The old saying says “the early bird gets the worm,” but there will be a little more on the line for early risers Friday in Tuscaloosa.

The Charles Henderson Trojans and Oneonta Redskins will meet in the Alabama High School Athletic Association 4A Championship Game at 11 a.m. Friday. The game time is a full seven hours earlier than when the two teams are used to kicking off ball games. Despite the change of time, the Trojans feel the earlier timeslot could play in to their advantage.

Charles Henderson has practiced in the morning before school since July, and are quite used to rising early and getting straight to work.

“We have been playing football in the morning all year,” said Tedarion Myhand, Trojan defensive back. “We are used to getting up early and doing football, so it is no different to us. It doesn’t matter to us when we play. We have to be ready when our name is called.”

The Trojans began the early morning practices over the summer to avoid the extremely hot Alabama afternoons, and to dodge the pop-up late day thunderstorms. Charles Henderson kept the schedule when school started in order to, as head coach Mike Dean says, “keep them and their bodies in the same routine.”

Dean, a creature of habit, doesn’t think the early morning kickoff will affect his Trojans at all.

“We are used to get up in the morning, and used to practicing in the morning,” Dean said. “We practice in the morning Monday through Thursday, so it doesn’t affect us at all. Our kids are used to getting up and getting after it early, so we are ready.”

Marquis Simmons, one of the Trojans defensive leaders agrees with his head coach.

“Everything we do is for a reason,” Simmons said. “The early practices pay off now, and we are ready to bring home the trophy.”

Charles Henderson meets Oneonta Friday at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa.