In order to be eligible to play football on Friday night, the Murphysboro teachers essentially reached a deal in the 11th hour to end their nearly two week long strike and returned to the classroom Thursday.
Harrisburg, who will play host to Murphysboro this Friday, has been preparing for the Red Devils like they weren't even on strike.
"I had a feeling they would come to an agreement," Harrisburg head coach Gabe Angelly said. "We've prepared for them all week. We haven't changed our game plan and this is just another opportunity for us to prove ourselves and do what a lot of people don't think we can do."
The Bulldogs are winless on the season, sitting at 0-6 overall and 0-3 in Southern Illinois River-To-River Ohio play. Murphysboro, is 4-2 this year and was forced to forfeit last week's game against West Frankfort.
Angelly knows that despite actually being on the field for more than week has done much to slow down the Red Devils. During their four-game winning streak, three wins were shutouts, beatiing Carterville (49-0), Massac County (27-0) and Herrin (41-0).
"Offensively they have backs that run hard and return nearly all their skill kids. They are fast and move the ball. "Dezmond Clark and Zane Caraway have been three-year running backs for them. They are special kids and Murphysboro has a good team."
Murphysboro beat Harrisburg 60-15 last year and has picked up a win over the Bulldogs three times in the last five years. From 1996 to 2013, Harrisburg had won 18 straight.
Eldorado at Christopher-Zeigler-Royalton
The Bearcats picked up a Week 2 win at home against Vienna-Goreville, but since then have lost four straight and sit at 1-5 on the season as they play host to Eldorado Friday at Spann Field.
The Eagles rebounded from a pair of losses to beat Carmi-White County last Friday and for all intent and purposes maintain a fighters chance to host a first round playoff game at Boz Adams Field.
Eldorado (4-2) has won nine straight over C-Z-R and own a 12-10 record over the Bearcats since 1997.
EHS head coach Joe Clark said the game plan going into Friday is to continue to plug holes on offense.
"We're just trying to continue too shore up issues on the offensive line. We had to make some mid-season changes and as far as Friday is concerned, it will be about going out and seeing if we can establish the line of scrimmage and go from there."
Looking back at last week's win over CWC, Clark noted how impressed he was with his team's "will to win."
"We were shorthanded and the kids were presented with an opportunity, took advantage of it. We were able to play clean and didn't make a ton of mistakes. It was good to see."
Spyder Dann covers prep and college sports for the Southern Illinois Local Media News Group. Follow him on Twitter: @spydieshooter.
