All but two DeKalb County School District teams play their 2018 high school football season openers this weekend as they begin their march to the Mercedes Benz Stadium.

Dunwoody and Martin Luther King Jr. are off this first week of play, but will hit the field next week to open their seasons on the road.

Eleven teams are playing inside DeKalb, but two of the big high profile games of the weekend are on the road.

The Class 6A No. 3 ranked Tucker Tigers open their season in the Corky Kell Classic at Georgia State for the second consecutive season. The Tigers take on the Class 5A No. 2 ranked Buford Wolves in a showdown of two perennial state playoff contenders that have not played since the 1955 season.

Both teams lost in the state semifinals a year ago. Buford (11-2) fell to eventual state champ Rome in the Class 5A semifinals and Tucker (12-2) fell to Class 6A state runner-up Coffee in a tough 14-3 loss.

Tucker is led on defense by preseason All-State senior defensive end Derrick McClendon (6-4, 240) who is committed to Florida State and sophomore defensive end Dawson Rivers (6-3, 215) who must battle a Buford offensive line with four offensive linemen committed to Power 5 football teams including Harry Miller (Ohio State), Reece McIntyre (Ole Miss) and Carter Colquitt (Ole Miss) and Riley Simonds (Florida). The line will be blocking for the highest rated running back in the state in Derrian Brown.

Senior quarterback Travon Ford returns to lead the Tiger offense along with senior running back David Davis and junior receiver Isaiah Dunson.

The Class 3A No. 2 ranked Cedar Grove Saints travel to South Carolina on Saturday for an interstate battle with the Class 5A squad from Summerville at 5:00 pm

The Saints finished 13-1 a year after winning the Class 3A state title with their season ending in the state semifinals to eventual state champion Calhoun in a hard-fought 14-6 defeat to end a 23-game win streak for the Saints.

Summerville finished 10-3 with a loss in the South Carolina Class 5A quarterfinals to eventual state champion Dutch Fork.

The Saints are led by the top rated receiver in the country and top rated recruit in Georgia in senior receiver/defensive back Jadon Haselwood who is also a state champion hurdler. Junior running back Mekhi Gilstrap is primed to carry the load on the ground while the Saints break in a new quarterback.

The defense is led by All-State players Isaiah Ratcliff (JR, Linebacker), Rashad Cheney (SR, DL) and Dante Walker (SR, DE) as well as senior linebacker Aaron Strozier and senior defensive end Tworn Seals.

Five new head coaches debut in DeKalb County on Friday night, three in the two games at Buck Godfrey Stadium.

Towers’ new head coach Vonnell Carter leads the Titans against McNair in the 5:15 pm game in the first meeting of the two former Region 5-3A foes after McNair’s exit to Class 2A.

Redan and Miller Grove follow at 8:00 pm at Godfrey with both teams are under the direction of new head coaches this season. Keldrick Dunn takes over at Redan and Lee Hannah is new at the helm at Miller Grove.

Rosaria Rice debuts as the head coach at Druid Hills in the 5:15 opener at Hallford Stadium against Clarkston on Friday. Rice has coached the Lady Red Devils basketball team the last several years.

Lakeside takes on cross-county rival Decatur in a 7:30 pm contest at Adams Stadium on Friday as the opener for new Viking coach Zack Edwards.

Other games in DeKalb Stadiums on Friday include two-time defending Region 5-5A champ Arabia Mountain hosting Carver-Atlanta at Hallford Stadium (8:00 pm), Lithonia hosting Forest Park at North DeKalb Stadium (7:30 pm) and Columbia hosting Class 6A No. 9 ranked Stephenson at Avondale Stadium (7:30 pm).

Four other teams go on the road on Friday with all games set for 7:30 pm including Chamblee at Forsyth Central, Cross Keys at Providence Christian, Southwest DeKalb at Woodland-Stockbridge and Stone Mountain at Pickens County.

DCSD WEEK 1 FOOTBALL SCHEDULE
Friday, Aug. 17
ADAMS STADIUM
Decatur (0-0) vs. Lakeside (0-0), 7:30 pm

AVONDALE STADIUM
Stephenson (0-0) vs. Columbia (0-0), 7:30 pm

GODFREY STADIUM
Towers (0-0) vs. McNair (0-0), 5:15 pm
Redan (0-0) vs. Miller Grove (0-0), 8:00 pm

HALLFORD STADIUM
Druid Hills (0-0) vs. Clarkston (0-0), 5:15 pm
Carver-Atl (0-0) vs. Arabia Mountain (0-0), 8:00 pm

NORTH DEKALB STADIUM
Forest Park (0-0) vs. Lithonia (0-0), 7:30 pm

AWAY/NEUTRAL SITE GAMES
Buford (0-0) vs. Tucker (0-0), Georgia State, 5:30 pm
Chamblee (0-0) at Forysth Central (0-0), 7:30 pm
Cross Keys (0-0) at Providence Christian (0-0), 7:30 pm
SW DeKalb (0-0) at Woodland-Stockbridge (0-0), 7:30 pm
Stone Mountain (0-0) at Pickens County (0-0), 7:30 pm

Saturday, Aug. 18
AWAY/NEUTRAL SITE GAMES
Cedar Grove (0-0) at Summerville SC (0-0), 5:00 pm

OPEN: Dunwoody (0-0), M.L. King (0-0)