GALION TIGERS VS. ST. MARYS MEMORIAL – 7:00 PM, AUGUST 22

Orange-and-blue banners will flutter again at Unckrich Stadium when Galion welcomes the St. Marys Memorial Roughriders for the season opener. The Tigers return an experienced backfield that averaged 27 points per game last year, and fans are eager to see whether senior quarterback Carter Metcalf can build on a 2,000-yard junior campaign. Memorial’s wing-T attack travels well, so expect an early chess match at the line of scrimmage before Galion’s hurry-up tempo tries to seize control after halftime.

NORTHMOR GOLDEN KNIGHTS AT UPPER SANDUSKY – 7:00 PM, AUGUST 22

Northmor opens on the road against the Rams in a non-league clash that’s become a late-summer measuring stick for both programs. Second-year coach Derek Webster rebuilt the Golden Knights’ defense around speed; look for linebackers Landon Beck and Jace Garver to test Upper Sandusky’s rebuilt offensive line with edge pressure packages. A win would give Northmor momentum before its Knox-Morrow Conference slate begins in Week 3.

COLONEL CRAWFORD EAGLES AT FAIRBANKS – 7:00 PM, AUGUST 21

The area’s first whistle of 2025 sounds one night earlier when Colonel Crawford travels to Milford Center for a Thursday curtain-raiser. The Eagles’ triple-option offense, engineered by four-year starter Gavin Heck, faces a Fairbanks squad that replaced 18 seniors but boasts a rangy secondary. Special-teams play could swing this one: Colonel Crawford blocked five punts last season, and a repeat performance under the lights could quiet a packed Panthers home crowd in a hurry.

WHAT’S AT STAKE

While Week 1 won’t define the season, an opening-night victory often forecasts playoff prospects in Region 22 and Region 23. All three programs finished 6-4 or better last fall, and each carries regional-ranking ambitions into 2025. With new turf, renovated bleachers, and scrimmage rust knocked off, Friday Night Lights (plus one Thursday) are back—and north central Ohio’s football heartbeats start right here next week.