By Ross Johnson

Sports Writer

Although it’s only the second time the Callaway and Troup football teams will meet on the gridiron, the Cavaliers and Tigers are all too familiar with each other.

The cross-town rivals are set to duel in the opening game Friday night at Callaway Stadium, and both squads have something to prove.

For Callaway, it’s a chance to get its first win over Troup after losing 15-7 a year ago..

For Troup, it’s about pride and getting another season under head coach Bubba Jeter off on the right foot.

Both teams want to start the season with a win, but both know the dynamic potential of their counterparts.

“Callaway is good - really good,” Jeter said. “They have a lot of weapons and they’re really confident right now. They’ve built some tradition.”

Jeter knows after last season’s loss to the Tigers, the Cavaliers went on to win 10 straight games and advanced to the second round of the Class AA playoffs after winning Region 5-AA.

He also knows Callaway returns quarterback Quan Bray and a boatload of offensive firepower, making it a tough task for defensive coordinator George Brewer and the defense to get ready for.

“We’re going to have to play fundamental football,” said Brewer, who is in his fourth year with the Tigers. “That’s what we did last year.”

Callaway has issues of its own.

Last Friday in a scrimmage against Greenville, the Cavaliers’ inexperienced defense gave up plenty of big plays, prompting head coach Pete Wiggins and his staff to turn up the intensity in this week’s practices.

With Troup looming, Wiggins knows his team will have to work out the kinks on defense as the game goes along.

“(Troup) runs some Wing-T and a little spread,” Wiggins said. “They’ve got a quarterback (sophomore Eric Bridges) who is big and can run. They’ve got a big offensive line and and their running backs run hard. It’s going to be tough to stop.”

Luckily for Callaway, a speed-laden offense led by Bray should be able to ease the pressure off the defense.

Bray, who took over quarterback duties after rushing for more than 1,000 yards in each of his first two seasons as a running back, will have wide receiver Quantavius Leslie and fullback Randy Bailey to work with.

They’ll need all the yards they can get against Troup, which always boasts a stout defense.

Troup has three players who are already committed to Division-I colleges, including defensive lineman J.C. Copeland (Tennessee), defensive back Cardarious Sanders (South Carolina) and defensive back Jacorius Cotton (Southern Miss).

“When you have a defense that’s up made up with those kinds of players, it will present some problems,” Wiggins said.

With Jeter taking over the offensive playcalling duties, not much is known about the Tigers’ attack.

In last week’s scrimmage against R.E. Lee (Ala.) High, Jeter kept his playcalling cards close to his chest.

“We kept it simple the other night,” Jeter said. “I’m excited to see how we do with the stuff we’ve been working on all summer and preseason.”

Both teams will be missing two of their best players.

Troup fullback and defensive end Brandon Worle wasn’t cleared to play after injuring his knee earlier this month.

Callaway running back and free safety D.J. Rutledge will also be out of commission due to a leg injury for the rivalry showdown.

Although the injuries will likely offset each other, the Tigers and Cavaliers both have kinks that will be worked out as the game progresses.

“With any first games, the first couple games, really, there’s still so much unknown,” Jeter said. “We’ll try to put it all together as it goes on.”

With both teams having a mutual respect for each other, you won’t hear any trash talking, at least from the coaches.

“They’ll be a challenge for us,” Jeter said. “I’ve got a lot of respect for Coach Wiggins and his staff.”

Wiggins shares that sentiment.

“Coach Jeter will be prepared for us,” Wiggins said. “It’s going to be a heck of a game.”