ST. PAULS — An in-county matchup. Two teams with plenty of key returners. Two playoff squads from last year looking for more in 2024.

What more could you want from a season opener?

Robeson County will get all of that from Friday’s matchup when St. Pauls hosts Purnell Swett at G.S. Kinlaw Stadium. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m.

“We’re a team that always has got our eyes on November and December, so anytime we can get a game that gives atmosphere of a playoff (game) and things like that, it’s just a plus,” St. Pauls coach Mike Setzer said. “This game is a plus for both programs; to get all of that in one game is a plus. The crowd — we don’t really have a rivalry, but it’s still a RobCo game.”

“This is what you live for when you coach football, you want big-time games,” Purnell Swett coach Josh Deese said. “This is going to be the first test that we have opening the season; how we do Friday night is going to dictate our season.”

The schools will meet on the gridiron for the first time since 2010. Purnell Swett has won all six previous meetings, played each season from 2005-10; St. Pauls last beat a Pembroke-based school when it defeated Pembroke High in 1979, and the teams tied the following year.

“We used to have the opportunity to play Purnell back in the day, and thankfully Coach Deese and everybody in the other administration have put this game back on,” Setzer said. “I think it’s a much-wanted game for a long time. It ties the top end of the county to the bottom half of the county. We’re thankful to play them; they had a lot of success last year, and I think it’ll be able to show we’re trying to be ambassadors for the sport and for our county, and it’s a great way to do that for both teams.”

St. Pauls finished 6-5 last season, recovering from an 0-3 start to finish second in the Southeastern Athletic Conference and reach the first round of the 2A state playoffs. Purnell Swett began 4-0 before finishing 5-6, but also reached the state playoffs in 4A, the program’s first postseason bid since 2017.

Preparations for this particular season opener are unique, as Purnell Swett saw both of its preseason scrimmages canceled and has not taken the field against live competition yet.

“Our boys are ready to hit someone other than their teammates,” Deese said. “The intensity was really good (Monday) at practice. I think they’re focused; even though they didn’t get that opportunity to play last week, they’re hungry for Friday night, and we’re just going to have to play sound football, minus the jamboree preparation.”

The teams did not exchange film, since Purnell Swett has none.

“Now we’ll just go blind date, so it’s going to show, well who’s been coaching a little better here,” Setzer said. “I like my coaching staff, and they’ve got a good coaching staff over there, and I’m excited to have a blind date, because I think it helps both coaching staffs to be able to coach on the fly, and make sure that your techniques and your coaching points are similar Friday night.”

When St. Pauls’ offense has the ball and stands across from Purnell Swett’s defense, it has the potential to be a strength-vs.-strength matchup. St. Pauls returns nine offensive starters, including quarterback Theophilus Setzer, the 2023 Robeson County Offensive Player of the Year; Purnell Swett’s defense also boasts plenty of experience.

“We know what we’re getting,” We know the quarterback is good; you can’t take anything away from him, he’s really good. The whole team (is good), not just him, it’s more than one person. He’s got good complements around him. Our defense is focused.

Purnell Swett’s offense, meanwhile, will look to establish the run — the team’s identity on that side of the ball over the last few years.

“The key to stopping the run is just being consistent,” Mike Setzer said. “We come out of a run-heavy conference; all respect due to Purnell Swett, they always do a great job of running the ball, but we’re not going to back away from that, we come out of a run-heavy conference. I think, hopefully we can show them that we are accustomed to good running teams.”

St. Pauls lost last year’s Week 1 game to Westover but had won its previous five openers. Purnell Swett has won two straight season openers after losing its previous four.

Fairmont at Lumberton

Lumberton and Fairmont will face each other in Week 1 for the third straight season, with the Pirates and Golden Tornadoes set for a 7 p.m. kickoff Friday at Lumberton’s Alton G. Brooks Stadium.

Lumberton will debut a new head coach against Fairmont for the second straight year, with Taurius Baker taking over the Pirates. Friday marks his first game as a head coach anywhere after a two-decade career as an assistant at various stops, including Lumberton. Jeremy Carthen begins his second season leading Fairmont.

Both teams won two games last year. Fairmont beat Lumberton 14-12 in the season opener, then waited until the ninth game of the season before its second win, over West Bladen. Lumberton lost its first seven games before winning two of its last three, beating Douglas Byrd and Purnell Swett.

The Pirates and Golden Tornadoes each have a lot of unanswered questions entering the season. Fairmont graduated most of its production from last season; Lumberton has some moderate experience, but also lost several key players, and is learning a new coach’s system for the second straight offseason.

Lumberton leads the all-time series 9-5, but Fairmont has won in each of the last two seasons, both in Week 1. Fairmont won 16-14 in Lumberton in 2022 before also beating the Pirates last year at home; the 2022 win was Fairmont’s first win in the series since 1975.

Lumberton looks to snap a streak of seven straight losses in season-opening games.

Douglas Byrd at Red Springs

The only local Week 1 matchup not to feature Robeson County schools facing each other is at Red Springs, where the Red Devils welcome Douglas Byrd for a 7 p.m. kickoff.

Douglas Byrd was 0-10 in 2023, but will be more experienced this year than last and could potentially be more competitive. Quarterback Isaiah Pope and receiver Talik McCollum are among the key returners offensively.

Red Springs improved from one win in 2022 to a 5-6 record last fall, reaching the first round of the 2A state playoffs. Running back Jakelsin Mack and wideout T.J. Ellerbe return after big seasons offensively, while the Red Devils defense has matured a year with many returners.

This is the fourth straight year the schools have met to open the season. Red Springs won last year’s matchup 26-22 , and also beat the Eagles 22-8 in the fall 2021 season; Douglas Byrd topped the Red Devils 26-24 in 2022. These are the only three meetings between the programs all-time; the road team won all three games.

Red Springs has won eight of its last nine season openers.