No. 16 East Ridge Knights (4-1) at Hagerty Huskies (3-1)

When: Thursday, 7 p.m.

Where: Hagerty High School, Oviedo (3225 Lockwood Blvd.)

TV: Spectrum Sports (Channel 47 and HD 1147)

Coaches: East Ridge – Jason Robinson (1st year, 4-1); Hagerty – Phil Ziglar (5th year, 27-19)

About the matchup: Two teams with district championship aspirations go head-to-head in a critical 7A, District 4 matchup Thursday night.

East Ridge’s season started in a strange fashion with head coach Ashour Peera deciding to step down after he was suspended by Lake County Schools amid allegations of recruiting violations. Offensive coordinator Jason Robinson was named the interim coach and the Knights have won four of their first five games with an explosive offense averaging nearly 40 points per game. Senior wide receiver Justin Watkins, a four-star prospect who decommitted from Texas before the season, has 10 touchdowns and 856 yards rushing and receiving. Seniors Caleb Lynum and Michael Lombardo-Cummings have seen nearly equal time at the quarterback position. Lynum, a transfer from First Academy-Leesburg, has a handful of FBS offers, most notably Indiana. The offensive line is anchored by Elijah Rubin, a four-year starter who also starts at nose guard. Linebacker Christian Campbell is the team’s leading tackler but he’s out with a broken fibula. Second-year starter Andy Thurston and Ethan Terrell have both performed well at the linebacker position. East Ridge’s defense has 10 takeaways – three interceptions and seven fumble recoveries.   

Hagerty has won its two district games by a total of four points with a 22-21 win over Ocoee last week and a 21-18 win against Ocala West Port two weeks ago. The Huskies single-wing offense is averaging more than 400 yards per game. Jordan Gilbert has 703 yards and eight touchdowns while Oliver Hart and Ethan Brewer are the other primary ball carriers. The Huskies have only attempted 22 passes this season, but Caleb Lowe reeled in a big one last week for the game-winning touchdown against Ocoee. Matt Lee is a two-way starter on the line and a major college prospect. The leading tacklers defensively are Sammy Cordero and Tommy Halverson, both underclassmen. Hagerty fields one of the youngest teams in the area with only nine senior starters.

Three and out:

1. Hagerty has taken both games against East Ridge since the teams entered the same district. The Huskies won last year’s game 38-14 and prevailed 62-38 in 2015.

2. Hagerty has improved its win total in every season that Phil Ziglar has been the head coach.

3. East Ridge has made the playoffs seven times in program history, last in 2011. Bud O’Hara coached all of the Knights playoff teams.