Key high school games throughout the region that Penn State fans will want to see during the first month of the season

High school football kicks off in Pennsylvania in just nine days from now, but there are plenty of games that Penn State fans will want to keep an eye on throughout the Mid-Atlantic region during the first month of the season.

With that in mind, we put together a list of games that Nittany Lion fans should have circled on their calendars between now at the end of September.

Aug. 31 – Bishop McDevitt vs. Harrisburg

It’s a shame that this game starts at the same time that Penn State plays West Virginia because it would be an absolute must for fans in the Harrisburg region to attend. The longtime rivals last played each other in 2017, and while McDevitt lost a good bit of a talent from last year’s team, there’s still plenty of prospects to watch in this one.

Of course, Harrisburg is home to two future Penn State players in offensive lineman Kevin Brown and running back Messiah Mickens , but the Cougars also have wide receiver Elias Coke and athlete D’Antae Sheffey . Pitt commit and quarterback Shawn Lee Jr. is still waiting to hear back from the PIAA on whether he’ll be eligible or not for this upcoming season. That ruling will play a big role in just how far Harrisburg will go this fall.

McDevitt still has a handful of playmakers as well, including future Kentucky quarterback Stone Saunders . 2026 athlete Maurice Barnes continues to be recruited by Penn State, but fans should also get to know 2028 running back Jerome Larue . The freshman put up some impressive numbers when he camped at both Penn State and Virginia Tech this summer. The Hokies just recently offered and I wouldn’t be surprised if multiple schools do the same once they see some film this fall.

Aug. 31 – St. Joseph Regional (N.J.) vs. St. Frances (Md.)

Cornerback Jahmir Joseph remains one of Penn State’s top-ranked commits in the 2025 class. He’ll be tested against a St. Frances squad that has no shortage of talent at the skill positions.

It’s no secret that St. Frances has been a tough school for Penn State to crack over the years, but that’s also now home to five-star defensive end Zion Elee . The nation’s top-ranked edge rusher is undoubtedly one of the staff’s most important prospects in the 2026 class. The Panthers also have four-star safety Jireh Edwards . He attended a game at Penn State last fall.

Sept. 7 – St. Joseph’s Prep (Pa.) vs. Erasmus Hall (N.Y.)

Penn State recently picked up a commitment from 2025 linebacker Cam S mith , but even if he was still headed to Duke, this would be a game Nittany Lion fans will want to keep an eye on. At Prep, defensive tackle Alex Haskell is one of Deion Barnes’ top targets in the 2026 class, while 2027 safety Brandon Lockley attended Penn State’s Lasch Bash on July 26.

Erasmus Hall is home to future Penn State wide receiver Lyrick Samuel . The 6-foot-4, 175-pound receiver holds a four-star rating by On3 but is ranked much lower at 247 and Rivals. A good performance against a team as stacked as Prep should only increase his chances of moving up in the Industry Rankings.

Sept. 13 – Archbishop Spalding vs. McDonogh

Wide receiver Jeff Exinor and McDonogh will face a handful of talented programs this fall, but you won’t find any schools on their schedule as deep as Spalding. Facing a player of Brandon Finney’s caliber in practice every day will have Exinor ready, but Spalding has some very good defensive players of their own in cornerback Jayden Shipps (Maryland), safeties Alijah Jones (Northwestern) and Trent Gillis (Navy), as well as 2026 cornerback Sean Johnson .

This game will also give us an opportunity to watch another McDonogh prospect, 2026 linebacker Nick Abrams , against a handful of future Division I athletes. Abrams picked up an offer from Penn State during camp in July, but I still think his progression this season will have a big impact on where he stacks up on PSU’s board.

Spalding got the best of McDonogh last season, winning this game 31-14.

Sept. 13 – Riverdale Baptist vs. Good Counsel

Edge rusher Cortez Harris is coming off an injury that limited his junior season, but he’s back healthy now. In week four, he’ll face a Good Counsel squad that features a handful of Division I offensive linemen, including future West Virginia tackle Eidan Buchanan . That makes this game one of our best opportunities to evaluate Harris’ progression this upcoming fall.

Sept. 14 – Avon Old Farms (Conn.) vs. Hun School (N.J.)

Like most New England schools, Avon Old Farms won’t kick off its season until mid-September. However, that first game against the Hun School features a very intriguing matchup between future Penn State offensive tackle Owen Aliciene and one of the staff’s top 2026 edge targets, Luke Wafle . Aliciene is a special athlete who’s still underrated in the Industry Rankings , while Wafle is one of Penn State’s most important defensive end targets in the class.

Sept. 27 – Gonzaga (Md.) vs. Malvern Prep (Pa.)

There aren’t many 2025 prospects with Penn State ties in this one after Kainoa Winston committed to Michigan, but the 2026 class features three important defensive line targets for Barnes. Malvern Prep is home to defensive tackle Cameron Brickle and edge rusher Jackson Ford , while Gonzaga has four-star edge rusher Carter Meadows . Both Brickle and Meadows are among the staff’s top five or so targets at each position, while Ford is coming off a very strong camp performance that earned him an offer.

Sept. 27 – Imani Christian vs. North Catholic

Two of Penn State’s 2025 commits square off Sept. 27 when linebacker/edge rusher Dayshaun Burnett and his Imani Christian teammates take on tight end/offensive tackle Brday O’Hara and North Catholic. O’Hara is still planning to play tight end this season, but he’ll likely get a few opportunities to match up against Burnett, who bounces between linebacker and a stand-up edge rusher in Imani’s defense.

But of course, Imani Christian is also home to 2026 athlete David Davis . I rate him as one of Penn State’s most important prospects in the state. After an elbow injury last season, I’m excited to watch how Davis progresses at both running back and cornerback this fall. 2027 defensive back Gabriel Jenkins is another prospect to keep an eye on.

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