2021 high school football schedules

By Richard Walker

After an abbreviated spring season caused by the pandemic, local high school football teams will return to full schedules for the fall 2021 season.

There will be some changes as the N.C. High School Athletic Association has eliminated the 11th game and many schools are in new conferences and will play new league rivals and/or new non-conference opponents.

Also, at the end of the season, the NCHSAA will return to a four-division state championship setup and eliminate the sub-divided classification state playoffs that have been in place in each classification since 2002.

Here are the full schedules for the high schools of Cleveland, Gaston and Lincoln counties:

Game times at 7:30 p.m. unless noted
*-indicates conference games

ASHBROOK
Aug. 20 Concord
Aug. 27 at T.C. Roberson
Sept. 3 West Meck
Sept. 17 Crest*
Sept. 24 at Forestview*
Oct. 1 North Gaston*
Oct. 8 at Cramer*
Oct. 15 at South Point*
Oct. 22 Kings Mountain*
Oct. 29 at Huss*

BESSEMER CITY
Aug. 20 at Community School of Davidson
Aug. 27 at Cramer
Sept. 3 Pine Lake Prep
Sept. 10 Christ the King
Sept. 17 at Thomas Jefferson*
Sept. 24 Highland Tech*
Oct. 1 Burns*
Oct. 8 at East Gaston*
Oct. 15 at Shelby*
Oct. 29 Cherryville*

BURNS
Aug. 20 at Forestview
Aug. 27 Crest
Sept. 3 Kings Mountain
Sept. 10 at Watauga
Sept. 17 Highland Tech*
Oct. 1 at Bessemer City*
Oct. 8 Thomas Jefferson*
Oct. 15 East Gaston*
Oct. 22 at Cherryville*
Oct. 29 at Shelby*

CHERRYVILLE
Aug. 20 at Avery County
Aug. 27 West Lincoln
Sept. 3 Blacksburg, S.C.
Sept. 10 at Chase
Sept. 17 at Shelby*
Sept. 24 East Gaston*
Oct. 8 at Highland Tech*
Oct. 15 Thomas Jefferson*
Oct. 22 Burns*
Oct. 29 at Bessemer City*

CRAMER
Aug. 20 at Bunker Hill
Aug. 27 Bessemer City
Sept. 3 East Gaston
Sept. 17 at South Point*
Sept. 24 at Crest*
Oct. 1 Huss*
Oct. 8 Ashbrook*
Oct. 15 at Kings Mountain*
Oct. 22 at North Gaston*
Oct. 29 Forestview*

CREST
Aug. 20 Freedom
Aug. 27 at Burns
Sept. 3 at Shelby
Sept. 17 at Ashbrook*
Sept. 24 Cramer*
Oct. 1 South Point*
Oct. 8 at North Gaston*
Oct. 15 Forestview*
Oct. 22 Huss*
Oct. 29 at Kings Mountain*

EAST GASTON
Aug. 20 at North Gaston
Aug. 27 South Point
Sept. 3 at Cramer
Sept. 10 Cherokee
Sept. 24 at Cherryville*
Oct. 1 Thomas Jefferson*
Oct. 8 Bessemer City*
Oct. 15 at Burns*
Oct. 22 Shelby*
Oct. 29 at Highland Tech*

EAST LINCOLN
Aug. 20 at Hibriten
Aug. 27 at Forestview
Sept. 3 Lincolnton
Sept. 17 at Hickory*
Sept. 24 Statesville*
Oct. 1 at West Iredell*
Oct. 8 Foard*
Oct. 15 St. Stephens*
Oct. 22 North Iredell*
Oct. 29 at North Lincoln*

FORESTVIEW
Aug. 20 Burns
Aug. 27 East Lincoln
Sept. 3 at Freedom
Sept. 17 at North Gaston*
Sept. 24 Ashbrook*
Oct. 1 at Kings Mountain*
Oct. 8 Huss*
Oct. 15 at Crest*
Oct. 22 South Point*
Oct. 29 at Cramer*

HIGHLAND TECH
Aug. 27 Hickory Grove
Sept. 3 W-S Carver
Sept. 10 Draughn
Sept. 17 at Burns*
Sept. 24 at Bessemer City*
Oct. 1 Shelby*
Oct. 8 Cherryville*
Oct. 15 Christ the King
Oct. 22 at Thomas Jefferson*
Oct. 29 East Gaston*

HUSS
Aug. 20 at Hickory Ridge
Aug. 27 at Hibriten
Sept. 3 Central Cabarrus
Sept. 17 Kings Mountain*
Sept. 24 South Point*
Oct. 1 at Cramer*
Oct. 8 at Forestview*
Oct. 15 North Gaston*
Oct. 22 at Crest*
Oct. 29 Ashbrook*

KINGS MOUNTAIN
Aug. 20 Shelby
Aug. 27 at Asheville
Sept. 3 at Burns
Sept. 17 at Huss*
Sept. 24 North Gaston*
Oct. 1 Forestview*
Oct. 8 at South Point*
Oct. 15 Cramer*
Oct. 22 at Ashbrook*
Oct. 29 Crest*

LINCOLNTON
Aug. 20 at South Point
Aug. 27 North Lincoln
Sept. 3 at East Lincoln
Sept. 17 Bunker Hill*
Sept. 24 at Newton-Conover*
Oct. 1 Bandys*
Oct. 8 at West Caldwell*
Oct. 15 East Burke*
Oct. 22 Maiden*
Oct. 29 at West Lincoln*

MOUNTAIN ISLAND CHARTER
Aug. 20 at Anson County
Sept. 3 Cabarrus Stallions
Sept. 10 Union Academy
Sept. 17 Pine Lake Prep*
Sept. 24 at Community School of Davidson*
Oct. 1 Winston-Salem Prep*
Oct. 8 at Christ the King*
Oct. 15 Bishop McGuinness*
Oct. 22 at Winston-Salem Carver*
Oct. 29 Lake Norman Charter

NORTH GASTON
Aug. 20 East Gaston
Aug. 27 Alexander Central
Sept. 3 at Chase
Sept. 17 Forestview*
Sept. 24 at Kings Mountain*
Oct. 1 at Ashbrook*
Oct. 8 Crest*
Oct. 15 at Huss*
Oct. 22 Cramer*
Oct. 29 at South Point*

NORTH LINCOLN
Aug. 20 at West Lincoln
Aug. 27 at Lincolnton
Sept. 3 Northwest Cabarrus
Sept. 17 at Statesville*
Sept. 24 Hickory*
Oct. 1 at North Iredell*
Oct. 8 St. Stephens*
Oct. 15 at Foard*
Oct. 22 West Iredell*
Oct. 29 East Lincoln*

SHELBY
Aug. 20 at Kings Mountain
Aug. 27 at A.C. Reynolds
Sept. 3 Crest
Sept. 10 Hibriten
Sept. 17 Cherryville*
Sept. 24 at Thomas Jefferson*
Oct. 1 at Highland Tech*
Oct. 15 Bessemer City*
Oct. 22 at East Gaston*
Oct. 29 Burns*

SOUTH POINT
Aug. 20 Lincolnton
Aug. 27 at East Gaston
Sept. 3 at R-S Central
Sept. 17 Cramer*
Sept. 24 at Huss*
Oct. 1 at Crest*
Oct. 8 Kings Mountain*
Oct. 15 Ashbrook*
Oct. 22 at Forestview*
Oct. 29 North Gaston*

WEST LINCOLN
Aug. 20 North Lincoln
Aug. 27 at Cherryville
Sept. 3 Foard
Sept. 17 at Bandys*
Sept. 24 Maiden*
Oct. 1 at Bunker Hill*
Oct. 8 at Newton-Conover*
Oct. 15 West Caldwell*
Oct. 22 at East Burke*
Oct. 29 Lincolnton*