Although only two area teams will begin traveling tonight what they hope are paths leading to December's state championships in Cookeville, the game between Baylor and Rhea County signals the beginning of 15 straight weekends of high school football.
Two other games originally scheduled for tonight - Bradley Central at Walker Valley and Hixson at Marion County - were postponed until Friday in an effort to avoid heavy rain predicted for this afternoon and evening.
It won't matter as much at Rhea County, where the Eagles and Red Raiders will be playing on artificial turf.
"It gives us an advantage when it comes to weather," Rhea County athletic director Micah Ruehling said. "I hate it that the weather might not be ideal, but the field should be in good shape, so we're still planning on playing."
Kickoff is at 7:30, and Rhea is hopeful of a sizeable crowd despite the weather, because both teams are ranked in their respective classifications - Rhea No. 2 in Class 5A and Baylor No. 6 in Division II.
"There's a lot of excitement in our county right now football-wise, and we're expecting a huge crowd with an outstanding opponent," Ruehling said. "The weather is what it is."
The two postponed games should be among the highlights on Friday's schedule. Other games that will draw a lot of interest Friday include midstate power Riverdale at Ooltewah, Red Bank at rival Soddy-Daisy, East Hamilton at Signal Mountain, McMinn Central at McMinn County, Meigs County at Sweetwater and Sequatchie County at South Pittsburg.
Baylor and Rhea last played in 2000. The Red Raiders, who were under first-year coach David Bibee at the time - he's now an assistant at MTSU - won 36-20. The teams also played in 1997 and '98, both season openers and both won by Rhea. Their initial series was in the late 1970s and early '80s, when Rhea County won three of four.
Riverdale, making its first football trip to Ooltewah, is expected to be among the strongest teams in the Murfreesboro area and was accorded a No. 5 ranking among 6A teams in the state's preseason poll. Ooltewah is No. 5 in 5A.
McMinn Central, a 3A state quarterfinalist last year, will be seeking its second straight win against 5A rival McMinn County. Meigs County aims to break a seven-game losing streak against Sweetwater.
Class 4A's East Hamilton goes after its second straight win at 3A's Signal Mountain, having won 14-12 two years ago. Signal won at East Hamilton last year.
Vic Grider returns as coach after a two-year layoff at South Pittsburg, but he does so with just three returning starters for his Pirates' opener against Sequatchie County.
Contact Ward Gossett at wgossett@timesfreepress.com or 423-886-4765. Follow him at Twitter.com/wardgossett.