(COVINGTON, LA)  The St. Paul’s Wolves are set to play the Jesuit Blue Jays in an epic cross-causeway rivalry this Friday (Sept. 8) at 7 p.m. in Hunter Stadium.

Last year, the Wolves defeated the Blue Jays 13-10 in a thrilling overtime victory. No matter the strength or personnel of either team, this game is always an entertaining matchup dating back many decades of intense rivalry.

The Wolves are coming into this game with a 42-23 loss in their season opener against Edna Karr. The Wolves committed five turnovers against the dominant Karr defense and were stopped short in the red zone four times during the game. Junior quarterback Johntae McDowell threw four interceptions, two of which were returned for Karr touchdowns. The Wolves simply must improve their red zone efficiency and turnover struggles in order to take down the Blue Jays.

Karr quarterback Skylar Perry was very impressive against the Wolves defense. He finished with 230 yards on 16-of-24 passing attempts with three touchdowns. He also ran for 41 yards. The speed of the Karr offense, the failure to score within the red zone, and five crushing turnovers were what killed the Wolves against the defending 4A state champions.

The Blue Jays are coming off of a season opener loss to a very talented Warren Easton Eagles team. The Blue Jays struggled to contain Easton dual-threat quarterback Lance Legendre, as he was responsible for five touchdowns against the Blue Jays. Just as Karr quarterback Skylar Perry and his receiving squad was too quick for the Wolves’ defense, Legendre and his company was too quick for the Blue Jays to contain.

The Blue Jays also had some frustrating offensives woes against the Eagles. The Blue Jays only put up 151 yards of total offense; 55 yards rushing and 96 passing. The Blue Jays must look to improve their offense in order to take down an experienced and tough SPS defense.

• For live updates of the game this Friday, follow @thepaperwolf on Twitter