Roswell High takes the field at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Thursday, Aug. 13, with three new transfers, a UGA-bound lineman and unfinished business from last year's semifinal run. Both the Hornets and Centennial Knights are loaded with storylines heading into 2026.

Roswell: Reloaded for a title push

Head coach Jonathan Thompson's Hornets averaged more than 43 points per game last season on their way to a 12-2 record and a Class 5A semifinal appearance. The run ended when Thomas County Central's Deuce Lawrence gashed Roswell for 349 rushing yards and four touchdowns.

Now bumped up to Class 6A after GHSA reclassification, the Hornets open against Walton at 8 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 13, in the Corky Kell + Dave Hunter Classic. It's a rematch of last year's 30-28 Roswell victory, and transfer quarterback Pierson Degala will face his former Walton teammates in his first snap as a Hornet, as we reported Aug. 3.

Degala isn't the only new face. Former Alpharetta quarterback Matthew Schletty, three-star edge rusher Jaxon Holly (also from Alpharetta) and Peachtree Ridge transfer Elijah Thompson all join the roster, according to Appen Media's season preview published Tuesday, Aug. 11.

The returning core is just as imposing. Senior Dre Cousey posted more than 1,100 all-purpose yards and nine touchdowns last season. Senior offensive lineman Miller Westerfield committed to Georgia over the summer and is ranked No. 33 in the state's senior class by On3 and No. 50 by 247 Sports. Thompson flagged junior tight end Sean Smith as a breakout candidate.

Roswell enters the year ranked No. 5 in Class 6A by ITG Next and No. 7 by the AJC. The Corky Kell opener is the first high school football game of the season in the contiguous United States, per the AJC, after the GHSA granted special permission to play early to accommodate the stadium's booking schedule.

Centennial: Stability and a tougher path

Across town, Centennial head coach Adam Miller enters his fourth season, a milestone no Knights coach has reached in the program's last six hires. Miller has built something beyond the varsity level: the school launched a feeder football program for kindergarten and up this year.

"We're excited to get rolling," Miller told Appen Media at a July 24 Fulton County Schools media day at the College Football Hall of Fame.

The Knights face a reshuffled region after GHSA realignment brought in Marist, St. Pius X, Sprayberry and Chattahoochee while Westminster and Kell departed. Blessed Trinity and Cambridge remain. Miller pointed to the Friday, Sept. 18, matchup against Cambridge as the game that will reveal the most about his team's capabilities.

Senior Atticus Cordes, a two-sport athlete who also plays lacrosse, said the team is more bought in than it has been during his time in the program.

What's next

Roswell vs. Walton kicks off at 8 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 13, at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Centennial's Friday, Sept. 18, matchup against Cambridge is the Knights' marquee early-season test.