Lassiter takes its 40.8-point scoring average on the road Friday, Sept. 18, visiting Woodstock with both teams chasing their first region win of the season.

The Trojans (3-1, 0-1) and Wolverines (1-3, 0-1) kick off at 7:30 p.m. at Woodstock High School. Both squads dropped their region openers on Sept. 11: Lassiter fell 34-26 at home to Kell, while Woodstock lost to Pope.

For Lassiter, the region stakes are straightforward. A loss would put the Trojans in an early 0-2 hole with matchups against River Ridge, Pope, Sequoyah, Creekview and Rome still ahead.

Lassiter head coach Sean Thom told the Marietta Daily Journal his team used the week to reset after its first loss.

"We had a good install day Monday, went over the game plan, and you could see as we put the Kell game to rest, the kids were hungry," Thom said.

Thom praised sophomore quarterback Caden Jones for his toughness against Kell. Jones threw the ball nearly 50 times in the game and kept battling through hits, according to Thom. The coach said some outside criticism has come Jones' way but called the sophomore "who you want back there."

Lassiter's offense has averaged 40.8 points per game through four contests, making the Trojans one of the area's highest-scoring teams. The Kell game marked the first time this season the offense failed to reach 30 points.

Woodstock enters the Sept. 18 game with its own challenges. The Wolverines started sophomore quarterback Brady Arnold against Pope after senior Graham Burmeister went down with an injury. Senior running back Xavier Murphy turned in a strong individual performance against Pope, but Woodstock could not score consistently enough to keep pace.

Whether Burmeister returns for the Sept. 18 game remains unclear. If Arnold gets the start again, Woodstock will need to establish a passing attack to match Lassiter's firepower, according to the MDJ preview.

Thom said he respects Woodstock's coaching staff, praising head coach Pearce's offensive preparation and defensive coordinator "Coach Oz" for fielding a physical, well-executed unit. He noted the Wolverines have players who create matchup problems.

After the Woodstock game, Lassiter continues region play at River Ridge on Oct. 2, then travels to Pope on Oct. 9 before hosting Sequoyah for homecoming on Oct. 23 and Creekview for senior night on Oct. 30.