Here are four prep football games involving Chattanooga-area teams to watch Friday night during the ninth week of the 2026 regular season for TSSAA and GHSA programs.
Knoxville Catholic (6-1, 1-1) at McCallie (3-4, 0-2): The Blue Tornado get the benefit of home-field advantage and have won all seven meetings since the Fighting Irish joined Division II-AAA. But if this East Region matchup comes down to the final minutes, Knox Catholic has plenty of recent experience in how to finish strong.
The Irish have five wins by six points or less this season, including at Alabama power Hoover, and they handed Murfreesboro’s Riverdale its only loss so far. They’re led by quarterback Mack Bartholomew, who has committed to East Tennessee State, but they also have difference makers in the secondary with Alabama-committed cornerback Braylen Gibbs and Brooks Johnston, a college prospect in the 2028 class.
McCallie junior linebacker Fisher Kyriakidis has provided an instant impact as the Boyd Buchanan transfer has 11 1/2 tackles for loss, three sacks and an interception. The Blue Tornado, seeing to avoid their first 0-3 start in region play since 2007, have outscored the Irish 387-136 in nine all-time meetings.
Sale Creek (4-3, 0-1) at South Pittsburg (6-1, 1-0): The past two weeks have been frustrating for Sale Creek, which has been outscored in the fourth quarter while dropping consecutive one-score games. In last week’s loss to Whitwell to open Region 3-1A play, the Panthers were outscored 13-0 in the final period of a game that likely decided which team will host a first-round playoff game.