The second year of a two-year high school football scheduling cycle mostly involves flipping the site of game locations from the previous year, but Handley will have two notable changes to its 2026 slate as part of the Virginia High School League master schedule released on Monday.
In 2025, the Class 4 Judges had two home games in which they didn’t receive much competition — a 42-0 victory over Class 2 Westmoreland in which Handley led 35-0 at halftime, and a 42-0 victory over Class 3 Manassas Park in which the game ended at halftime. With Handley up 42-0, the Cougars decided to forfeit at that point.
Those two opponents have been replaced with road contests at West Virginia Class AAAA Hedgesville on Oct. 9 and 2025 Class 4 state finalist Loudoun County on Oct. 16. Handley will play the Eagles (2-9 in 2025) for the first time in program history and will take on the Captains for the first time in a regular-season game since 2008. Loudoun County — which beat Sherando (15-14) and Millbrook (28-21) in its 12-2 season last year — beat Handley in the Region 4C playoffs in both 2021 and 2022.
The Judges off week will change from Week 6 (Oct. 2) to Week 5 (Sept. 26) as a result of their opponent changes. The Judges will travel to Kettle Run on Oct. 2.
The VHSL 10-game regular season opens on Aug. 28 with Clarke County at James Wood, Loudoun Valley at Millbrook and Sherando at Amherst County (all 7 p.m. starts). Handley opens at home the following day at 1 p.m. against Eastern View.
Week 2 is another notable week. With school closed for Frederick County, Loudoun County and Fauquier County for Labor Day on Friday, Sept. 4, and Winchester Public Schools holding a teacher professional development day, there will be four local football games on Thursday, Sept. 3. Handley will host Liberty at 4:30 p.m. The other three games will be at 7 p.m. — James Wood at Dominion, Heritage (Leesburg) at Millbrook and Loudoun County at Sherando. Clarke County will travel to Fort Defiance on Friday, Sept. 4 that week.
The only other Thursday game this year will take place on Sept. 10 (Clarke County at Catoctin of Maryland in a 6:30 p.m. start).
The following are the complete schedules for each area team. Games are on Friday and at 7 p.m. unless otherwise indicated. Handley home games are at 1 p.m. unless otherwise indicated.
Clarke County: Aug. 28 at James Wood; Sept. 4 at Fort Defiance; Sept. 10 (Thursday) at Catoctin (Maryland), 6:30 p.m.; Sept. 18 vs. East Rockingham; Sept. 25 off; Oct. 2 vs. Central (Lunenburg); Oct. 9 at Central (Woodstock); Oct. 16 vs. Page County; Oct. 23 vs. Strasburg; Oct. 30 vs. Luray; Nov. 6 at Madison County.
Handley: Aug. 29 (Saturday) vs. Eastern View; Sept. 3 (Thursday) vs. Liberty, 4:30 p.m.; Sept. 11 at Brentsville; Sept. 19 (Saturday) vs. Skyline; Sept. 25 off; Oct. 2 at Kettle Run; Oct. 9 at Hedgesville (West Virginia); Oct. 16 at Loudoun County; Oct. 24 (Saturday) vs. Sherando; Oct. 31 (Saturday) vs. James Wood; Nov. 6 at Millbrook.
James Wood: Aug. 28 vs. Clarke County; Sept. 3 (Thursday) at Dominion; Sept. 11 vs. Culpeper County; Sept. 18 at Sherando; Sept. 25 at Warren County; Oct. 2 vs. Meridian; Oct. 9 at Millbrook; Oct. 16 vs. Liberty; Oct. 23 off; Oct. 31 (Saturday) at Handley; Nov. 6 vs. Fauquier.
Millbrook: Aug. 28 vs. Loudoun Valley; Sept. 3 (Thursday) vs. Heritage (Leesburg); Sept. 11 at Loudoun County; Sept. 18 at Meridian; Sept. 25 vs. Kettle Run; Oct. 2 at Sherando; Oct. 9 vs. James Wood; Oct. 16 at Skyline; Oct. 23 off; Oct. 30 at Liberty; Nov. 6 vs. Handley.
Sherando: Aug. 28 at Amherst County; Sept. 3 (Thursday) vs. Loudoun County; Sept. 11 at Jefferson (West Virginia); Sept. 18 vs. James Wood; Sept. 25 at Brentsville; Oct. 2 vs. Millbrook; Oct. 9 off; Oct. 16 vs. Kettle Run; Oct. 24 (Saturday) at Handley; Oct. 30 vs. Fauquier; Nov. 6 at Liberty.
— Contact Robert Niedzwiecki at rniedzwiecki@winchesterstar.com
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