It’s all going to be about technique in taking care of Luverne’s strong offensive and defensive lines.

That’s the name of the game this Friday night, when Opp will travel to take on the Tigers in region play at 7 p.m.

“We’ve got to use good technique and play really hard,” OHS coach Jack Whigham said. “If we stand up, if we play high, then their lines are going to dominate us. We’ve got to make sure we stay low. I think we will.

“I think we’ve worked on it hard, and I think that if we’ll use good technique, then we’ll hold our own against them a little bit,” he said.

The Bobcats (1-1, 1-0 in Class 3A, Region 2) are coming off a 21-2 victory over Daleville last Friday, where they racked up a total of 294 yards on offense.

The Bobcats will be up against a Luverne O-line, where the Tigers have four returning starters in seniors Lonnie Freeman, Desmond Harrell, Robert Freeman and Hayden Shelton.

In addition, Luverne has junior quarterback Tige Townsend and junior and sophomore running backs Ladorian Jackson and Jamarcus June in the back field, respectively.

“They may throw it five or six times a game and that’s about it,” Whigham said. “They run the ball, and control the ball using their offensive line and, they’ve got a couple quick running backs.

“That’s how they’re trying to control the game,” he said. “They have the capability of keeping the ball away from you, and getting five to six to seven yards at a time. And, they have the capability of making really good plays. They have some weapons.”

When asked how essential a win would be this week, Whigham said it’s still “a mighty young season right now.”

“We’re 1-0 and we’d love to be 2-0 in the region when it’s over with,” he said. “A win doesn’t certainly guarantee us anything, and just like a loss doesn’t eliminate us from anything, but as long as you stay at the top or towards the top, you set yourself up for a chance to make the playoffs and you set yourself up for a chance to host a playoff game.

“This game is important because it’s the next one and it’s a region game,” he said. “I’ve been trying to preach to our kids all week long that Luverne’s a quality opponent and has a long tradition of having quality wins. They have a rich tradition over there. A lot of our younger kids don’t know a whole lot about that, and they have a tradition there that we’d like to have one day here. It means something to play football at Luverne High School, and hopefully we’ll continue to bild our program here so that people will look at us in those same eyes as far as tradition and everything.”