Johns Creek football returns to JCHS Stadium on Friday, Aug. 14, when the Gladiators host the North Springs Spartans in a 7:30 p.m. preseason scrimmage. It marks the first live action of the Jason Tester era.

Tester, hired in January to replace Jim Rowell, takes the sideline for his first game at the helm of a program that was outscored 420-0 through nine games in 2025 before Rowell was replaced mid-season. Johns Creek cycled through three head coaches in four years before Tester, who previously served as the Gladiators' defensive coordinator, got the job.

The scrimmage also offers the first look at a senior class the program is counting on. Johns Creek Athletics spotlighted eight Class of 2027 leaders after football camp on July 27: Elijah Antoine, Sky Banigo, Sebastian Crespo, Akachi Nwizubo, Britton Landry, Ben Feigin, Dylan Vines and John Michael Sengbusch. The 2025 squad fielded a young roster heavy on sophomores and freshmen, meaning several of those seniors enter 2026 with varsity experience.

The program praised the group's work ethic after camp, saying the seniors' leadership has set the tone heading into the fall.

Full 2026 schedule

The Johns Creek Athletics schedule page lists seven dates this fall, all with 7:30 p.m. kickoffs:

| Date | Opponent | Location |
|------|----------|----------|
| Friday, Aug. 14 | North Springs (scrimmage) | Home |
| Friday, Aug. 21 | Northview Titans | Away |
| Friday, Aug. 28 | Centennial | Away |
| Friday, Sept. 4 | Mountain View Bears | Home |
| Friday, Sept. 11 | Chattahoochee Cougars | Home |
| Friday, Sept. 25 | Milton Eagles | Home |
| Friday, Oct. 9 | Gainesville | Home |

The regular season opens Aug. 21 at rival Northview, a matchup that pits two programs under new leadership. The Gladiators then travel to Centennial before returning home for four straight at JCHS Stadium, including the Sept. 11 rivalry game against Chattahoochee and an Oct. 9 date with Gainesville, which features Clemson- and Alabama-bound standouts and a new head coach of its own in Santavious Bryant.

What to know Friday

Tickets for the Aug. 14 scrimmage are available through GoFan. Gates open at JCHS Stadium. The address is 5575 State Bridge Road.

North Springs also enters 2026 under a first-year head coach, Walter Vaughn, who replaced Robert Braucht (5-25 in three seasons).

As we reported July 29, Tester and his players appeared at FCS Football Media Day, but Friday's scrimmage is the program's first competitive action of the new season. The Gladiators' next test comes seven days later at Northview on Aug. 21.