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ALBANY, GA -- Tackling has been the largest early season problem haunting the Westover Patriots.

It's the cause of one loss already, but more are sure to come if the Patriots don’t wrap it up now. In particular, the tackling woes may create a long Friday night against Lee County.

Westover coach Octavia Jones plans to use a keep away offense as the best defense against the Lee County Trojans high-powered offense.

Lee County has scored 101 points in their first two games. The 49-31 and 52-13 blowout Trojan wins have come against Westover's fellow city and region opponents, Dougherty and Albany High.

While Friday’s game at Hugh Mills Stadium isn’t necessarily a rivalry game for Westover or Lee County. It's almost as if the Patriots have a lot to prove against their neighboring county.

“We're playing for the pride of the Dougherty County right now. I told the guys that (Tuesday). We have the opportunity to kind of save face and be the team that stops them from getting the sweep,” Coach Jones said.

“We want to represent for Dougherty County, for people in Albany, so I guess you can say it's kind of a rivalry game or a border wars game or whatever. But we're just going to go out there and play hard,” Patriots linebacker Don Mills said.