.
Jshondel@usatodayco.com; X: @JacoBShondeL
This article originally appeared on The Times-Reporter: Top 5 Tuscarawas County football games to watch during the 2026 season
Reporting by Jacob Shondel, The Times-Reporter / The Times-Reporter
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Jacob Shondel, The Times-Reporter | USA TODAY Network
