Under the Friday morning lights, the Allen Eagles and Martin Warriors met on the gridiron looking to get in some work before the regular season starts next week.
But for their fans, players and coaches, this was more than just a scrimmage.
"It's just like Christmas Day," said Bob Wager, head coach of the Martin High School football team. "It's what we live for."
For them, it's a welcome sign that football season has finally arrived.
"It snuck up for sure, but yeah, it feels like football season," said Eric Walker, senior quarterback for the Warriors. "We're jacked up and ready for it."
The crowd that packed the stands at Martin High School for the scrimmage was also jacked up, eager to get a taste of what's to come this fall.
"Everyone gets excited," said Betsy Mobley, a Martin High School fan. "Martin gets better every year. So we're really excited."
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Wager said he likes the intensity his team brought while they took snaps against a real opponent for the first time since last season.
"This is our sixth year doing this with Allen," said Wager. "I know we'll do it again next year because we both get a lot out of it. We help each other get better in a hurry."
And he says his team will need to be good. The Warriors open up their 2015 season with a neutral site match versus DeSoto. The game will be televised nationally on ESPN2 on Saturday, Aug. 29.
"We're just humbled to be a part of it," said Walker. "DeSoto is a great team. It's a great stage and hopefully we can come out with a W. We'll just work hard this week. We're looking forward to it for sure."
Although their match-up Friday was just a scrimmage, it ended in dramatic fashion. Martin won the game on a one-yard touchdown run with one second left.
