DeKalb County football fans can get their fill of high school football this week as 14 teams participate in 10 home games (5 Thursday, 5 Friday) including three all-DeKalb meetings.

A local rivalry resumes for the 23rd time on Thursday as the McNair Mustangs (2-6, 0-4) travel up to Cobb Stadium for a Division 1 Region 4-1A clash with the Towers Titans (3-4, 1-3) at 7:00 pm.

The series is tied at 11-11 overall with McNair having the upper hand in the last two seasons in a series that was first played in 1990. The series has been played continuously since 2004 with Towers holding an 11-9 edge.

McNair quarterback Jeremy Victor has climbed the McNair and DeKalb County record books collecting 3,658 passing yards (29 TDs) and 1,625 yards rushing and 22 more touchdowns accounted for in his four-year career.

Towers is led by quarterback Quaricus Hurley who has passed for almost 700 yards and eight touchdowns on the season. His primary targets have been Jaylen Robinson (18 receptions, 263 yards, 5 TDs) and Amari Morgan (7 receptions, 268 yards, 3 TDs).

The Lakeside Vikings (4-4, 3-2) are vying for a playoff spot out of Region 4-5A and face a key game with Shiloh (2-6, 2-3) at Adams Stadium with kickoff set for 7:00 pm. A win by the Vikings could sew up Lakeside’s first playoff berth since the 2015 season. It is the first meeting between the two programs.

The defending Class 3A state champion Cedar Grove Saints (2-5, 2-2) look to claim a playoff berth going into the final two weeks of the season with the Riverdale Raiders (0-8, 0-5) headed to Godfrey Stadium for a 7:00 pm kickoff in a Region 5-3A contest. The Saints are tied with Mt. Zion in region play and hold the tiebreaker. Wins over Riverdale and then Luella next week would seal the playoffs.

Druid Hills (3-5, 2-4) hosts Clarkston (0-8, 0-6) in another all-DeKalb matchup in Region 5-4A set for 7:00 pm at North DeKalb Stadium. Druid Hills holds a 14-9 advantage in the series including 12 of the last 13. Clarkston’s last win came in 2021 via an 18-14 decision.

Southwest DeKalb (5-3, 4-2) has a key Region 5-4A meeting with the Northview Titans (1-7, 1-5) on Thursday at Hallford Stadium as senior night kicks off at 7:00 pm. The Panthers can lock in a playoff berth with a win and hold a 2-0 lead in the series that was last played in 2022.

Five more games are set for DeKalb stadiums on Friday night as well with two involving positioning for the state playoffs.

An important matchup in Region 5-4A is set for 7:30 pm at Adams Stadium as the Tucker Tigers (6-2, 5-1) try to rebound from a heartbreaking 41-35 overtime loss to Southwest DeKalb last week as they take on the St. Pius Golden Lions (7-2, 6-1). A win by the Tigers would aid their chances for a home playoff game.

Hallford Stadium is set for an intriguing Region 5-3A meeting as the Stephenson Jaguars (5-3, 3-1) host the Luella Lions (4-4, 3-1) on senior night with a home playoff game on the line. The Jaguars could move a step closer to the region title with a win against Luella and set up a collision with Douglass for the title the following week.

The 11th Battle for the Golden Spike kicks off at 7:30 pm at North DeKalb Stadium as the Dunwoody Wildcats (2-6, 1-4) host Chamblee Bulldogs (1-7, 1-4) the in the 27th meeting of the two DeKalb high school football programs.

The two communities were connected via the railroad and in 2014 the Golden Spike Trophy was first handed out to the winner of the rivalry game that Dunwoody now leads 14-12 overall. The teams first met in 1974 and Dunwoody won a 39-7 decision a year ago to break a three-year hold on the trophy by the Bulldogs.

A Region 6-2A battle is set for 7:30 pm at Cobb Stadium as the Columbia Eagles (2-6, 2-0) host the Redan Redan Raiders (3-5, 1-1) on senior night. The Eagles have won the last six meetings against the Raiders and are set to clinch the region title and home field for the first two rounds of the state playoffs.

The final home game has the Lithonia Bulldogs (5-3, 3-3) hosting the No. 1 ranked Marist War Eagles (8-0, 6-0) at 7:30 pm on senior night at Godfrey Stadium. The Bulldogs and Marist have not played since 2015 with Marist holding a 14-0 mark in the series that started in 1991.

Arabia Mountain (1-7, 0-5), Cross Keys (0-7) and Martin Luther King Jr. (2-6, 1-4) all go on the road on Friday and Miller Grove (4-4, 1-2) plays at Salem at 1:00 pm in the only Saturday game. Stone Mountain (1-7) has a week off.

DCSD FOOTBALL SCHEDULE – WEEK 11
Thursday, Oct. 24
ADAMS STADIUM
Shiloh (2-6, 2-3) vs. Lakeside (4-4, 3-2)*, 7:00 pm
COBB STADIUM
McNair (2-6, 0-4) vs. Towers (3-4, 1-3) (HC), 7:00 pm
GODFREY STADIUM
Riverdale (0-8, 0-5) vs. Cedar Grove (2-5, 2-2) (SN), 7:00 pm
NORTH DEKALB STADIUM
Northview (1-7, 1-5) vs. Southwest DeKalb (5-3, 4-2) (SN), 7:30 pm

Friday, Oct. 25
ADAMS STADIUM
St. Pius (7-2, 6-1) vs. Tucker (6-2, 5-1)* (SN), 7:30 pm
COBB STADIUM
Redan (3-5, 1-1) vs. Columbia (2-6, 2-0)* (SN), 7:30 pm
GODFREY STADIUM
Marist (8-0, 6-0) vs. Lithonia (5-3, 3-3)* (SN), 7:30 pm
HALLFORD STADIUM
Luella (4-4, 3-1) vs. Stephenson (5-3, 3-1)* (SN), 7:30 pm
NORTH DEKALB STADIUM
Chamblee (1-7, 1-4) vs. Dunwoody (2-6, 1-4)* (SN), 7:30 pm

AWAY GAMES
Arabia Mountain (1-7, 0-5) vs. Tri-Cities (5-2, 3-2)*, 7:30 pm
Cross Keys (0-7) at Skipstone Academy (1-5), 7:30 pm
SOUTHERN CRESCENT STADIUM
M.L. King (2-6, 1-4) at Drew (6-2, 3-2)*, 7:30 pm

Saturday, Oct. 26
ADAMS STADIUM
Clarkston (0-8, 0-6) vs. Druid Hills (3-5, 2-4), 3:00 pm
AWAY GAMES
Miller Grove (4-4, 1-2) at Salem (1-5, 0-1), 1:00 pm

OPEN: Stone Mountain (1-7)

*–Region Game
(HC) – Homecoming
(SN) – Senior Night