2018’s best new games begin in Corky Kell Classic, Week 1

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Georgia football teams typically schedule their games for two-year contracts. That means some intriguing new matchups are added every two years.

Here are 10 of the best games of 2018 that were not played in 2017. Three are this week.

*Marietta at Rome (Thursday): Two-time defending Class AAAAA champion Rome puts its 27-game winning streak on the line against nationally ranked Marietta on the first day of the Corky Kell Classic at Rome's Barron Stadium. Calhoun plays Ridgeland in the opener of this Thursday doubleheader.

*Tift County at Warner Robins (Friday): Tit County won 10 games and made the quarterfinals last season for the first time since 2006. Warner Robins won 10 games and made the quarters for the first time since 2013. The Demons, in fact, were the Class AAAAAA runners-up. This will be the first time the Demons and Devils have met since 2009.

*Benedictine vs. Burke County (Saturday): Benedictine is being reckless with its 33-game winning streak in regular-season games. The Cadets' non-region opponents include Class AAAA quarterfinalist Burke County at Georgia Southern's Paulson Stadium, then Class AAAA champion Blessed Trinity on the road Sept. 7. That said, Benedictine routed AAAAAA semifinalist Glynn Academy 33-8 and AAAA semifinalist St. Pius 41-13 last season. The Benedictine-Burke game is part of the Erk Russell Classic. Bremen also plays Rabun County in a game between top-10 Class AA teams.

*Dr. Phillips at Lee County (Aug. 25): Dr. Phillips, of Orlando, is Florida's reigning Class 8A champion. Lee County is Georgia's 6A champion.

*Grayson vs. Bergen Catholic (Aug. 31): Bergen Catholic, New Jersey's best team, is No. 23 in MaxPreps' preseason national rankings. The Crusaders won their 17th state title in 2017. This game will be played at Buford as part of a doubleheader that includes Buford vs. Deerfield Beach of Florida.

*Grayson at Marietta (Sept. 7): MaxPreps ranks this matchup as the eighth-best game nationally and best in Georgia. MaxPreps puts Grayson at No. 5 and Marietta at No. 15 in its preseason poll.

*North Gwinnett at Walton (Sept. 14): North Gwinnett, Georgia's defending AAAAAA champion, has two major Division I recruits in its secondary. They'll attempt to blanket Walton five-star receiver Dominick Blaylock in this battle of state contenders in the highest class.

*Colquitt County at Grayson (Sept. 21): These are the most successful teams in the highest classification since 2010, when they first met in football. Colquitt County is 90-25 with two state titles. Grayson is 86-18 with two state titles. They've split their four meetings.

*Buford at Archer (Sept. 21): This will mark the first time since 2005 that a top Gwinnett County football program has scheduled Buford, the city-school school powerhouse in the northern reaches of the county.

*Marietta at St. John's College (Sept. 22): Marietta is traveling to Washington, D.C., to face MaxPreps' No. 6 team in the country. This will be the fourth of five Marietta opponents that are on High School Football America Preseason 100. The five are No. 3 Grayson, No. 7 Good Counsel of Maryland, No. 9 St. John's College, No. 50 Rome and No. 85 McEachern.

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