INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — WISH-TV is your home for high school football and every week Greg Rakestraw from the ISC Broadcast Network joins Daybreak to break down the ‘Game of the Week.’ 

The season’s first game is a huge rivalry: Lawrence North versus Lawrence Central. For the past decade, the battle for Lawrence Township had been in week 3, so excitement is looming over this matchup.

“It’s something new because, again, it has been in week number three. It’s usually been the MIC (Metropolitan Interscholastic Conference) opener since LC joined LN in the MIC about a decade ago. They elected to go back to what was the original date for this when they were nonconference opponents – back to week number one,” Rakestraw said.

He says it will be a “ridiculously loaded” week one across Central Indiana.

“All weeks of high school football are good, but I’m not sure we will see as large or as fervent of a crowd until the postseason – as we will tomorrow night at Lawrence Central High School.”

According to Rakestraw, what is unique about both teams is they each have experienced quarterbacks who were not fully starting quarterbacks in the prior year.

“Tanner Aspeslet for Lawrence North was 48 for 88 last year, seven touchdowns. He and Montez Jones shared time a season ago. Terry Walker is in a similar story for Lawrence Central. Bryson Luter, who now plays at Army, was a starting quarterback the last three years. But Terry is a young man they’ve been kind of waiting on because they think he is a Division I level quarterback prospect. So he has some experience at quarterback as well,” Rakestraw explained.

Rakestraw says both teams have some key pieces returning defensively.

“Perhaps the difference might be — or the strength of these two teams is — what they return in terms of the running back position. Lawrence North had a freshman last year in a Xavion Moore that rushed for over 1,000 yards. Well, the top three running backs return for Lawrence Central and they combined for over 1,300 yards on the season. So these are teams that I think because of the rivalry and their experience on offense will really be in mid-season form. It will not look like a week one game.”

Lawrence North made the sectional final last season and Lawrence Central made the sectional final the year before that. 

“If there is a year that LN or LC might catch Cathedral, it’s this year. And tomorrow night might be an indication as to who has the best chance,” Rakestraw said.

Watch the full interview to hear his advice on what other games to keep an eye on this Friday.

You can catch every play of our ‘Game of the Week’ live on WISH-TV’s sister station MyIndy-TV 23 at 7 p.m. Friday. After the game, switch to WISH-TV for all the highlights on ‘The Zone.’