Portsmouth Christian (0-0) at Covenant (0-0), 4 p.m.
The basics: Covenant’s football program has an entirely new look this year, with Dave Hart now the head coach and a completely new offense. The Eagles will play to their strengths — speed and smarts — and run an option and counter-based attack that’ll give an undersized but technically sound offensive line a better chance to create some holes. The first big test for that offense comes against a Portsmouth Christian squad that went 3-7 last year. Look for the Eagles to try and find a rhythm and work out the kinks against Portsmouth Christian. Austin Llera and Quan Washington (when he’s not leading the Covenant secondary), will need to be spot on and give Covenant’s offense a jolt, with Llera providing the thunder to Washington’s lightning. Maintaining posession and melting the clock on offense could put the Eagles in excellent position to pick up a win.
Key matchup: Covenant’s front seven takes on Portsmouth Christian’s ground game. Mykal Marraccini is slated to be the signal-caller for the Patriots this year and he’s shown flashes of being a dangerous weapon under center. But the Eagles’ real struggles last season came with stopping the run. Improvement there is crucial for Covenant to get the latest chapter started on the right foot.
Who to watch: Covenant’s Paul Huemme. Huemme emerged as a stalwart defensive back for the Eagles last year as a junior, and now he’ll get a chance to try and repeat that contribution in an entirely different role as the Eagles’ new quarterback. Huemme will be the trigger man in Covenant’s option offense, putting a premium not on his throwing ability but on his decision making and footwork. If Huemme is on point early, he can jumpstart the Covenant offense in a big way.
The line: Covenant by 3. Eagles start Dave Hart era with a narrow win at home.
