The most intriguing football games of 2016

High school football season is 11 weeks away, but it's never too early to start getting excited.

The schedules for all 10 Hanover-Adams area teams have been finalized (you can find them at the bottom of this page), and there several matchups that jump off the page.

Here are the most intriguing games for each week of the 2016 season as of right now:

Week 1: New Oxford at Bermudian Springs

This is a rematch of last year's game, where the Colonials spoiled the opening of the Eagles' new field by winning for the first time since 2013. The victory came on a last-second field goal by Luis Partida, picked up off the soccer a few weeks earlier. This year's game will mark the debut of new Colonials coach Greg Bowman, who led Northern to the District 3 playoffs last year. He'll be up against 17th-year Eagles coach Jon DeFoe, who is now the longest-tenured coach in the YAIAA after Brad Livingston's departure from Central York.

Week 2: Spring Grove at Mechanicsburg

The Rockets edged the Wildcats on a 45-yard field goal by Northwestern-bound Andrew Luckenbaugh last year. That was the first victory of what turned out to be a five-win season for Spring Grove that ended in the district playoffs, while Mechanicsburg never came that close to winning a game the rest of the season. It's tough to know what to expect from the Rockets this season, but this game should be a measuring-stick game that lets us know where this team stands.

Week 3: Delone Catholic at New Oxford

It's been a while since these two teams matched up on the gridiron, and there will plenty of excitement on both sides. This is the definition of a geographical rivalry, as Delone Catholic is situated inside the Conewago Valley School District, and it offers that public vs. private and big school vs. small school intensity. The Squires only lost six players to graduation and would love to pick up a signature win against a Division I opponent the week before the start of divisional play.

Week 4: Hanover at Bermudian Springs

This was the game last season where Hanover proved its hot start was no fluke, winning 22-14 to start to 4-0 for the first time since 1964. The Nighthawks schedule lends itself to another possible fast start this season, so they could enter this game riding high again. Both teams had a chance to win the Division III heading into the last week of the season last year and should believe they can contend for the title this season, so this first game in division play could mean an awful lot.

Week 5: South Western at Central York

The Mustangs came within a win of earning a share of the Division I title last season, but lose perhaps the best offensive duo in the league (QB Brock Geiman and WR Noah Staub) as well as Maine commit Skylar Bowman to graduation. This first road game in Division I play should give us an idea whether or not the Mustangs can be in the mix for the division title again. It's also the first look any Hanover-Adams team will get of the Panthers with new coach Josh Oswalt at the helm.

Week 6: Littlestown at York Catholic

Is this the year the Thunderbolts return to being a Division III power? Well, if it is, this game gives them a golden opportunity to prove it. The Fighting Irish return most of a team that went to the District 3-A title game last season, and could be considered the early favorite in Division III.

Week 7: Gettysburg at Kennard-Dale

The Warriors struggled to a 1-9 record last season, but the loss to the Rams last year is the one that probably hurt the most. Gettysburg led 14-0 heading into the fourth quarter, but Kennard-Dale scored twice to force overtime then win 21-14. The Warriors will be out for revenge in this Division II game.

Week 8: Bermudian Springs at York Catholic

Along with Delone Catholic, the Eagles and Fighting Irish are the most experienced teams in Division III. Experience doesn't always equal success, but if it does for these teams this game will be a huge one in deciding the division champion. Both rosters also surely remember last year's game, where Bermudian Springs won 20-17 on a touchdown throw by backup quarterback Tristan Hoke with 15 seconds left in one of the most dramatic games of the season.

Week 9: Biglerville at Hanover

You can bet the Nighthawks have this game circled on the schedule after suffering it's only two losses of the year to the Canners last season. The second loss came in the first round of the District 3-AA playoffs on Hanover's home field. Most of the players who played in that game are gone, but the ones who remain will remember the intensity of both of those games last year. Last year's games had the makings of a new rivalry and this game provides the next chapter.

Week 10: Spring Grove at South Western 

The Hanover-Adams area has some good rivalries, but this might be the best one of them all. As if it needs anymore juice, last year's game - a 28-21 upset win by Spring Grove that got the Rockets into the playoffs and left the Mustangs without a share of the Division I title - is one that both teams will have on the brain before the opening kickoff. This game could also have major playoff implications in the first year of the PIAA's new classification format.

Full schedules

Bermudian Springs
9/2: New Oxford
9/9: Boiling Springs
9/16: at Shippensburg
9/23: at Hanover
9/30: Fairfield
10/8: at York County Tech
10/14: Delone Catholic
10/21: at York Catholic
10/28: Littlestown
11/4: at Biglerville

Biglerville
9/2: at Annville-Cleona
9/9: Big Spring
9/16: Susquehannock
9/23: Fairfield
9/30: York County Tech
10/7: at Delone Catholic
10/14: York Catholic
10/21: at Littlestown
10/28: at Hanover
11/4: Bermudian Springs

Delone Catholic
9/2: at Trinity
9/9: Columbia
9/16: at New Oxford
9/23: York Catholic
9/30: at Littlestown
10/7: Biglerville
10/14: at Bermudian Springs
10/21: Fairfield
10/28: at York County Tech
11/4: Hanover

Fairfield
9/2: at St. Joseph’s Academy
9/9: at James Buchanan
9/16: Smithsburg (Md.)
9/23: at Biglerville
9/30: at Bermudian Springs
10/7: Hanover
10/14: York County Tech
10/21: at Delone Catholic
10/28: York Catholic
11/4: at Littlestown

Gettysburg
9/2: at South Western
9/9: New Oxford
9/16: at Waynesboro
9/23: at Dover
9/30: Susquehannock
10/7: Eastern York
10/14: at Kennard-Dale
10/21: Daniel Boone
10/28: at York Suburban
11/4: West York

Hanover
9/2: James Buchanan
9/9: at Kennard-Dale
9/16: Annville-Cleona
9/23: Bermudian Springs
9/30: at York Catholic
10/7: at Fairfield
10/14: Littlestown
10/22: at York County Tech
10/28: Biglerville
11/4: at Delone Catholic

Littlestown
9/2: Boiling Springs
9/9: Hamburg
9/16: at Eastern York
9/23: at York County Tech
9/30: Delone Catholic
10/7: at York Catholic
10/14: at Hanover
10/21: Biglerville
10/28: at Bermudian Springs
11/4: Fairfield

New Oxford
9/2: at Bermudian Springs
9/9: at Gettysburg
9/16: Delone Catholic
9/23: at South Western
9/30: Spring Grove
10/7: Central York
10/14: at Red Lion
10/21: Dallastown
10/28: at William Penn
11/4: Northeastern

South Western
9/2: Gettysburg
9/9: at Manheim Township
9/16: at Carlisle
9/23: New Oxford
9/30: at Central York
10/7: Red Lion
10/14: at Dallastown
10/21: William Penn
10/28: at Northeastern
11/4: Spring Grove

Spring Grove
9/2: Hershey
9/9: at Mechanicsburg
9/16: Garden Spot
9/23: Dallastown
9/30: at New Oxford
10/7: at William Penn
10/14: Central York
10/21: at Northeastern
10/28: Red Lion
11/4: at South Western