Lone Peak's 2026 football schedule reads like a national showcase, and the Knights won't have to leave Highland to prove it.

Head coach Bart Brockbank's squad will host No. 5-ranked IMG Academy of Bradenton, Florida, on Friday, Aug. 21, at 7 p.m., then welcome No. 2 Bishop Gorman of Las Vegas on Friday, Sept. 4, at 7 p.m. Both rankings come from the MaxPreps preseason national top 25.

The Bishop Gorman game carries extra weight. When the teams met in Las Vegas last fall, Gorman led 35-14 early in the third quarter before an altercation broke out on Lone Peak's sideline. Officials ruled the game a forfeit under Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association rules, which require a forfeit if more than three players leave the sideline during an incident. The refs determined Lone Peak players left the bench area; Bishop Gorman's did not.

This time, the Knights get the rematch at home.

Corner Canyon hosted IMG Academy in 2024 and won 35-34, the most recent precedent for a Utah team taking on the Florida powerhouse on its own turf, as the Deseret News reported Aug. 12.

Sykes waiver still pending

The Knights added a proven weapon this summer when three-star wide receiver Dillon Sykes, a University of Utah commit, transferred from Rancho Cucamonga, California. Sykes caught 25 passes for 381 yards and five touchdowns last fall and is ranked No. 165 nationally at his position by Rivals.

His UHSAA transfer waiver remained pending as of Wednesday, Aug. 12. If not approved, Sykes would sit out the first five games, missing both national matchups.

"I was always told to be the best, you have to play the best and beat the best," Sykes told Rivals analyst Greg Biggins in July when announcing the move. "Lone Peak is consistently playing at a high level so I'm excited about this opportunity."

At Lone Peak, Sykes joins quarterback Cruz Christiensen, who threw for 1,524 yards and 14 touchdowns in 2025 behind an offensive line anchored by 6-foot-6, 292-pound tackle Gavin Gunstream. Sophomore linebacker Kingston Stroshine, a second-team Rivals All-American as a freshman, leads the defense.

Title race wide open

Corner Canyon dynasty coach Eric Kjar left for Weber State in December after nine seasons that produced five 6A titles and an 89-9 record in seven years at the 6A level. His departure cracked open the Region 3 race. Lone Peak sits No. 3 in the Deseret News preseason coaches poll with four first-place votes, behind Corner Canyon (No. 1, five votes) and Skyridge (No. 2, four votes).

Utah teams went 19-23 against out-of-state opponents in 2025, underscoring the difficulty of what Lone Peak is attempting.

Upcoming schedule

• Friday, Aug. 14 — at Crimson Cliffs, 7 p.m. (season opener)
• Friday, Aug. 21 — vs. No. 5 IMG Academy, 7 p.m.
• Friday, Aug. 28 — at Skyline, 7 p.m.
• Friday, Sept. 4 — vs. No. 2 Bishop Gorman, 7 p.m.
• Friday, Sept. 11 — vs. Timpview, 7 p.m.
• Friday, Sept. 18 — at Corner Canyon, 7 p.m.

The Knights open Friday, Aug. 14, at Crimson Cliffs in Washington, Utah, a day before Skyridge kicks off its season at Mountain Ridge on Thursday, Aug. 13.