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County rivals square off Friday night when the Goshen Eagles host the Pike County Bulldogs for homecoming at Eagles Stadium.

Friday night’s meeting marks the first time the two schools will meet since the 2017 season. Unofficially, the two teams have met 23 times with Pike County holding the 18-4-1 advantage.

“It’s a big thing. These guys know one another,” Goshen head coach Bart Snyder said. “Our guys are excited. They have a good team. There is a lot of excitement going on. People want to be here and at the game.”

“I think It’s going to be exciting because the kids know each other and the coaches know each other,” Bulldog head coach Fred Holland said. “It’s been a while since we played. It’s always been a good, physical contest and we don’t look for it to be any different. It’s a region game and it’s something we have to have to make the playoffs.”

The Eagles defeated the Bulldogs 24-14 in their last meeting.

Both teams enter the game coming off losses. The Eagles head into the game coming off a 53-0 loss to Dadeville, while the Bulldogs are coming off a 13-12 loss against Montgomery Catholic.

After starting the season with a 60-14 win over Dadeville, the Bulldogs have dropped their last two contests. The Bulldogs have won a game and lost two by forfeit this season. The Eagles are still in search of their first win of the season. They enter the game 0-6 on the season. Two of Goshen’s losses came by way of forfeit.

The Eagle offense has struggled to get going this season. They have scored a total of 31 points in their three games played this season and are averaging 10 points per game.

They scored a season high 13 points in their loss against Reeltown.

“The positives we have are with our young guys,” Snyder said. “They are grasping the things we do.”

After scoring 60 points in their win over Dadeville, the Bulldogs offense has also slowed down. They were shutout by Trinity and scored just 12 points against Catholic last Friday night.

“I can’t say it’s just one thing. It’s been a combination of things,” Holland said. “We have done a decent job at correcting some things; we are trying to improve. Having games back-to-back, it will correct some things. Consistently having games and being able to prepare is a step forward.”

The Two teams share a region for the first time this season. While the Eagles are still searching for their first win, the Bulldogs with their 2-2 conference record find themselves in a four-way tie for second place. The Bulldogs, Reeltown, Childersburg and Dadeville are all 2-2. Trinity and Montgomery Catholic enter the week undefeated at 4-0.

“We want to be a team that has the opportunity to make the playoffs,” Holland said. “It’s something we are striving for. We know what’s at stake. We are in position to be 3-2 tomorrow night.”