When the Anthracite Football League preseason Coaches Poll came out in mid-August not many people were surprised to see North Schuylkill number one.

The Spartans returned a big and strong offensive line along with key personnel at the skill positions.However, newcomer to the AFL, Lehighton was voted second, surprising many except for maybe Tribe head coach Tom McCarroll and his staff.So, naturally when the poll came out and the Spartans and Indians were number one and number two, the next question on everybody's mind was; When do these two teams play each other?Well here we are. It's only week three of the high school football season and already there is a big time game on the docket with serious AFL Championship implications. That's why this week's clash between the unbeaten Tribe and unbeaten Spartans has been chosen as the Times News Game of the Week.So far, so good for both the Indians and Spartans as the preseason hype machine looked to be exactly right about both these squads. They've done nothing, but impress since the opening kickoff of the 2014 season.Lehighton has managed to outscore it's opponents by a margin of 97-20, getting the opposition to turn the ball over a ton, while utilizing a strong rushing attack, anchored by junior Wyatt Clements. Clements rushed for over 100 yards in both of the Indians contest and has six rushing touchdowns on the season.North Schuykill has been simply dominant upfront, allowing just six points this season against solid competition. The Spartans took down Tamaqua 35-6 on opening night and Blue Mountain 24-0 last week.North Schuylkill will have the advantage on the offensive line and defensive line all throughout the AFL, but that hasn't stopped the Indians from game planning to take them head on."We need to key on penetrating their offensive line and getting pressure in the backfield and on the quarterback," said McCarroll. "Their quarterback is the guy that makes their offense go, so if we can disrupt his flow then we can disrupt their offensive rhythm. We know they're big upfront, they're bigger than us, but we have a strong physical group as well."That quarterback coach McCarroll was referring to is Bobby Grigas. Grigas has shown the ability to thrown the ball extremely effectively this season and can also run when needed. Other Spartans to watch out for are running back John Rupinski, fullback Major Jordan and wide receiver Tevin Murray. Murray is a big target at 6-5, who hasn't really been challenged this season. Don't expect that this week as 6-3 cornerback/wide receiver Tyler Crum will match up with him on defense.A key for the Indians this season has been their leadership. The guys that were expected to make noise for the Tribe have done just that. Tyler Cann, Crum, Clements, Tom Ruzicka, and Marques Spencer have all done their part in order to put Lehighton back on the map. The Indians offensive, which may not get as much credit as they deserve ha played well too, opening up lanes for Clements and crew. That unit has been led by seniors Evan Haberman and Joel Kuneck.Lehighton's debut into the AFL has want pretty well so far and on Friday the night the crowd is expected to be huge, which to McCarroll is a big reason why he wanted to join the AFL."This is the benefit of being in this league," said McCarroll. "People in the AFL and fans of the AFL just love the game of football. It's also a testament to how hard both teams have worked in the offseason be in such a big game in week three. It will certainly be a championship type atmosphere and we can't wait to go out there and compete on Friday night."