2016 TRAIL TO THE TITLE CHAMPIONS — STEPHENSON JAGUARS
The 2017 DeKalb County Schools middle school football season gets underway on Saturday with a full slate of non-division games beginning at 10:00 am at all DeKalb Stadiums and Decatur High.
The regions have a new look this year as Tucker and Peachtree move into Region 1 with Chamblee, Henderson, and Sequoyah. Druid Hills moves out of Region 1 into Region 2 and Freedom moves out of Region 1 into Region 3.
Region 2 now consists of Champion, Druid Hills, Renfroe, Stone Mountain and defending Trail to the Title champion Stephenson which moved from Region 3.
Freedom and Redan (Region 2 last season) are now in Region 3 with Miller Grove, Salem and Lithonia. Bethune moves to Region 4 to join Cedar Grove, Chapel Hill, Columbia and McNair for 2017.
Stephenson finished 9-0 last year on the way to a fifth Trail to the Title championship with its 20-16 thriller against Tucker. The Jaguars open the season by hosting former Region 3 foes the Lithonia Bulldogs in an 11:30 am game at Hallford Stadium on Saturday. The 10:00 am game at Hallford Stadium has Champion hosting Miller Grove.
Tucker’s Brandon Clark (9) scored a pair of touchdowns in the Tiger’s Trail to the Title Playoffs Semifinal 25-12 win over Cedar Grove. (Photo courtesy of Travis Hudgons/iShootAtlanta)
The Tucker Tigers have finished as the Trail to the Title runners-up three consecutive years after winning the title in 2013. The team has won 32 consecutive regular season games in that time span. Chapel Hill which made the semifinals a year ago hosts the Tigers in an 11:30 am game at Godfrey Stadium.
Prior to Tucker and Chapel Hill at 10:00 am will be 2014 and 2015 champion Cedar Grove, a 2016 semifinalist, hosting Salem.
First round playoff participant Henderson takes on Druid Hills at 10:00 am in a battle of former Region 1 foes at Adams Stadium followed by McNair and Sequoyah at 11:30 am.
Freedom and Bethune returned to the playoffs for the first time in a few years in 2016 and open the season with games at Avondale Stadium. Freedom takes on Stone Mountain in the 10:00 am game followed at 11:30 am by Bethune and Peachtree.
Renfroe entertains Redan at Decatur High at 10:00 am while Chamblee hosts Columbia at 10:00 am in newly renovated North DeKalb Stadium.
DCSD MS FOOTBALL WEEK 1 SCHEDULE
Saturday, 8/26
ADAMS STADIUM
Henderson vs. Druid Hills, 10:00 am
McNair vs. Sequoyah, 11:30 am
AVONDALE STADIUM
Freedom vs. Stone Mountain, 10:00 am
Bethune vs. Peachtree, 11:30 am
DECATUR HIGH
Renfroe vs. Redan, 10:00 am
GODFREY STADIUM
Cedar Grove vs. Salem, 10:00 AM
Chapel Hill vs. Tucker, 11:30 AM
HALLFORD STADIUM
Champion vs. Miller Grove, 10:00 am
Stephenson vs. Lithonia, 11:30 am
NORTH DEKALB STADIUM
Chamblee vs. Columbia, 10:00 am