OMS/HMS will be played Wednesday, November 12
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2025-26 Forsyth County Middle School Basketball Opening Day(s)
With teams returning the majority of their players from last year’s seventh-grade season, there’s a bit more predictability entering the 2025-26 campaign. Still, new move-ins, returning players from injury, and first-time contributors could all play major roles in shaping how the season unfolds.
Last year was defined by three dominant programs, each winning by double-digit margins throughout the regular season. South Forsyth led the way with a remarkable 24.0-point average margin of victory over the 10-game schedule. That number tightened to just over nine points per game in the playoffs — but it was still more than enough to complete a perfect 13-0 season and capture the county championship.
Hendricks (10-3), last year’s runner-up, was nearly as dominant, cruising through the regular season with a 16.2-point average winning margin. The Hawks carried that momentum into the playoffs, where they came up just short against the Eagles in a hard-fought championship game.
Riverwatch (8-3) rounded out the group of double-digit margin teams, winning by an average of 10.8 points per game. The Panthers will be aiming for a deeper postseason run this year after a nail-biting quarterfinal loss to Lakeside ended their 2024-25 campaign earlier than expected.
Vickery Creek (8-4) could easily be added to that dominant group as well. The Vipers notched a signature win over Hendricks during the regular season but took a tough loss to South Forsyth before rebounding to reach the semifinals, where they pushed the Eagles in a much closer matchup.
North Forsyth (5-5) was the only other team to finish at .500 or better. The Wildcats opened hot with a 3-0 start before a setback loss to South Forsyth slowed their momentum.
Meanwhile, Lakeside, Liberty, and Piney Grove all finished just one game out of a first-round bye in the playoffs and will look to take the next step up the standings this year. Little Mill, Otwell, and DeSana will be hungry to climb out of the bottom of the table after rebuilding seasons a year ago.
Featured Matchup
Liberty @ South Forsyth
Date: Thursday, November 13 | Tipoff: 7:00 PM (approx.)
Day 1 of the 2024-25 season was littered with blowouts. In their season opener last year, South Forsyth got the better of Liberty, 46-20. However, Liberty began to find its rhythm as the season progressed, winning four of its final six games to earn the No. 7 seed in the playoffs. That late surge included an opening-round victory over Otwell and a narrow loss to eventual runner-up Hendricks in the quarterfinals.
South Forsyth, meanwhile, went on to deliver one of the most dominant seasons in county history — finishing 13-0 and capturing the Forsyth County Championship. The Eagles averaged more than 24 points per game in margin of victory during the regular season and carried that dominance through the playoffs to secure a perfect campaign.
After such a historic run, it’s no surprise that South Forsyth’s 2025-26 season opener against Liberty has been tabbed as the Featured Game of the Week. The Patriots will look to show how much progress they’ve made since last year’s matchup, while the Eagles aim to begin their title defense in style.
Other Matchups
Hendricks opened the 2024-25 season on fire, starting 6-0 and outscoring opponents by nearly 30 points per game. Late-season losses to Vickery Creek and South Forsyth dropped the Hawks to the No. 2 seed, but they regrouped to make a deep playoff run, ultimately falling just short of capturing the county championship.
Otwell endured a challenging year, winning just one game and finishing tied for 10th in the standings. In last year’s meeting between these two teams, Hendricks controlled the game from start to finish, cruising to a 50-19 win.
Vickery Creek won eight games and earned the No. 4 seed in the county playoffs in 2024-25. It was an up-and-down season for the Vipers, highlighted by a signature win over Hendricks, but also marked by their largest defeat against South Forsyth. Vickery Creek opened last season with a 22-point victory over Little Mill.
Little Mill faces one of the toughest schedules to open the season, taking on four of last year’s top teams within the first six weeks. The Mustangs will look to build on their three-win campaign from a year ago as they aim to climb the standings.
These two squads started and finished the 2024-25 season on opposite ends of the spectrum. In last year’s opener, North Forsyth defeated Piney Grove, 50-32, to spark a 3-0 start for the Wildcats. Meanwhile, the Grizzlies stumbled out of the gate with an 0-5 start before finding their footing later in the year.
North Forsyth eventually leveled out to finish the regular season at 5-5, while Piney Grove closed just behind at 4-6. Both teams reached the quarterfinals, but each saw its season end with double-digit losses to higher-seeded opponents.
Last year, DeSana and Riverwatch played the closest opening game of the 2024-25 season, with the Panthers edging out a 42-37 victory. From that point forward, the two teams went in opposite directions. Riverwatch went on to win seven more games and secured the No. 3 seed in the season-ending tournament.
DeSana finished with just one win last season, tying for 10th place in the final standings. Despite their record, the Dragons showed stretches of competitiveness, as five of their losses to finish the year came by five points or fewer.
* All 8th-grade game times are approximate and are listed as one hour after the 7th-grade start times.
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