2026 VHSL Football Playoff Schedule: Complete First-Round Matchups, Dates and Times
The 2026 Virginia High School League (VHSL) football playoffs officially begin on Friday, November 13, as high school teams across Virginia enter the postseason with hopes of competing for a state championship.
The opening round features exciting matchups across multiple classifications and regions, including several highly anticipated games involving Hampton Roads and Central Virginia schools.
Green Run, Bethel, and Lafayette enter the postseason as No. 1 seeds in their respective regions, while the Bruins and Indian River begin their playoff campaigns unbeaten. Meanwhile, defending state champions Oscar Smith, Maury, and Lake Taylor will look to continue their championship runs.
Most first-round games are scheduled for Friday night at 7:00 p.m., although several matchups will take place on Thursday or Saturday.
Below is the complete 2026 VHSL football playoff first-round schedule, organized by region, including seedings, matchups, dates, and kickoff times.
2026 VHSL Football Playoff Schedule: First-Round Games
The first round of the 2026 Virginia high school football playoffs features teams competing across different classifications and regions. Here is the complete schedule.
Region 6A Football Playoff Schedule
| Matchup | Date | Time |
|---|---|---|
| (5) Landstown at (4) L.C. Bird | Friday, Nov. 13 | 7:00 PM |
| (1) Thomas Dale – BYE | — | — |
| (2) Oscar Smith – BYE | — | — |
| (6) Cosby at (3) Manchester | Friday, Nov. 13 | 7:00 PM |
Thomas Dale and Oscar Smith receive first-round byes and will advance directly to the next round.
Region 5A Football Playoff Schedule
| Matchup | Date | Time |
|---|---|---|
| (8) Great Bridge at (1) Green Run | Friday, Nov. 13 | 7:00 PM |
| (5) Floyd Kellam at (4) Salem | Friday, Nov. 13 | 7:00 PM |
| (6) Hickory at (3) Frank Cox | Friday, Nov. 13 | 7:00 PM |
| (7) Bayside at (2) Indian River | Friday, Nov. 13 | 7:00 PM |
Green Run enters the postseason as the region’s top seed, while unbeaten Indian River will look to maintain its perfect record against Bayside.
Region 5B Football Playoff Schedule
| Matchup | Date | Time |
|---|---|---|
| (8) Granby at (1) Bethel | Friday, Nov. 13 | 7:00 PM |
| (5) Nansemond River at (4) Warwick | Friday, Nov. 13 | 7:00 PM |
| (6) Norview at (3) Maury | Friday, Nov. 13 | 7:00 PM |
| (7) Woodside at (2) King’s Fork | Friday, Nov. 13 | 7:00 PM |
Bethel enters the Region 5B playoffs as the No. 1 seed. Defending state champion Maury also begins its postseason campaign at home against Norview.
Class 5 Region C Football Playoff Schedule
| Matchup | Date | Time |
|---|---|---|
| (8) James River at (1) Highland Springs | To be announced | TBD |
| (5) Glen Allen at (4) Hermitage | To be announced | TBD |
| (7) Freeman at (2) Patrick Henry | To be announced | TBD |
| (6) Fleming at (3) Midlothian | To be announced | TBD |
Highland Springs leads the Region C bracket as the No. 1 seed, with four opening-round matchups scheduled.
Region 4A Football Playoff Schedule
| Matchup | Date | Time |
|---|---|---|
| (8) Grafton at (1) Lafayette | Friday, Nov. 13 | 7:00 PM |
| (5) Denbigh at (4) Smithfield | Friday, Nov. 13 | 7:00 PM |
| (6) Churchland at (3) Warhill | Thursday, Nov. 12 | 7:00 PM |
| (7) Hampton at (2) Phoebus | Saturday, Nov. 14 | 1:00 PM |
Lafayette enters the Region 4A playoffs as the top seed, while Phoebus will host Hampton in a Saturday afternoon matchup.
Churchland and Warhill will open the region’s postseason action on Thursday night.
Class 4 Region B Football Playoff Schedule
| Matchup | Date | Time |
|---|---|---|
| (8) Hanover at (1) Louisa County | To be announced | TBD |
| (5) Mechanicsville at (4) Courtland | To be announced | TBD |
| (7) King George at (2) Varina | To be announced | TBD |
| (6) Spotsylvania at (3) Huguenot | To be announced | TBD |
Louisa County takes the No. 1 seed in Class 4 Region B, with Varina entering as the second seed.
Region 3A Football Playoff Schedule
| Matchup | Date | Time |
|---|---|---|
| (8) I.C. Norcom at (1) Petersburg | Friday, Nov. 13 | 7:00 PM |
| (5) New Kent at (4) Tabb | Friday, Nov. 13 | 7:00 PM |
| (6) Colonial Heights at (3) Booker T. Washington | Friday, Nov. 13 | 7:00 PM |
| (7) Lake Taylor at (2) Hopewell | Friday, Nov. 13 | 7:00 PM |
Petersburg enters the Region 3A playoffs as the top seed. Defending state champion Lake Taylor will travel to Hopewell for an important first-round matchup.
Class 3 Region B Football Playoff Schedule
| Matchup | Date | Time |
|---|---|---|
| (6) Goochland at (3) Warren County | To be announced | TBD |
Goochland will travel to Warren County for its opening-round game in Class 3 Region B.
Class 2 Region A Football Playoff Schedule
| Matchup | Date | Time |
|---|---|---|
| (8) Randolph-Henry at (1) Lunenburg Central | To be announced | TBD |
| (5) Thomas Jefferson at (4) Armstrong | To be announced | TBD |
| (7) Nottoway at (2) Poquoson | To be announced | TBD |
| (6) Southampton at (3) King William | To be announced | TBD |
Lunenburg Central enters the Class 2 Region A playoffs as the No. 1 seed, with three other first-round matchups completing the regional bracket.
Class 2 Region B Football Playoff Schedule
| Matchup | Date | Time |
|---|---|---|
| (6) Madison County at (3) Buckingham | To be announced | TBD |
Madison County will travel to Buckingham as both teams begin their Class 2 Region B postseason campaigns.
Class 1 Region A Football Playoff Schedule
| Matchup | Date | Time |
|---|---|---|
| (8) Colonial Beach at (1) Essex | To be announced | TBD |
| (5) Lancaster at (4) Middlesex | To be announced | TBD |
| (7) West Point at (2) Rappahannock | To be announced | TBD |
| (6) Northampton at (3) Northumberland | To be announced | TBD |
Essex earns the top seed in Class 1 Region A and will host Colonial Beach in the opening round.
Class 1 Region B Football Playoff Schedule
| Matchup | Date | Time |
|---|---|---|
| (8) Cumberland at (1) Buffalo Gap | To be announced | TBD |
| (5) Brunswick at (4) Sussex Central | To be announced | TBD |
| (7) Luray at (2) Riverheads | To be announced | TBD |
| (6) Surry County at (3) Altavista | To be announced | TBD |
Buffalo Gap enters as the No. 1 seed in Class 1 Region B, while Riverheads will host Luray in another first-round contest.
Key Storylines Heading Into the 2026 VHSL Football Playoffs
Green Run, Bethel and Lafayette Lead Their Regions
Green Run, Bethel, and Lafayette enter the postseason as top seeds in their respective regions. All three programs will look to take advantage of home-field positioning as they begin their championship campaigns.
Unbeaten Teams Look to Continue Their Winning Streaks
The Bruins and Indian River enter the playoffs unbeaten, making them two of the teams to watch during the opening round.
Indian River faces Bayside in Region 5A, while the unbeaten teams will look to carry their regular-season momentum into the postseason.
Defending Champions Begin Their Title Defenses
Oscar Smith, Maury, and Lake Taylor each enter the 2026 postseason looking to defend their state championship titles.
Oscar Smith receives a first-round bye, while Maury hosts Norview and Lake Taylor travels to Hopewell.
When Do the 2026 VHSL Football Playoffs Start?
The 2026 VHSL football playoffs begin on Friday, November 13, 2026. Most first-round games are scheduled for 7:00 p.m. local time.
However, some games will be played on different dates:
-
- Thursday, November 12: Churchland at Warhill – 7:00 p.m.
-
- Friday, November 13: Most first-round games – 7:00 p.m.
-
- Saturday, November 14: Hampton at Phoebus – 1:00 p.m.
Kickoff times for matchups not specified in the initial schedule should be confirmed through the participating schools or official VHSL updates.
Final Thoughts
The 2026 VHSL football playoffs promise an exciting postseason as high school programs across Virginia compete for regional championships and state title opportunities.
With top seeds such as Green Run, Bethel, and Lafayette leading their brackets, unbeaten teams looking to extend their winning streaks, and defending champions beginning their title defenses, the opening round features plenty of intriguing matchups.
The road to a Virginia high school football state championship begins November 13. Teams will have little room for mistakes as the win-or-go-home postseason gets underway.
