Camden Making History With First HS Game in Texas Against Permian High

Camden High School will head to Texas to take on Permian High School in a regular-season football game in 2026. This matchup makes Camden the first New Jersey public school to play a regular-season game in Texas.

The announcement came via Instagram last week. Permian was featured in the 2004 film Friday Night Lights.

Camden won the 2025 New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association Group 2 state championship last season, beating Malcolm X Shabazz 27-8 in the title game. That marked the first state championship in program history.

According to on3.com, the Panthers finished at No. 14 in the final 2025 New Jersey high school football rankings. Junior running back Roman Duckett returns as a top offensive player after rushing for 730 yards and scoring nine touchdowns last fall.

Permian finished No. 74 in the final 2025 Texas high school football rankings. They had their best season in a decade in 2025 when they went 11-2.

The Texas team fell to Allen 56-13 in the UIL Class 6A, Division I postseason. Allen is considered a state powerhouse.

Last season, Don Bosco Prep traveled from New Jersey to Texas for a regular-season game. Now Camden will follow that path as the first public school from the Garden State to make the trip.

Camden High School offers football, basketball, and track. The school has coaching staff and facilities to support student-athletes.