*Scott Herpst *

Fans searching for a football game to attend on Friday night will have to venture outside of county lines to find one.

The 2007 high school season will begin on Friday with all three Walker County teams opening their seasons in unfriendly confines.

Gordon Lee will head to the town of Shannon to try and spoil Model’s home opener. LaFayette will head down Highway 27 a few miles to do battle with Trion while Ridgeland will also step out of region as they get set for a matchup at Armuchee.

Here’s a closer look at each of the games:

Gordon Lee (0-0) at Model (0-0)

Gordon Lee will be in search of their third straight season-opening win as they travel to Shannon to take on the Blue Devils.

The Trojans will be looking to grind out yardage on the ground and chew up the clock while their pass defense will be challenged by Model’s air attack in a battle of contrasting styles.

Model’s offense is led by strong-armed senior quarterback Bear Crowder



Ridgeland's Mike Bowman tries to break free from a Dade County tackler. The Panthers open at Armuchee Friday night. (Messenger photo/Matt Ledger) and a corps of solid receivers that include Lyle Morris, Brandon Brown and Jonathan Hufstetler. Desmond Brown is the go-to man when the Devils turn to the ground game while Branton Treglown and Patrick Millican lead the way on defense.

Last year, Gordon Lee used a punishing running game to double up the Blue Devils, 42-21, in Chickamauga.

The Trojans rushed for 306 yards and were not forced to punt during the entire game. Matt Thornburg carried 13 times for 117 yards and three touchdowns in the win.

Crowder completed 10-of-20 passes for 130 yards and a score while the Devils finished the night with 173 yards on the ground.

The series dates back to the 1950’s with the Devils owning a slim 9-8 lead.

After nearly a 30-year wait, the two teams began playing again in 1994. The Trojans have won five of the last seven meetings, but are 2-2 against Model in their last four meetings.

LaFayette (0-0) at Trion (0-0)

One of the area’s longest rivalries will crank up again at Sam R. McCain Stadium when the Ramblers roll into town looking to derail the Bulldogs in what should be a packed house in Trion.

The Bulldogs are coming off back-to-back three-win regular seasons and suffered heavy graduation losses on both sides of the football. While some are predicting another tough year in Trion, LaFayette head coach Tommy Welch isn’t buying into it.

“They are still a typical Trion team,” he said. “They are physical and they play as hard as all get out. Defensively, they are the same way. They like to mix it up. They are strong inside and have have two good safeties. They’re solid.”

Trion lost a good deal of offensive firepower, especially in the backfield where they are having to replace a starting quarterback and their two top backs from a season ago.

Senior Cain Smith, an preseason All-State safety, and fellow senior Daniel Cordele will be counted on heavily to pick up the slack. On defense, hard-hitting linebacker Jake White is a name to watch.

LaFayette is hoping to establish their offense early and Welch said that his team can’t afford any mistakes.

“We can’t commit penalties and make mistakes,” he said. “Trion isn’t the type of team that’s going to do anything to beat themselves. We need to get off to a good start.”

Trion leads the series 31-19 and has won the last five meetings, including a 35-0 win at LaFayette last year. The Ramblers last win over the Bulldogs was a 17-13 victory in 1993.

Ridgeland (0-0) at Armuchee (0-0)

A long wait to start the season has finally come to an end for the Panthers, who are looking to ambush the Indians on opening night.

Armuchee will not be the most experienced team as nearly two-thirds of its roster will be made up of underclassmen. But that doesn’t mean Armuchee isn’t devoid of talent.

“They have two or three very skilled kids that can make plays,” Mariakis said. “Offensively, they run a lot of different formations and defensively they get after it and tackle well. It’s going to be a challenge and they are going to be fired up. I know from my days at Chattooga that they have a lot of pride in Armuchee and it’s never an easy place to play.”

Perhaps the Indians’ most dangerous weapon is senior Will Wiggins, who will line up at quarterback and in the secondary while handling the kicking and punting chores as well. He’ll get help from receivers Justin Davis and Kyle Davis and talented sophomore tailback Davante Hudson.

The two teams met for the first time last year at Ridgeland as a big goal-line stand by the Panthers in the third quarter helped seal a 21-6 win.

Carlen Bowman threw for 138 yards and a touchdown for Ridgeland while Wiggins was 10-of-12 for 130 yards and a score. The touchdown came on the game’s final play to spoil the shutout bid.