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Coming into the season, Jefferson County head coach Spencer Riley knew that weeks three and four could make-or-break his teams chances of winning a region title.

Last Friday, week three, the Patriots took a big step towards a Region 1-6A title as Jefferson County went on the road and took down Science Hill for the first time since 2017.

Now, Jefferson County returns home for another region tussle, this time against Dobyns-Bennett. The winner of Friday’s game will be 2-0 in region play and at the top of the standings.

“It’s a big ballgame for us,” Riley said. “For us coming off a region-opening win against Science Hill and to have D-B the following week, it’s big. If you go out and handle your business and do your job and have the opportunity to win those games in back-to-back weeks, it definitely puts you in the driver’s seat.”

In the win 25-21 over Science Hill, Riley felt his team finally played up to the level of physicality that he’s been looking for out of them this season. With D-B coming in, Riley knows his team will need to continue to play at that level in order to come out with another win.

“We just need to continue to practice with physicality,” Riley said. “If we practice physical, we’re pretty physical in ball games. But if we don’t, we’re kind of soft. We’ve done that at times so we need to make sure we keep the knife sharpened.”

A big reason for the Patriots win on Friday against Science Hill came on the ground as Omarian Mills continued his strong start to the season with 158 yards and two scores, including the game-winning score from 40 yards out.

Mills now has 350 yards in his last two ball games. Last season, it took Mills until game five to eclipse that mark.

“Omarian is 20 pounds lighter,” Riley said. “He’s a physical runner and doesn’t shy away from contact. He’s trying to impose his will on you when he runs the football. That’s what you want out of running back. You want to impose your will on the defensive guys. It’s been good to see him run it violently and try to inflict bodily harm on the defense.”

Another plus for the Patriots on Friday night came in the passing game as Mason Henderson continued to improve in his third game at quarterback. For the game, Henderson was 5-11 for 99 yards and a touchdown.

“I think that the more reps you get in games and practice, the better you’re going to be,” Riley said. “He’s seeing it more clear and things of that nature. We’re still going to try and make him make decisions and understand why he’s doing them instead of just making them blindly.”

Coming into Friday’s game, D-B is 1-1 and 1-0 in Region 1-6A play. The Indians are coming off a 47-21 win over West Ridge. In that game, Will Hurd threw for five touchdowns while Tylen Taylor had 10 catches for 164 yards.

“Looking forward to the challenge against a good football team,” Riley said. “We’re just going to try and do our part and make this game a physical football game and let the chips fall where they may at this point in time.

“They’re going to run the football but take their shots down the field. The quarterback played really well last week and they had a receiver over 100 yards. They’re going to be balanced and keep us on our toes.”

Friday night’s game marks a rare opportunity for Jefferson County. The Patriots have never beaten Science Hill and D-B in the same season.

For previous Patriot teams, they have gotten close but haven’t been able to get over the hump. However, Riley likes where this year’s team is at as they try and make history.

“Individual success will come with team success and our team success is doing pretty well right now and it’s led to success as players,” Riley said. “Our guys are just doing their jobs and coming up with big plays when their numbers are called. They’re buying in that this is about the team more so than me. They’re playing 100% for the team and trying to be Jefferson County football and improve their legacy here.”

Friday night’s game is set for a 7 p.m. kickoff at Jefferson County.

“Our guys understand where we’re at in the season,” Riley said. “We knew from the get go we would know where we stood in the region five games into the season. It’s a tough road to hold here in the first five weeks. Two things on Friday are going to make the difference. Don’t turn the football over and win the special team game. We have to better at those for us to be able to have a chance to win the football game.”