WATCH: Mays, Southwest DeKalb square off in the 2026 Georgia High School Football Hall of Fame Game

ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) — It will be a night of admiration and celebration, and of course football, at Buck Godfrey Stadium on Friday night as the undefeated Mays Raiders take on the Southwest DeKalb Panthers in the 2026 Georgia High School Football Hall of Fame Game.

The action will begin at 7:30 p.m. with our ‘Georgia High School Countdown to Kickoff’ pregame show featuring the Atlanta Falcons’ Senior Vice President of Community Relations Chris Millman, DawgNation’s Brandon Adams and Score Atlanta’s Landon Knight previewing the matchup ahead of kickoff at 8 p.m.

Friday’s matchup will be broadcast live on the Peachtree Sports Network (cable, YouTube TV) and streamed live on the Atlanta News First website/app. From your home, download the free ANF+ app anywhere you stream — FireTV, AppleTV, Roku and YouTube TV — simply by searching for “Atlanta News First” on those platforms. If you are on the go, you can download Atlanta News First for free in the app store on your Apple or Android device. You can also watch live here on the WANF – Special Events channel.

Stay tuned after the game for the ‘Georgia High School Postgame Show’ which will feature Score Atlanta’s Craig Sager II and Hayden Gilbert breaking down the game as well as covering scores from around the state.

Southwest DeKalb holds a firm lead in the all-time series, with a 12-4 record over 16 total matchups. The last matchup between the two schools came in 2015 which Mays came out on top, 42-6. Though Southwest DeKalb has a commanding lead in its all-time record against Mays, the Raiders have won four out of the last five matchups while also currently holding a three-game win-streak over the Panthers (2013-2015). This will be the first-ever matchup between Mays head coach Reggie Austin and Southwest DeKalb’s Marion Bell.

Austin is in his third season as the head football coach at Mays and has led the Raiders to their first 7-0 start since 2015 under Corey Jarvis. In the midst of his third season, Austin has recorded a 20-9 overall record and back-to-back playoff appearances.

The Raiders had their bye week last week and defeated Maynard Jackson 9-0 the week prior. The shutout against Maynard Jackson was Mays’ third of the season as the Raiders defense has been firing on all cylinders, only letting opponents score in double-digits twice this season.

Senior quarterback Kendrick Henderson leads the Raiders offense that has scored over 20 points in five of their seven games this season. Henderson along with wide receiver Nathan Carter and running back Michai Harmon make for a dynamic trio on the offensive side of the ball for the Raiders.

D’Andre Hennix is the highest-rated player on this year’s Mays roster. Only a sophomore, Hennix is rated as a three-star on multiple recruiting platforms and has received offers from ACC schools such as Florida State and Georgia Tech. With plenty of high school football to be played in his career, look out for Hennix to continue to rise up recruiting boards.

The senior linebacker duo of Jaquavious Hill and Montavious Jones Jr. give the Raiders valuable experience on defense in one of the most important positions on the field.

On the other side of the field, Bell has been the head coach of Southwest DeKalb since 2023 and has accumulated a 22-19 record over four years with the Panthers. The Panthers have made the postseason the last two seasons, and advanced to the second round in 2025. Currently at 4-4 and on a two-game losing streak, Southwest DeKalb will look to get back on track this week against Mays.

Senior quarterback Braylon Carter leads a talented Panthers offense in his second season seeing the field for Southwest DeKalb. With Carter in the backfield along with running back William Bryant, the two make for a scary duo that is very versatile.

In the passing game, everything revolves around three-star wide receiver and Liberty-commit Jordan Christie who has been sensational in his career at Southwest DeKalb. Christie is the all-time leader in receiving yards and touchdowns in Southwest DeKalb history and is the 11th player in DeKalb County history to eclipse 2,000 yards in his career. There is no doubt the offense runs through Christie who will have his fingerprints all over Friday’s game. Senior wide receiver Kingston Lobdell is another name to watch in the passing game for the Panthers.

Defensively, junior linebacker Braylon Brown and defensive end Kyice Green lead the charge in the first and second levels of the Panther defense. Junior defensive back Myson Perry has been elite this season for the Panthers while leading the backend of the defense and has been a major bright-spot for this team throughout the season.

This week is more than just a football game as the Georgia High School Football Hall of Fame Class of 2026 will be honored throughout the broadcast from Buck Godfrey Stadium ahead of the induction ceremony at the College Football Hall of Fame on Saturday night at 6:45 p.m.