During the first Friday night of the high school football season eyes in Pike County will turn to Troy for the annual Pike County Showcase. Although the game is technically a preseason game there is no taking it easy for the players and coaches wearing Charles Henderson blue and orange.

“It adds a lot of energy to the beginning of the season. It’s not an ordinary game by any stretch of the imagination,” said CHHS Trojan head coach Brad McCoy. “I have found that in the last two and a half weeks that I have not been able to go shopping or go out to eat without someone from Brundidge talking about this game.”

This game brings a lot of familiarity to the football field. Many of these kids have grown up with each other and have played other sports together as well. All of which will bring an extra level of intensity Friday night, McCoy said.

“Its really remarkable how much time these kids spend with one another outside of school and football,” McCoy said. “For them to meet on Friday night is really going to be exciting to watch.”

The game does not matter in the record books, but in the players’ and coaches’ minds treating the game like a jamboree game is out of the question. The game means so much to the teams and communities that neither team can afford to take the game for granted.

For every other Jamboree game that McCoy has been in a Jamboree game is meant for practice and to get every player some experience, something they may not have the luxury of Friday evening.

“Not this game, coach Fred Holland is not going to do that, and we can’t really afford to because of what this game means to the players and the communities,” McCoy said. “It’s not a game where you go out and try to play everyone because the game is on the line. You hope that at the end of the game you have a big enough lead that you can play some of the younger guys.”

With the game happening at the beginning of the season both coaches hope that this is a game that sets up the rest of the season. McCoy hopes that the momentum gained by this game is something that will continue to resonate the entire season.

“For us we look at starting the season off fast and to make sure that we are ready for region play here in a few weeks,” McCoy said. “We cannot relax, we told our guys its not like we have just one rivalry game a year. We have Eufaula and Greenville. So we have a schedule full of unique games with a lot riding on them.”

The Trojans will be tasked with stopping senior quarterback Jerrel Lawson and an offensive attack that is sure to excite fans. The college-bound quarterback leads an offensive attack that features and option look but at the same time have dangerous weapons on the outside as well.

“They have two very talented wide receivers that can go up and get the ball,” McCoy said.

“You almost play with caution early against this team and get comfortable and that at times we will have to show pressure. We are going to have to make him feel uncomfortable at times.”

This game means so much for the players and communities, but it also means a lot when it comes to the outcome of the season. The momentum of this game will go a long way in determining the outlook of the 2015 season.

“I think its confidence, we have so many kids that didn’t get a lot of playing time last year,” McCoy said. “We want them to start believing that all the work we put in to this summer will pay off.”