See 2026 high school football schedules for Gastonia, Shelby schools

[ASFN Admin]

Here are 2026 team-by-team schedules for the 20 NCHSAA football programs in Cleveland, Gaston and Lincoln counties.

The 2026 regular season kicks off Aug. 21 and concludes Oct. 30. Postseason play begins Nov. 6, with NCHSAA state title games to be played Dec. 10-12.

Bookmark this page to see the area’s top matchups and when they take place throughout the 2026 football campaign.

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Ashbrook​

• Aug. 21 Palisades
• Aug. 28 Berry
• Sept. 4 Northwest Cabarrus
• Sept. 9 at Marvin Ridge (Wednesday)
• Sept. 18 at South Point
• Sept. 25 North Gaston
• Oct. 2 Idle
• Oct. 9 at Kings Mountain
• Oct. 16 Forestview
• Oct. 23 at Crest
• Oct. 30 Hunter Huss

Bessemer City​

• Aug. 21 Pine Lake Prep
• Aug. 28 at Hunter Huss
• Sept. 4 at West Lincoln
• Sept. 11 Stuart Cramer
• Sept. 18 at Burns
• Sept. 25 East Gaston
• Oct. 2 Lincolnton
• Oct. 9 at Highland Tech
• Oct. 16 Idle
• Oct. 23 Shelby
• Oct. 30 at Cherryville

Burns​

• Aug. 21 at Crest
• Aug. 28 at Kings Mountain
• Sept. 4 at East Gaston
• Sept. 11 at Lincolnton
• Sept. 18 Bessemer City
• Sept. 25 at West Lincoln
• Oct. 2 Stuart Cramer
• Oct. 9 Idle
• Oct. 16 at Cherryville
• Oct. 23 Highland Tech
• Oct. 30 Shelby

Cherryville​

• Aug. 21 North Stokes
• Aug. 28 at Owen
• Sept. 4 at Lincolnton
• Sept. 11 Highland Tech
• Sept. 18 Shelby
• Sept. 25 Idle
• Oct. 2 at West Lincoln
• Oct. 9 at East Gaston
• Oct. 16 Burns
• Oct. 23 at Stuart Cramer
• Oct. 30 Bessemer City

Crest​

• Aug. 21 Burns
• Aug. 28 Shelby
• Sept. 4 at Asheville
• Sept. 10 at Weddnington (Thursday)
• Sept. 18 Idle
• Sept. 25 at Forestview
• Oct. 2 at South Point
• Oct. 9 Hunter Huss
• Oct. 16 at North Gaston
• Oct. 23 Ashbrook
• Oct. 30 Kings Mountain

East Gaston​

• Aug. 21 at North Gaston
• Aug. 28 Forestview
• Sept. 4 Burns
• Sept. 11 Idle
• Sept. 18 Lincolnton
• Sept. 25 at Bessemer City
• Oct. 2 Highland Tech
• Oct. 9 Cherryville
• Oct. 16 at Shelby
• Oct. 23 at West Lincoln
• Oct. 30 at Stuart Cramer

East Lincoln​

• Aug. 21 at South Iredell
• Aug. 28 at Providence
• Sept. 4 at Newton-Conover
• Sept. 11 at Bandys
• Sept. 18 North Lincoln
• Sept. 25 Bunker Hill
• Oct. 2 at West Iredell
• Oct. 9 Foard
• Oct. 16 at Hickory
• Oct. 23 Maiden
• Oct. 30 Idle

Forestview​

• Aug. 21 Stuart Cramer
• Aug. 28 at East Gaston
• Sept. 4 at Smoky Mountain
• Sept. 11 Lake Norman Charter
• Sept. 18 at Kings Mountain
• Sept. 25 Crest
• Oct. 2 Hunter Huss
• Oct. 9 Idle
• Oct. 16 at Ashbrook
• Oct. 23 South Point
• Oct. 30 at North Gaston

Highland Tech​

• Aug. 21 at Langtree Charter
• Aug. 28 at Bradford Prep
• Sept. 4 at Shelby
• Sept. 11 at Cherryville
• Sept. 18 Stuart Cramer
• Sept. 25 Lincolnton
• Oct. 2 at East Gaston
• Oct. 9 Bessemer City
• Oct. 16 at West Lincoln
• Oct. 23 at Burns
• Oct. 30 Idle

Hunter Huss​

• Aug. 21 T.C. Roberson
• Aug. 28 Bessemer City
• Sept. 4 North Mecklenburg
• Sept. 11 at Lake Wylie (South Carolina)
• Sept. 18 North Gaston
• Sept. 25 South Point
• Oct. 2 at Forestview
• Oct. 9 at Crest
• Oct. 16 Idle
• Oct. 23 Kings Mountain
• Oct. 30 at Ashbrook

Kings Mountain​

• Aug. 21 at Shelby
• Aug. 28 Burns
• Sept. 4 at Bandys
• Sept. 11 Charlotte Catholic
• Sept. 18 Forestview
• Sept. 25 Idle
• Oct. 2 at North Gaston
• Oct. 9 Ashbrook
• Oct. 16 South Point
• Oct. 23 at Hunter Huss
• Oct. 30 at Crest

Lincoln Charter​

• Aug. 21 Mountain Island Charter
• Aug. 28 at West Lincoln
• Sept. 4 Union Academy
• Sept. 11 Idle
• Sept. 18 at Christ the King
• Sept. 25 at Corvian Community Charter
• Oct. 2 Langtree Charter
• Oct. 9 Community School of Davidson
• Oct. 16 at Bradford Prep
• Oct. 23 Pine Lake Prep
• Oct. 30 at Lake Norman Charter

Lincolnton​

• Aug. 21 at Maiden
• Aug. 28 North Lincoln
• Sept. 4 Cherryville
• Sept. 11 Burns
• Sept. 18 at East Gaston
• Sept. 25 at Highland Tech
• Oct. 2 at Bessemer City
• Oct. 9 at Shelby
• Oct. 16 Stuart Cramer
• Oct. 23 Idle
• Oct. 30 West Lincoln

Mountain Island Charter​

• Aug. 21 Lincoln Charter
• Aug. 28 College Prep & Leadership Academy
• Sept. 4 West Caldwell
• Sept. 11 Idle
• Sept. 18 North Stanly
• Sept. 25 at Albemarle
• Oct. 2 Thomas Jefferson Classical Academy
• Oct. 9 at Bonnie Cone Academy
• Oct. 16 at Union Academy
• Oct. 23 South Stanly
• Oct. 30 at North Rowan

North Gaston​

• Aug. 21 East Gaston
• Aug. 28 at Stuart Cramer
• Sept. 4 at Concord
• Sept. 11 South Caldwell
• Sept. 18 at Hunter Huss
• Sept. 25 at Ashbrook
• Oct. 2 Kings Mountain
• Oct. 9 at South Point
• Oct. 16 Crest
• Oct. 23 Idle
• Oct. 30 Forestview

North Lincoln​

• Aug. 21 at West Lincoln
• Aug. 28 at Lincolnton
• Sept. 4 Maiden
• Sept. 11 West Iredell
• Sept. 18 at East Lincoln
• Sept. 25 at Hickory
• Oct. 2 Newton-Conover
• Oct. 9 at Bandys
• Oct. 16 Idle
• Oct. 23 Bunker Hill
• Oct. 30 at Foard

Shelby​

• Aug. 21 Kings Mountain
• Aug. 28 at Crest
• Sept. 4 Highland Tech
• Sept. 11 West Lincoln
• Sept. 18 at Cherryville
• Sept. 25 at Stuart Cramer
• Oct. 2 Idle
• Oct. 9 Lincolnton
• Oct. 16 East Gaston
• Oct. 23 at Bessemer City
• Oct. 30 at Burns

South Point​

• Aug. 21 at Hickory
• Aug. 28 at Charlotte Latin
• Sept. 4 T.C. Roberson
• Sept. 11 at Mount Pleasant
• Sept. 18 Ashbrook
• Sept. 25 at Hunter Huss
• Oct. 2 Crest
• Oct. 9 North Gaston
• Oct. 16 at Kings Mountain
• Oct. 23 at Forestview
• Oct. 30 Idle

Stuart Cramer​

• Aug. 21 at Forestview
• Aug. 28 North Gaston
• Sept. 4 Idle
• Sept. 11 at Bessemer City
• Sept. 18 at Highland Tech
• Sept. 25 Shelby
• Oct. 2 at Burns
• Oct. 9 West Lincoln
• Oct. 16 at Lincolnton
• Oct. 23 Cherryville
• Oct. 30 East Gaston

West Lincoln​

• Aug. 21 North Lincoln
• Aug. 28 Lincoln Charter
• Sept. 4 Bessemer City
• Sept. 11 at Shelby
• Sept. 18 Idle
• Sept. 25 Burns
• Oct. 2 Cherryville
• Oct. 9 at Stuart Cramer
• Oct. 16 at Highland Tech
• Oct. 23 East Gaston
• Oct. 30 at Lincolnton

Composite schedule​

Week 1 (Aug. 21)​

Burns at Crest

East Gaston at North Gaston

East Lincoln at South Iredell

Highland Tech at Langtree Charter

Kings Mountain at Shelby

Lincolnton at Maiden

Lincoln Charter at Mountain Island Charter

North Lincoln at West Lincoln

North Stokes at Cherryville

Palisades at Ashbrook

Pine Lake Prep at Bessemer City

South Point at Hickory

Stuart Cramer at Forestview

T.C. Roberson at Hunter Huss

Week 2 (Aug. 28)​

Berry at Ashbrook

Bessemer City at Hunter Huss

Burns at Kings Mountain

Cherryville at Owen

College Prep & Leadership Academy at Mountain Island Charter

East Lincoln at Providence

Forestview at East Gaston

Highland Tech at Bradford Prep

Lincoln Charter at West Lincoln

North Gaston at Stuart Cramer

North Lincoln at Lincolnton

Shelby at Crest

South Point at Charlotte Latin

Week 3 (Sept. 4)​

Bessemer City at West Lincoln

Burns at East Gaston

Cherryville at Lincolnton

Crest at Asheville

East Lincoln at Newton-Conover

Forestview at Smoky Mountain

Highland Tech at Shelby

Kings Mountain at Bandys

Maiden at North Lincoln

Northwest Cabarrus at Ashbrook

North Gaston at Concord

North Mecklenburg at Hunter Huss

T.C. Roberson at South Point

Union Academy at Lincoln Charter

West Caldwell at Mountain Island Charter

Week 4 (Sept. 11)​

Ashbrook at Marvin Ridge (Wednesday, Sept. 9)

Burns at Lincolnton

Charlotte Catholic at Kings Mountain

Crest at Weddington (Thursday, Sept. 10)

East Lincoln at Bandys

Highland Tech at Cherryville

Hunter Huss at Lake Wylie (South Carolina)

Lake Norman Charter at Forestview

LIncoln Charter at Christ the King

South Caldwell at North Gaston

South Point at Mount Pleasant

Stuart Cramer at Bessemer City

West Iredell at North Lincoln

West Lincoln at Shelby

Week 5 (Sept. 18)​

Ashbrook at South Point

Burns at Bessemer City

Forestview at Kings Mountain

North Gaston at Hunter Huss

North Lincoln at East Lincoln

Lincoln Charter at Christ the King

Lincolnton at East Gaston

North Stanly at Mountain Island Charter

Shelby at Cherryville

Stuart Cramer at Highland Tech

Week 6 (Sept. 25)​

Bunker Hill at East Lincoln

Burns at West Lincoln

Crest at Forestview

East Gaston at Bessemer City

Lincoln Charter at Corvian Community Charter

Lincolnton at Highland Tech

Mountain Island Charter at Albemarle

North Gaston at Ashbrook

Shelby at Stuart Cramer

South Point at Hunter Huss

Week 7 (Oct. 2)​

Cherryville at West Lincoln

Crest at South Point

East Lincoln at West Iredell

Highland Tech at East Gaston

Hunter Huss at Forestview

Kings Mountain at North Gaston

Langtree Charter at Lincoln Charter

Lincolnton at Bessemer City

North Lincoln at Hickory

Stuart Cramer at Burns

Thomas Jefferson at Mountain Island Charter

Week 8 (Oct. 9)​

Ashbrook at Kings Mountain

Bessemer City at Highland Tech

Cherryville at East Gaston

Community School of Davidson at Lincoln Charter

Foard at East Lincoln

Hunter Huss at Crest

LIncolnton at Shelby

Mountain Island Charter at Bonnie Cone Academy

Newton-Conover at North Lincoln

North Gaston at South Point

West Lincoln at Stuart Cramer

Week 9 (Oct. 16)​

Burns at Cherryville

Crest at North Gaston

East Gaston at Shelby

East Lincoln at Hickory

Forestview at Ashbrook

Highland Tech at West Lincoln

Lincoln Charter at Bradford Prep

Mountain Island Charter at Union Academy

North Lincoln at Bandys

South Point at Kings Mountain

Stuart Cramer at Lincolnton

Week 10 (Oct. 23)​

Ashbrook at Crest

Bunker Hill at North Lincoln

Cherryville at Stuart Cramer

East Gaston at West Lincoln

Highland Tech at Burns

Kings Mountain at Hunter Huss

Maiden at East Lincoln

Pine Lake Prep at Lincoln Charter

Shelby at Bessemer City

South Point at Forestview

South Stanly at Mountain Island Charter

Week 11 (Oct. 30)​

Bessemer City at Cherryville

East Gaston at Stuart Cramer

Forestview at North Gaston

Hunter Huss at Ashbrook

Kings Mountain at Crest

Lincoln Charter at Lake Norman Charter

Mountain Island Charter at North Rowan

North Lincoln at Foard

Shelby at Burns

West Lincoln at Lincolnton

This article originally appeared on The Gaston Gazette: NC high school football schedules for Gastonia, Shelby areas

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