GRAY, Tenn. (WJHL) – Football fans of the Tri-Cities will get the full experience this Friday night, as games will start up in the Commonwealth this week. However, one of the big matchups in Northeast Tennessee will be West Ridge and Daniel Boone.

The Wolves are 1-0 on the young season, following a 40-0 shutout of Volunteer to open the year. The third-year program dominated the Falcons, thanks to junior quarterback Trey Frazier. The dual-threat accounted for 168 totals yards and four touchdowns in the victory.

The Blazers know Frazier’s ability to escape the pocket and create with his feet will cause some extra problems in Gray. West Ridge is also searching for a little redemption after a 33-0 defeat in Week 2 of the 2022 season.

The Trailblazers had a charged week of practice following a 7-0 defeat to Clyde A. Erwin on Friday night. It was the program’s first home defeat since November 12, 2021.

A handful of new faces held up well on the defensive end, and head coach Jeremy Jenkins even felt the offense operated well in the middle of the field. This week, the focus has been on finishing drives in the redzone.

“We were our own worst enemy,” Jenkins said of the offense last Friday night. “Just the executing and staying ahead of the chains, getting a hat on a hat and just knowing what you’re supposed to do. Getting the ball who it needs to be gotten to.”

“Repping plays every day and getting to where everybody knows everything about a play – the spacing and everything,” senior wideout and safety Jackson Utsman explained. “Just not getting too sped up when we get down there in the redzone and just focusing on executing our stuff and getting it done.”

Daniel Boone quarterback Luke Jenkins will make his second start since missing the final game of the 2022 season with a knee injury. Despite the scoreless effort in Week 1, neither his head coach nor Utsman have any worries about the trajectory of the offense this season under the senior.

“I thought for his first game back coming off the knee injury, I thought he played fine,” Jeremy Jenkins said.

“I thought he threw the ball well,” Utsman said. “Coach said he started 12-for-12 throwing the ball for the game. So, I feel like he was throwing the ball well and seeing the field pretty well.”

Kickoff between West Ridge and Daniel Boone is slated for 7 p.m. on Friday night.