CHESAPEAKE, VA (WTKR)- They're used to dominating their respective sides of the water locally and their respective classes state-wide. Friday they'll meet in one of their biggest tests of the early season.
Oscar Smith and Phoebus square off on the Tigers' home field in our 757 Showdown. It will mark the season opener for the Phantoms, who got a chance to get a little extra rest and heal some preseason injuries with an extra week off, but had to watch other teams take the stage while they waited.
"Not playing zero week, it kind of puts your guys in a position where you are playing the waiting game," pointed out Phoebus head coach Jeremy Blunt.
As for Oscar Smith, the Tigers already have a game and a win under their belts. The team hit the road to open the campaign last Friday and grabbed a 39-25 victory over Hermitage. Smith is using an early playoff exit from a year ago to fuel some hopeful early season success.
"It meant a lot to us," Tigers' senior linebacker Jarrell Johns said of the season-opening win. "A lot of the guys out here, we just were like 'we can't go out like last year.' We've got to be better, we've got be more physical, we've got to come out with a win."
These two powerhouses collide on Friday night, with both plenty familiar with playing at a high level. Phoebus enters the season looking for its third straight state championship, while Oscar Smith fell just short of three consecutive state titles in 2022. The Phantoms have won 29 of their last 30 games, while the Tigers have only lost two contests against 757 opponents since 2019.
"Everybody on my team prepares for games like this," Johns said. "These are games we're made for."
"It's a tough open, but it's the kind of open that gets you prepared for your season as well," Blunt noted. "It doesn't matter who's on the schedule. I know they feel the same way. It just is what it is. You sign up for these things."
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These are two programs that have set the standard, but they are no stranger to each other. Phoebus and Oscar Smith have met in the regular season finale in each of the last two seasons. The Tigers rolled to a 42-0 win on their home field in 2021, with the Phantoms returning the favor at Darling Stadium last year, 56-0.
"I feel like we've got to up the score," Phoebus senior linebacker Anthony Reddick said. "It's tied, so I feel like we've got to go up one."
"It's been in our mind ever since it happened," Johns said of last season's lopsided loss. "We've been thinking about it every day."
The programs have mutual respect for one another, but no fear. It's an early match-up that's worthy of December between two teams who have plans to play well into the postseason.
"It's exciting to have match-ups like this," Blunt said. "It's exciting to go into a ballgame knowing that you're going to get your opponent's absolute best. There are going to be some big shots that are going to be taken. It's like a heavyweight bout."
"We come into this game with a chip on our shoulder," Johns said. "The guys are coming together a lot more this week. I feel like everything's just clicking on all cylinders."
Kickoff is set for 7:00 PM on Friday night at Oscar Smith.
