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Alvin Sanders and his Morristown West football team enter Friday’s Citizen Tribune Kickoff Classic with a sense of unknown at what they will be looking at across the field.

While the Trojans are a team that returns a great deal of their players, coaching staff and run the same offense and defense they have for years, Morristown East enters Friday’s contest with a new quarterback, new running back, new head coach and new offensive and defensive game plans.

For Sanders, he’s trying to get his team prepared for anything and everything and making sure that his team remains even-keeled throughout the rivalry contest.

“We’ve always tried to focus on the moment,” Sanders said. “We don’t want to make it bigger than it is. It’s the first game, and it’s a rivalry game. Everyone in the community will be there. We’re just trying to focus on us and the really small details. It’s not about playing against your cousin, brother, church member. It’s about going out and executing in this game.”

In last year’s contest, Morristown West set the tone from the beginning with 17 first quarter points. While they only scored seven more the rest of the way, that quick start was enough.

This year, the Trojans will look to do the same and keep the pressure on for four quarters.

“It’s very important to come out quick,” Sanders said. “I felt that we gave some breaks away after that first quarter. We tell our kids everyday to be fearless. We want to play to win every day at whatever we do. This game is going to be a prime example of that. If we get off to a great start, we want to finish it. We don’t want to be complacent. We want to execute.”

On offense for the Trojans, it’ll be a great test against a defense that mostly returns from last season for East. That includes All-State lineman Max Baker and a defensive back in Austin Brannan that Sanders said is one of the best he’s seen at breaking on the football.

“When you have players like that, you never will be able to eliminate them,” Sanders said. “You want to limit their opportunities. Max is going to be everywhere on the defensive line, so he is going to have an impact. With Austin, he’s the quarterback back there and is going to make his presence felt. He’s an ultimate DB back there, and I have a lot of respect.

“At the same time with our kids and weapons we have, we need to make those guys feel like they have to make every play. If you can make those guys feel like they have to do everything, we have a chance to be successful. But I look across their potential lineup and it’s a lot of speed, size and experience. We’re just going to try and keep them on the field and play a lot of snaps.”

One spot where West does have an experience advantage comes at the quarterback position. Malakhi Isom will get the start for the second straight season in the backfield for West and, with guys around him having not play prominent roles in a City Championship before, he’ll be looked upon as the leader and general of the offense.

However, Sanders said he wants to make sure Isom just plays his game and doesn’t feel like he has to do too much.

“I just need him to play within himself,” Sanders said. “I don’t need him to try and feel like he has to make every play. He just needs to go out and execute. If he goes out and does his job and make sure we have a great tempo and doesn’t force things, he’ll have success. He just needs to do his job. If he does that, it could be a great night for us.”

Defensively for the Trojans, they’ll be going up against an East offense that has around nine new starters and a coaching staff with a different offensive philosophy. Because of that, West won’t know exactly what to expect.

However, with an experienced defense of their own, the Trojans will be looking to get in the backfield and try to make new quarterback Caleb Billings uncomfortable.

“The two groups that I am focused on this week prep-wise are our defensive line and secondary,” Sanders said. “When you’re playing a new quarterback, you want to give him different looks. You don’t want him to get comfortable. It’s going to be important for our secondary to not let guys get open and to force bad throws. Our defensive line needs to put pressure on him and make him uncomfortable. If we can do that, maybe we can force a mistake.”

Kickoff for Friday’s game is set for 7 p.m. at Burke-Toney Stadium. West will be the home team this season and have won the past two games, as well as 21 of the last 25 games. West currently has a 33-18 advantage in the rivalry.

For Sanders heading into Friday, he wants his team to just focus on the game at hand, not make it too big and execute on the small details.

“Offensively, we have to get first downs,” Sanders said. “We have to keep the chains moving. When we have opportunity to hit home runs, we have to take them. But for the most part we’re looking to hit singles and keep the chains moving. Defensively, we have to get stops. Whatever it takes, we have to get stops and make tackles. Special teams, we can’t have any miscues. If we can get do all that, it’ll be a win for the Trojans.