A pair of the top high school football teams in America kick off the 2023 season Aug. 18, when No. 6-ranked St. Frances Academy travels from Maryland to visit No. 10-ranked Buford in Georgia. 

The clash of top-10 heavyweights headlines a loaded opening week in Prep Gridiron competition, which features marquee games on both Friday and Saturday. 

St. Frances At Buford 

Coming off a 2022 season in which it finished 9-1, ranked No. 1 in the state of Maryland and eighth nationally, Baltimore-based St. Frances looks to open 2023 by making a serious statement in the national championship race. 

The Panthers feature three of the top 10 recruits in Maryland, per 247Sports.com, including a pair of Oregon-bound prospects in cornerback Ify Obidegwu and quarterback Michael Van Buren. 

Van Buren quarterbacked St. Frances a season ago and is rated 12th nationally among all 2024 signal-callers, per 247Sports composite ratings. 

Joining Van Buren in the backfield is running back DeJuan Williams, an electric two-way playmaker. 

St. Frances also boasts some of the most highly rated underclassmen in the country, including 2025 standout defensive lineman Trent Wilson. 

Light work with the 100’s?? pic.twitter.com/G7qWXJ3wcg

— Trenton Wilson (@iamtrentwilson) July 7, 2023

Buford, meanwhile, looks to begin its pursuit of the Georgia state championship that eluded it last year. 

A quarterback who wasn't at Buford for last year's playoff loss to Marietta steps into the spotlight this year, with University of Georgia commit and the No. 1-ranked recruit in 2024, Dylan Raiola, transferring in from Chandler (Arizona) High School. 

Raiola's Buford debut takes center stage in this marquee matchup, but he's hardly the only member of the Wolves roster to keep an eye on. 

Buford's defense features a pair of five-star 2024 recruits in lineman Eddrick Houston and safety KJ Bolden, and high four-star 2025 linebacker Jadon Pelotte. 

IMG Academy At Lipscomb Academy

Perennial national powerhouse IMG Academy out of Florida begins its 2023 campaign in Prep Gridiron action at Lipscomb Academy. 

WEEK 1 TICKETS ARE LIVE! Tickets for our game against IMG Academy next week are available NOW ?? #ALLIN

Link: https://t.co/60xnBtTlf8 pic.twitter.com/ePyKhGKLtB

— Lipscomb Academy Football (@LAmustangFB) August 11, 2023

Lipscomb Academy is coming off a dominant Tennessee state championship a season ago and boasts a winning streak dating back to September 2021. 

The Mustangs face a stiff test to that run in an IMG team featuring eight of the nation's top 178 class of 2024 recruits. 

Five-star defensive tandem Ellis Robinson IV and David Stone lead IMG, while offensive lineman Jordan Seaton and Jimothy Lewis and running back Jerrick Gibson round out the team's remarkable five top-100 prospects for 2024. 

Lipscomb Academy counters with quarterback Deuce Knight, a four-star playmaker with interest from recruiters including Notre Dame and Tennessee. Paving the way for Knight is offensive lineman Chauncey Gooden. 

Christ School Vs. Lowndes

A doubleheader in Norman Park, Georgia, brings in teams from North Carolina and South Carolina. 

Representing North Carolina in the first game is Christ School out of Arden, playing the first of three straight out-of-state opponents to open the season. 

The Greenies take on a Lowndes (Georgia) High School team from Valdosta that played one of the most ambitious schedules in the nation a season ago. 

The 2023 campaign is no different for Lowndes, which also opens with three consecutive games against out-of-state competition. 

Christ School heads south with a lineup that includes two of the top 30 prospects in North Carolina, including four-star linebacker and Alabama commit Cayden Jones. Jones is one of the top 15 linebackers in the nation. 

Lowndes' roster includes standout linebacker Coleman Lewis, a rising prospect in the 2025 class and 2024 offensive tackle Daniel Jones, a commit to Coastal Carolina. 

After having an amazing official visit I am proud to say that I am 100% Committed to Coastal Carolina University ‼️‼️ #ChantsUp ?????? @Coach_FredM @CoachDWarehime @Coachtimbeck @CarterVikingsFB @CoachDieudonne @CoachTTrickett @KyleWSteinhoff @CoachMattPearce pic.twitter.com/3yJqUdyweB

— Daniel Jones (@DJ57x4L) June 5, 2023

Dutch Fork At Colquitt County 

It's South Carolina vs. Georgia in the second half of the Aug. 19 doubleheader in Prep Gridiron action, as Dutch Fork takes on host and nationally ranked Colquitt County. 

Colquitt County is tabbed No. 20 in the MaxPreps preseason poll, and it's no secret why. 

Coming off a 13-1 season and a deep playoff run, the Packers have the pieces to contend for a state championship in 2023 — starting with five-star Florida State-committed tight end Landen Thomas. 

?BREAKING? 5-star TE Landen Thomas has flipped his commitment from Georgia to Florida State?

More from @ChadSimmons_: https://t.co/dxzU3uycQi pic.twitter.com/x0PYfiOM9K

— On3 Recruits (@On3Recruits) April 17, 2023

Teaming with four-star recruit and Georgia Bulldogs pledge Ny Carr, Colquitt County has one of the country's best pass-catching tandems. 

Dutch Fork went 14-1 a season ago and finished the top-ranked team in the state. 

The Silver Foxes again are ranked atop the South Carolina polls, thanks in part to a strong defense that includes lineman Terrance Wells.