GAME 1 PREVIEW: Northwest at BC, Friday at 7 p.m.

Records: BC 0-0; Northwest 0-0

Rankings: Catch It Kansas has NW at second in 6A and BC fifth in 5A. KSHSAA has NW at three and BC at four.

Last year’s records: BC 7-3, lost in second round of state; Northwest 10-1, lost in state quarterfinals

Last year’s game: BC W 37-27. NW led 13-0, but BC scored 30 unanswered points to win the west-side rivalry.

NW players to watch: The speedy Michael Lopez Jr. (WR) led team with 55.4 yards per game and over 500 yards total. LJ Phillips (RB) as a sophomore averaged 180 YPG.

BC players to watch:  Tate Blasi (WR) last year was second in receiving yards per game  with 50. Cooper Buessing is a lockdown corner that leads the secondary.

Leadership: BC has eight returning starters on each side of the ball. Bishop Carroll’s captains are Zack Steven, Cooper Buessing, Tate Blasi, and Sam Duling.

“Those guys were picked by their peers…this says something about their leadership skills, and what their peers think about them,” Coach Dusty Trail said. “All four are going to bring strong leadership to our team; they already have.”

Theme: Military Night. Come with your best USA attire and ready to cheer on the Eagles.

What’s at stake: It’s very important for BC to hit the ground running by starting out 1-0. In the third game of the season, BC plays state-power Derby, so BC needs to begin gaining momentum.

X-Factor: Northwest has two of the best running backs in the state in Phillips and Cencere Thompson. It’s vital for Bishop Carroll to contain this electric running game.

What to watch for: “(Northwest) is very well coached, Coach Martin and his staff do a great job, and both teams know each other very well, which makes the game a lot more difficult. They play fast offensively, and they have two of the top running backs in the state. They have a lot of returners defensively, which is advantageous for them. You add that all together, and it’s going to be a tough game.” – Coach Trail

Flyer predictions: Avery Walker, BC 32-17; Evan Long, BC 24-14

— written by Evan Long & Avery Walker, Flyer sports staff; photo by Raelynn Hahn