Eighteen DeKalb County high school football teams get their first chance to go live against an opponent in preseason matchups starting on Friday (August 2) as the Arabia Mountain Rams hosts Tucker Tigers in a 7:00 pm matchup at Godfrey Stadium.

The two foes, now in different regions, are meeting for the first time since the Rams (4-5A) held off the Tigers (5-4A) in a 24-23 overtime win in the Region 4-5A title game to end the 2023 regular season.

Defending state champion Cedar Grove and new head Coach Roderick Moore travel to Lakewood Stadium in Atlanta to take on Carver in a 7:00 pm game on Friday (Aug. 3). The Saints are gearing up for their season opener vs. Douglas County on August 16 at Mercedes Benz Stadium with kickoff set for 7:30 pm.

There will be two preseason all-DeKalb matchups on Thursday (Aug. 8) as Lakeside hosts Miller Grove at 6:30 pm and Columbia takes on Southwest DeKalb in a 7:00 pm contest at Godfrey Stadium.

Lakeside is coming off back-to-back non-losing seasons (13-7) under Coach Morris Starr going 8-2 in 2022 and 5-5 a year ago. It is the first back-to-back non-losing seasons for the Vikings since the 1996-97 seasons (20-6) under Phil Lindsey. The Vikings return to region play this year in 4-5A vying for a playoff appearance.

Coach Melvin Brown is 15-15 overall at Miller Grove over three seasons, including a playoff appearance in 2021. The Wolverines look to improve on its 5-5 mark of 2023 and return to the playoffs in Region 6-2A after dropping from Class 4A.

The Columbia Eagles (6-2A) made the playoffs for the third consecutive year under Head Coach Greg Barnett (27-15 in four seasons) in 2023 falling in the quarterfinals as late really came up just short in a 23-20 loss to Cook. Marion Bell starts his second season as the head coach at Southwest DeKalb (5-4A) after going 2-8 in his first year as the Panthers look to break a two-year losing streak.

A three-team jamboree kicks off action on Friday (August 9) at 6:30 pm at Cobb Stadium in Avondale as Clarkston, Stone Mountain and Towers take on each other in scrimmages. All three teams finished 1-9 a year ago. Clarkston is under the direction of first year coach Tavis Jackson and Stone Mountain is also starting over under Coach Marlon Moore. Henry Garrett returns for his second season at Towers.

The Martin Luther King Jr. Lions ((4-4A) host the Redan Raiders at Godfrey Stadium in a 7:00 pm meeting on Friday (Aug. 9). The Lions finished 2-8 under first-year head coach Joel Kight a year ago with three losses of seven points or less. Redan (6-AA) was led to a 4-7 record in Damien Wimes first year as the helm. Two of the losses came by a combined five points as the Raiders reached the state playoffs (2A) for the first time since 2007.

The Chamblee Bulldogs travel to Northview for a 7:30 pm matchup on Friday (Aug. 9) under the direction of fourth-year head coach Robert Swank. Swank led the Bulldogs to a 21-11 record in his first three seasons and two consecutive state playoff appearances.

The Dunwoody Wildcats (4-5A) go on the road to Wesleyan for their first action against another team in a 7:30 pm scrimmage on Friday (Aug. 9). Dunwoody is coming off an 8-3 finish and state playoff appearance under head coach Mike Nash. The Wildcats are 13-8 over the past two seasons for their first back-to-back non-losing seasons since 2010-11 under Jim Showfety.

The Wildcats open the regular season for DeKalb on Thursday, August 15 at taking on South Paulding at West Forsyth in the Corky Kell Classic at 7:30 pm. Sixteen other DeKalb teams open play on Friday (Aug. 16) and Stephenson opens on Saturday (Aug. 17) while Cross Keys first contest is on Friday, August 23.

DCSD PRESEASON FOOTBALL SCHEDULE
Friday, Aug. 2
GODFREY STADIUM
Tucker vs. Arabia Mountain, 7:00 pm
AWAY GAMES
LAKEWOOD STADIUM
Cedar Grove vs. Carver, 7:00 pm
Lithonia at Osborne, 7:00 pm

Thursday, Aug. 8
Miller Grove at Lakeside, 6:30 pm
GODFREY STADIUM
Columbia vs. SW DeKalb, 7:00 pm

Friday, Aug. 9
COBB (AVONDALE) STADIUM
Jamboree, 6:30 pm
Clarkston, Stone Mountain, Towers
GODFREY STADIUM
Redan vs. M.L. King, 7:00 pm
AWAY GAMES
Chamblee at Northview, 7:30 pm
Dunwoody at Wesleyan, 7:30 pm
McNair at Salem, 7:00 pm
Stephenson at Parkview, 7:30 pm
Druid Hills at Banneker, 7:00 pm