High School Football Returns To Alexandria In Fall 2021

ALEXANDRIA, VA — It has been a two-year wait for the return of Friday night fall football in many American communities, where gathering at the local high school stadium has become a long-standing early school year tradition.

That’s not the case in Alexandria. After the COVID-19 pandemic delayed the 2020 football season, Virginia high school football teams played a shortened season in the spring.

In 2021, the Virginia High School League teams' first games will be held Aug. 23 to 28. After the season wraps up, regional quarterfinals will be held on Nov. 13, semifinals are scheduled for Dec. 4 and championships are scheduled for Dec. 11.

In some places, such as Illinois, high school football is making a return to the fall after a 2020 season that was largely put on hold due to the coronavirus pandemic. Instead of taking the field last fall, many schools held football season in the spring — which, on school sports calendars, can run anywhere from February through June.

This year, the season has already begun in some states. Fall football season at the high school level has already kicked off in Alaska and Utah, according to MaxPreps.com, a site covering high school athletics nationwide. Sixteen more states will begin contests on the weekend of Aug. 20-21, with others set to begin either the final weekend of August or in early September.

Here are the schedules for Alexandria high school varsity football teams.

Alexandria City High School

• Aug. 27 vs. Annandale High School - away
• Sept. 2 vs. South Lakes High School - away
• Sept. 17 vs. Justice High School - home, stadium opening night
• Sept. 24 vs. Herndon High School - home, ACPS Teacher Appreciation Night
• Oct. 1 vs. Chantilly High School - away
• Oct. 8 vs. Lake Braddock Secondary School - away
• Oct. 15 vs. West Potomac High School - home, Homecoming
• Oct. 22 vs. West Springfield High School - home, Senior Night
• Oct. 29 vs. South County High School - away
• Nov. 5 vs. Woodson High School - away

Episcopal High School

• Sept. 10 vs. DeMatha - away
• Sept. 25 vs. Trinity Episcopal School - home
• Oct. 1 vs. Collegiate School - away
• Oct. 8 vs. St. Stephen's and St. Agnes School - home, Friday Night Lights
• Oct. 16 vs. Georgetown Prep - away
• Oct. 22 vs. Bullis - away
• Oct. 30 vs. Landon - home
• Nov. 6 vs. St. Albans - home
• Nov. 13 vs. Woodberry Forest - away

Bishop Ireton High School

• Sept. 4 vs. St. Albans School - home
• Sept. 11 vs. Independence High School - home
• Sept. 18 vs. Potomac School - home
• Sept. 25 vs. St Stephens & St Agnes School - away
• Oct. 1 vs. St. John Paul the Great - away
• Oct. 9 vs. Archbishop Carroll High School - away
• Oct. 16 vs. Bishop Denis J. O'Connell - away
• Oct. 23 vs. Paul VI Catholic High School - home, Homecoming
• Oct. 30 vs. St Marys Ryken - home

St. Stephen's and St. Agnes School

• Sept. 3 vs. Bishop O'Connell High School - home
• Sept. 10 vs. St. Christopher's School - home
• Sept. 18 vs. Flint Hill School - away
• Sept. 25 vs. Bishop Ireton High School - home, Homecoming
• Oct. 1 vs. Manassas Park High School - away
• Oct. 8 vs. Episcopal High School - away
• Oct. 16 vs. Landon School - away
• Oct. 23 vs. St. Albans School - away
• Oct. 30 vs. Bullis School - home
• Nov. 6 vs. Georgetown Preparatory School - home