William Monroe at Spotswood

When: 7 p.m. Friday

Last week: William Monroe (0-1) lost to Turner Ashby, 24-2. Spotswood (1-0) defeated East Rockingham, 20-12.

When William Monroe has the ball: The Greene Dragons struggled with consistency in its opener as Jon Racha’s team lost its home opener to an improved Turner Ashby team. Dupree Rucker is a proven commodity in the running game and can really make things happen in space. QB Jared Knights is a talent, but he must get protection up front to make plays down the field. Defensively, Linebacker Xzabia Kolpack and safety Kaiden Pritchett are all-district talents.

When Spotswood has the ball: The Trailblazers were without starting quarterback Ryan High last week against rival East Rockingham and his status for this week’s game is up in the air. Coach Dale Shifflett’s team didn’t miss a beat as running back Ethan Barnhardt carried the load with 291 yards on the ground and a pair of touchdowns. Fullback Ben Conahan is another rugged ball-carrier that is tough to bring down, especially in short-yardage situations.

The skinny: Spotswood has dominated the series between these two nondistrict foes, boasting an 11-2 all-time mark. The Trailblazers have won four of the last five meetings, including a 39-10 victory last season.