HEADLAND, Ala (WDHN) — Its a battle of blue bloods this Friday night in the Wiregrass as the Headland Rams and the Rehobeth Rebel gear up for a class 5A region 2 showdown.

This matchup carries a special significance due to the intense rivalry that has brewed over the past few years.

“Big rivalry, we’ve had a lot of competitiveness over the past few years,” said Ram’s center Carter Sanders. “I think we won last year, and they won the year before, so we’ll look to break the tie this year, especially with our three-year starters. This year, it should be a really good game, especially with homecoming. We all want to win homecoming, of course, especially these seniors. Last year, we want to go out with a bang.”

Toby Greene, the head coach of the Rehobeth team, acknowledged the heightened energy surrounding the game, saying, “It’s homecoming, they’ll be amped up a little extra juice there, but hopefully our guys will feel it being a rivalry game and all. We’re in search of a win. We’re in search of a win. That’s what makes high school football really fun, two teams playing hard, going after each other.”

Both teams are fueled by tough week one losses, which have added even more motivation to their preparations. Reggie Melton, the Headland head coach, emphasized their focus on rectifying past mistakes.

“We made too many mistakes, too many missed tackles, so this week we put a big emphasis on tackling and starting fast on offense.”

Greene echoed a similar sentiment, identifying turnovers and penalties as areas for improvement.

“We turned the ball over five times and had some untimely penalties on both sides of the ball. If we can eliminate those, I feel good about our football team.”

These two teams are no strangers to each other and have a good grasp of what to expect when they face off each year.

“They’re gonna run the football at us, they’re gonna try to slow the game down and run it at us,” said Melton. “We know that coming into it. Last year, it was a 12-3 ball game, so we’re looking for a low-scoring game, see who can control the line of scrimmage and win the ball game.”

For Headland, this game is not just about winning; it’s about dominating.

“You know we want to dominate and make them not want to come back,” said Ram’s tight end Caleb Dozier. “We just got to do all of the little things right, execute. We really have to come out to a fast start because that’s what’s gonna win us the ball game.”

In addition to Dozier’s star power, the Rams boast several offensive weapons, but the Rebels are prepared to limit their game-breaking plays.

“You just have to know where they are at all times, play your technique, keep your leverage, keep the ball in front of you, make them snap the ball again, and be good and sound fundamentally,” said Greene. “We want to be the most physical team that plays, and if we do that, we always like our chances.”

Rehobeth, on the other hand, is determined to capitalize on their own opportunities and eliminate mental mistakes.

“(Its about) opportunities, you know, we were in that game against Carroll, and it’s just small mental mistakes,” said Rebels wide receiver Terrell Townsend. “If we can cut all that out, we should be perfect this week.”

The Rebels have a clear identity centered around their ability to run the ball and dominate in the trenches. Hudson Hardy, Rehobeth’s center, emphasized their confidence: “We feel like we can run the ball, we can punish people, we feel like we can move the ball. Carroll, we only threw five passes, and we had a bunch of rushing yards. We feel like the offensive line can hold people out and move people, and we can be the dominant force in the game.”

The stage is set for an electrifying clash between these Wiregrass titans. Catch highlights from the game on The Extra Point Friday night at 10:15 on WDHN.