High school football: Top 10 toughest schedules of 2026 season

Members of Southern California's Trinity League take the top three spots.

Thumbnail image of this articles writer: Zack Poff
By
Aug 12, 2026, 2:00pm
Ray Fenton took over as head coach for Orange Lutheran (Orange, Calif.) in March and will have no easy task in his first season in the Trinity League as his Lancers enter the 2026 season with the nation's toughest schedule. 

Fenton led Los Alamitos (Calif.) to an 80-33 record over the last 10 years. 

Orange Lutheran will face eight teams in the top 100 and five teams ranked in the MaxPreps Top 25. The Lancers are the only team with at least five ranked teams on the schedule. 

Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.) checks in at No. 2 and is the only team in the country with matchups against four teams ranked in the top 10. The Monarchs play No. 8 Centennial (Corona, Calif.) and No. 2 Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas, Nev.) in back-to-back weeks in the middle of September. After a bye week, they play at No. 6 Santa Margarita (Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif.) on Oct. 2 and close out the regular season against No. 1 St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.) on Oct. 30. 

Bosco rounds out the three teams from the Trinity League and have the third-toughest schedule this fall. They face three teams in the top 10 in No. 2 Bishop Gorman, No. 6 Santa Margarita and No. 9 Mater Dei. 

Grayson (Loganville) was the only team from Georgia included and check in with the fourth-toughest schedule. The Rams face last year's MaxPreps National Champion in No. 7 Buford (Ga.) on Sept. 18 and a loaded Carol City (Miami, Fla.) team on Oct. 2. 

St. Joseph Regional (Montvale, N.J.) rounds out the top five. The defending Non-Public A champs open the season with huge out-of-state matchups against Mount Carmel (Chicago, Ill.) and No. 22 Creekside (Fairburn, Ga.). They also play in one of the toughest leagues in the country with games lined up against Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey), St. Peter's Prep (Jersey City) and Bergen Catholic (Oradell).
1. Orange Lutheran (Orange, Calif.)
Aug. 21 — vs. Central (Miami, Fla.)
Aug. 28 — at Cathedral Catholic (San Diego)
Sept. 4 — vs. No. 15 Basha (Chander, Ariz.)
Sept. 18 — at No. 17 Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth)
Oct. 2 — vs. Servite (Anaheim)
Oct. 9 — at No. 1 St. John Bosco (Bellflower)
Oct. 23 — at No. 9 Mater Dei (Santa Ana)
Oct. 30 — vs. No. 6 Santa Margarita (Rancho Santa Margarita)

Sept. 11 — vs. No. 8 Centennial (Corona)
Sept. 18 — vs. No. 2 Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas, Nev.)
Oct. 2 — at No. 6 Santa Margarita (Rancho Santa Margarita)
Oct. 16 — at Servite (Anaheim)
Oct. 23 — vs. Orange Lutheran (Orange)
Oct. 30 — vs. No. 1 St. John Bosco (Bellflower)

Aug. 21 — at No. 2 Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas, Nev.)
Oct. 9 — vs. Orange Lutheran (Orange)
Oct. 16 — vs. No. 6 Santa Margarita (Rancho Santa Margarita)
Oct. 23 — at Servite (Anaheim)
Oct. 30 — at No. 9 Mater Dei (Santa Ana)

Aug. 12 — vs. North Gwinnett (Suwanee)
Aug. 21 — at Sandy Creek (Tyrone)
Sept. 4 — at Langston Hughes (Fairburn)
Sept. 18 — vs. No. 7 Buford
Oct. 2 — vs. No. 11 Carol City (Miami, Fla.)
Oct. 16 — at Newton (Covington)

Aug. 28 — vs. Mount Carmel (Chicago, Ill.)
Sept. 5 — vs. No. 22 Creekside (Fairburn, Ga.)
Sept. 25 — at Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey)
Oct. 10 — vs. St. Peter's Prep (Jersey City)
Oct. 24 — vs. Bergen Catholic (Oradell)

Aug. 27 — vs. No. 17 Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth, Calif.)
Sept. 4 — vs. No. 16 American Heritage (Plantation)
Sept. 18 — at Cardinal Gibbons (Fort Lauderdale)
Oct. 2 — vs. No. 3 St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale)
Oct. 9 — at Cardinal Newman (West Palm Beach)
Oct. 16 — vs. McArthur (Hollywood)

Aug. 29 — at No. 3 St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.)
Sept. 4 — at No. 18 Allen
Sept. 12 — vs. No. 10 Duncanville
Oct. 23 — at Cedar Hill

Aug. 28 — at No. 1 St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.)
Sept. 4 — vs. Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey, N.J.)
Sept. 11 — at DeMatha (Hyattsville, Md.)
Oct. 17 — at La Salle College (Wyndmoor)
Oct. 31 — at St. Joseph's Prep (Philadelphia)

Aug. 8 — vs. Kahuku
Aug. 22 — at Mililani
Sept. 5 — vs. No. 5 IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.)
Sept. 10 — at No. 17 Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth, Calif.)
Sept. 19 — vs. No. 1 St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.)

Aug. 28 — at Central Catholic (Pittsburgh, Pa.)
Sept. 4 — at Good Counsel (Olney, Md.)
Sept. 12 — vs. St. Joseph's Prep (Philadelphia, Pa.)
Sept. 18 — vs. Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey)
Oct. 24 — at St. Joseph Regional (Montvale)

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