Friday night lights will shine even brighter in the Sacramento area this year as local powerhouses Folsom High School and Grant Union High School will face off as part of a six-game slate for the 2025 ESPN High School Football Kickoff.

The Grant Pacers host the nationally ranked No. 20 Folsom Bulldogs in a marquee late-night matchup on Saturday, Aug. 23, at 7:30 p.m. PT, airing live on ESPN.

The game is part of ESPN's 16th annual kickoff series, featuring six national matchups and 45 ESPN-ranked players.

Grant is the defending CIF Division 2-A State Champion and has won that title in two of the last three seasons. Junior tight end Rahzario Edwards, ranked No. 58 in the ESPN Junior 300, leads the way for the Pacers. The 6-foot-5 playmaker has drawn offers from Alabama, Michigan, USC, and Oregon.

On the other side, quarterback Ryder Lyons, ranked No. 49 in the senior class and committed to BYU, will be aiming to lead the Bulldogs on another deep playoff run. Protecting him up front is USC commit Vlad Dyakonov, the No. 214 senior in the country.

The rest of the ESPN High School Football Kickoff slate includes the No. 1-ranked Mater Dei, No. 4 IMG Academy out of Florida, No. 5 St. Frances Academy out of Maryland, and Georgia powerhouses No. 11 Milton and No. 12 Buford

Mater Dei, located in Santa Ana in Southern California, won the CIF Open Division Championship last season for the program's fifth title in seven seasons.