Burke County squads announce 2026 prep football schedules

All four Burke County high school football teams recently announced their 2026 regular-season schedules, and the opponents for each are the same as last year with the sites switched.

Intra-county matchups this fall will take place in the opening week of the season (Freedom at Patton on Aug. 21) and the final week (Draughn at East Burke on Oct. 30), as well as when Draughn travels to Freedom on Aug. 28, EB visits Freedom on Sept. 4, Patton hosts EB on Sept. 18 in both teams’ Western Piedmont 3A/4A Conference opener, and Draughn hosts Patton the following week for its homecoming, on Sept. 25.

The Wildcats and Cavaliers both have byes on Sept. 11 before playing their first of seven league games the following week, with Draughn hosting WPC foe R-S Central on Sept. 18. Notably, the Wildcats will also play a Thursday game at Wilkes Central on Sept. 3.

Draughn’s other nonconference opponent will be Bunker Hill on Aug. 21 in Valdese, while EB travels to West Iredell the same night before hosting Foard on Aug. 28.

The Panthers have the earliest bye of the county squads on Aug. 28 before completing the nonconference portion of their schedule with road games against Owen and Polk County on Sept. 4 and 11, respectively.

And after facing the other county teams over the first three weeks of the season, the Patriots host T.C. Roberson on Sept. 11 and visit A.C. Reynolds on Sept. 18. Following a bye on Sept. 25, Freedom begins its five-week Northwestern 6A/7A Conference slate with a trip to Watauga on Oct. 2, when the Patriots will look to avenge their only regular-season loss of 2025.

Draughn, EB, and Freedom will all play five home games and five road games during the 2026 season, while Patton has four home contests and six road games on its schedule, including three consecutive road games in October (Oct. 9 at West Caldwell, Oct. 16 at East Rutherford, Oct. 23 at Hibriten).

Patton’s homecoming will be Oct. 2, and Freedom’s homecoming will be Oct. 9. (The EBHS homecoming date has not yet been announced.)

The North Carolina High School Athletic Association state playoffs are slated to start on Nov. 6, while the 16th annual Burke County Jamboree will be hosted by Patton on Aug. 14 and will include the following matchups: Patton-Foard and EB-Owen. (Opponents for Freedom and Draughn as well as start times for jamboree scrimmages have yet to be announced.)

The only other preseason scrimmage which has already been announced will see the Cavs travel to Ashe County on Aug. 7 at 7 p.m.