Chambersburg looks to start strong vs. Greencastle
Finally, on Friday night, the sun will go down and the lights will turn on.
All the weeks of preparation will come to a head as the 2016 football season begins.
Chambersburg first-year coach Mark Luther summed up his debut game against Greencastle-Antrim perfectly: "Both teams are looking to create their identity as they move forward in the season."
A lot of questions will be answered at Trojan Stadium, where Chambersburg will host the Blue Devils in a season-opening showdown.
This time last year, the fans got their money's worth when G-A had a gut-wrenching overtime victory. This year, with both teams unsure of what their realistic expectations are for the season, should be more of the same.
"I always say it - this is what high school football is all about," Greencastle coach Chuck Tinninis said. "There should be a great crowd, and this is a big rivalry game. There's always excitement in the air. From what I see, both teams are pretty even, so it could come down to a turnover or penalties. I expect it to be a very tight, hard-fought game."
With a lot on the line for both teams, no one is going down easily. With only one returning starter, Greencastle has a young team and is looking to see how those newcomers will mesh together. For the Trojans, getting off to a good start could be key to propelling them to a successful season.
As of Tuesday night, Luther still had not decided who would start at quarterback and said there's a possibility to see playing time for both Tyler Collier and Kaden Hoover. But whomever fits best in the new Trojan offense will likely see more snaps, and Chambersburg has a plethora of weapons.
"Clay Myers and Kammeron Green are right now the couple of guys who have shown some good signs running the football," Luther said. "Outside, we have Spencer Seaman, Austin Kopp and sophomore Seth Brouse, who we all feel really good about. ... Sean Vessah, if we can get him the ball, can make some things happen for us. We're spreading the ball out and hopefully we can create some seams."
For the Blue Devils, Tinninis is also looking to see how quickly his offense can find some cohesiveness.
"I'd like to see our offensive line work well as a unit," he said. "I'm also hoping (Cade) McDowell can throw the ball well, and I'd like to see (Demetrius) Burton do his thing."
So far, both coaches are pleased with what they've seen from scrimmages, but Friday is no longer just a scrimmage.
"Friday is going to be a whole different intensity level, excitement and so forth," Luther said. "We have a number of guys back, but in a totally different offense and a totally different defense, so it's going to come down to the team that makes the least amount of mistakes."
Blue Devils-Trojans at a glance
Game data: Greencastle-Antrim Blue Devils at Chambersburg Trojans ... Friday, 7 p.m. at Trojan Stadium ... Non-league game.
Media: Follow @liziarbogast and @LindseySquints on Twitter for updates from the game ... Live stream will be available on GameTimePA.com and midpennbroadcasting.com.
Teams: Greencastle finished 6-4 a year ago, but returns just one starter ... The Trojans have gone 1-9 in back-to-back seasons.
Series: Chambersburg leads the series, 4-3, but the Blue Devils have won the last two in a row. 2015's game went to overtime.
P.O. pick: Trojans by 3.