Two years ago, the second week of the season and a visit from intracounty rival Walker Valley set the stage for Bradley Central running back Jackson Wilson's breakout party.
With his Bears trailing 21-0 after two quarters, Wilson rushed for four touchdowns in the second half, and the freshman's big night led to a 37-34 comeback victory against the Mustangs.
Wilson's sophomore season include more damage against Walker Valley, with Bradley Central's 24-10 road win capped by his 78-yard scamper for his third touchdown on a night when he totaled 201 yards.
So with Walker Valley visiting Bear Stadium on Friday, it's easy to understand if Wilson, now a 6-foot-2, 180-pound junior, is a little extra excited this week.
"The county rivalry games do motivate us, and we take it very personal," Wilson said. "Through the week we stick to ourselves, make game plans, and on Friday nights we put it down. I just go out there and play my best game. I don't have seasonal goals. I just try to do what I can to help our team win."
In last week's opener, Walker Valley jumped out to a 23-0 lead as three early interceptions helped set up the offense for success in a 29-15 win at Notre Dame. Eli Denton, Brady Montgomery, Tucker Ownby and Braxton Smith all had interceptions in the victory.
After competing with Bradley Central into the fourth quarter the past two years, the Mustangs will try to do something they have never done before.
"We have never beat Bradley at their place, so we want to be the first ones to do that and leave that legacy," said senior two-way standout Jackson Gibson, who threw key blocks and tipped a pass that Denton picked off and returned 60 yards for a touchdown last week. "We are fired up and want to go out from start to finish and play strong football."
Denton is also the lead back for the Mustangs, who recently found out Soddy-Daisy transfer Tanner Whittenbarger, expected to contribute to the running game, is out for the season with a torn ACL. Denton — a back-to-back all-state linebacker who averaged 13 tackles per game last season — had 47 yards on offense and scored twice last week.
"You can definitely tell Eli is the heart and soul of that team," Bradley Central coach Damon Floyd said. "He is a really good high school football player, and we know we will have our hands full with him on both sides of the ball."
The Bears hold a 16-1 lead in the all-time series with the Mustangs, with six of those games decided by one touchdown or less.
Bradley Central has a pair of big-play threats in junior Marcus Goree Jr. and sophomore J'Alan Terry. Goree can score as a receiver, kick returner or even as a ball hawk who can play in several spots for the Bears' 3-3-5 defense. Terry is a playmaker running or catching the football, which he showed in the Bears' 53-13 win over Brainerd last week in which they scored all their points in the first half.
Floyd believes his team's best offense will be one that spreads the ball around instead of just riding the rushing of Wilson, who was worn down late last season by a shoulder injury.
Walker Valley's defense and ground attack controlled the game flow in the win at Notre Dame, but junior quarterback Evan Schwarzl is expected to be showcased a lot more this week. The dual threat has a strong arm and will try to challenge a stout secondary that includes Tito Williams, who broke up two passes against Brainerd.
"If you want to compete with Bradley Central, you have to work hard and fight to the finish," said Drew Akins, who's in his fourth season as head coach at Walker Valley. "Our kids are hungry and have talked about this game since January. The goal is to compete and find a way to finish on top."
Contact Patrick MacCoon at pmaccoon@timesfreepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @PMacCoon.