Charlotte Observer-area high school football games to watch

Following are five games to see for the upcoming high school football season:

Mallard Creek at Scotland County, Aug. 17: Two titans of N.C. football face off early, and Mallard Creek will try to contain the nation’s No. 1 running back, Zamir White. There are state championship games that won’t be this good.

Charlotte Christian at Charlotte Catholic, Aug. 18: What a way to kick off the season with an N.C. Independent Schools state power (Christian) that has multiple state titles against an N.C. High School Athletic Association powerhouse (Catholic) with multiple state titles.

Butler at Richmond Senior, Sept. 8: These state title contenders almost always seem to deliver thrilling football, like 2016’s 42-41 Butler win.

Shelby at Rock Hill South Pointe, Sept. 22: The 2A power will visit go to Rock Hill to prove it can play with the big boys. Shelby has won four straight state titles. South Pointe has won three straight in South Carolina.

Concord at A.L. Brown, Nov. 3: The “Bell Game” - aka N.C.’s oldest rivalry - returns to where it should be: at the end of the regular-season. Better? Both rivals are once again in the same league. This one could be for a South Piedmont title.

This story was originally published May 27, 2017 at 12:35 PM with the headline "Charlotte Observer-area high school football games to watch."