Lassiter, Sprayberry Renew Rivalry Tonight

The debut games of both and left their respective fan bases with plenty of questions.

For the Jackets, by Allen Artis of Wheeler turned victory into defeat on Aug. 24. Were it not for some costly penalties and dropped passes, Wheeler may have run away with the game. 

Sprayberry's defense kept them close, forcing and recovering a fumble at their goal line and giving stop after stop to the offense. In the first half, the Jacket offense was inconsequential, but in the second half the group seemed to rally and put together the game's first touchdown drive.

Sprayberry used Torrey Richardson as a running quarterback and Shane Young for passing plays, and this one-two combination sparked the Jackets in the second half. However, Young's interception with 6:01 to go in the game killed the Jacket momentum and seemed to seal the deal for the Wildcats.

Lassiter also seemed to have a "tale of two halves" in their . The game seemed over at halftime, as the Trojans scored at will on offense and defense. At the end of the first half, the score was 37-0.

The Hawks roared back at halftime, and rattled off 29 unanswered points to make the final score a respectable 37-29. Lassiter seemed drained as the game wore on, but had built up such a lead that they were able to grind out the second half. 

With the first game under their belts, these two old rivals meet for the first time in the 2012 season on Friday night at Sprayberry. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution's Chip Saye is predicting a Lassiter victory, and with the Trojans' ability to score in bunches it's hard to disagree. However, Sprayberry's defense should prove a challenge for the men of Troy.

Kickoff is at 7:30 p.m.