The Opp Bobcats get the season started on Friday night when they host the rival Elba Tigers.

“We are just excited to be playing our first game of the season,” Opp head coach Brent Hill said. “Eveyone else got to get started last week and I think we are just ready to go up against someone with a different name on the front of their jersey.”

Hill said that the game will not be a cake walk for the Bobcats.

“Elba is a very explosive team,” Hill said. “This is going to be a fun way to start the season. They are going to be a very tough team.”

The Tigers are a team loaded with talent, Hill said.

“They are a very talented team,” Hill said. “They have a good quarterback, good running back and two receivers that you can’t go to sleep on. On defense, they’ve got a couple of guys up front that are really good looking football players.”

Hill said that he believes his team is ready to hit the field on Friday night.

“It’s been hot a practice just like it has been for everyone else,” Hill said. “The kids have still be doing a lot of conditioning. This week you could see difference in them just because it’s game week. It’s a lot easier to get up when you know you playing a game on Friday night.”

Taking Elba out of what they normally do is something Hill said would be key.

“We have to make them do something they aren’t used to,” Hill said. “They have been scoring extremely quickly. So if they are scoring on a three or four play drive, we want to see what the do with a 10 play drive. On offense, the key is going to be for the line to win the battle up front. Our kids know what to expect from them and know we have wait and see if we can pass the test on Friday night.”

Elba won last year’s game 30-18, but Opp has won four of the past six games between the two squads.

Opp holds a 45-37 record over Elba in the storied history of the rivalry.

Elba has spent the last decade as a Class 2A powerhouse, but moved down the Class 1A the past season.

The Tigers have new head coach this year in Pate Harrison. Harrison comes over to Elba after spending six seasons as the head coach at Dale County.

Opp and Elba are scheduled to start at 7 p.m., Friday at Channell-Lee Stadium in Opp.