New High School Football Playoff Format Brings Major Schedule Changes

The new Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association football playoff schedule will mean much different schedules for Newton's high school football squads this year.

Newton South will play Lincoln-Sudbury twice this season - once on Sept. 27 and once on Thanksgiving. Newton North does not have any repeats. The Tigers' home opener is on Sept. 21 against Wellesley and they travel to Brookline on Thanksgiving. For both teams, however, the rest of November is unclear.

Rather than the usual Super Bowl structure that featured teams playing in playoff games after Thanksgiving, the playoffs will start at the beginning of November.

Teams that don’t make the playoffs will play other non-playoff teams in the weeks leading up to the annual Thanksgiving game. The six state championship games will take place after Thanksgiving.

Confused – and just want to know the Newton North and Newton South schedules? Here’s the schedule for the upcoming varsity football season (please note that Newton will play three football games between Oct. 25 and Thanksgiving, but they won’t find out who they're playing until after the playoff teams are announced at the end of October). 

Newton North

Saturday, Sept. 7 – at Mansfield, 11 a.m.

Thursday, Sept. 12 – at Waltham, 7 p.m.

Saturday, Sept. 21 – Wellesley, 1 p.m., HOME OPENER

Friday, Sept. 27 – at Needham, 7 p.m.

Saturday, Oct. 5 – Braintree, 3 p.m.

Friday, Oct. 11 – at Weymouth, 7 p.m.

Saturday, Oct. 19 – Framingham, 1 p.m.

Thursday, Nov. 28 – at Brookline, 10 a.m.

Newton South

Sunday, Sept. 15 – Brookline, 1 p.m., HOME OPENER

Saturday, Sept. 21 – at Boston Latin, 1 p.m.

Friday, Sept. 27 – at Lincoln-Sudbury, 7 p.m.

Friday, Oct. 4 – at Acton-Boxborough, 7 p.m.

Saturday, Oct. 12 – Westford Academy, 1 p.m.

Saturday, Oct. 19 – Waltham, 1 p.m.

Friday, Oct. 25 – at Wachusett Regoinal, 7 p.m.

Thursday, Nov. 28 – Lincoln-Sudbury, 10 a.m.