Every football team has goals when it starts the season, objectives that can include everything from steady improvement to qualifying for the postseason.
Franklin County’s Waynesboro and Greencastle-Antrim happen to have one of those goals in common: Beat the brakes off a backyard rival.
Both squads have a chance to quickly check that item off their list, as the Tribe invade Kaley Field on Friday night to take on the Blue Devils in a Week 1 clash that we’ve deemed as our Game of the Week.
The Mid-Penn Conference season could be a challenging one for Waynesboro in the Keystone Division and Greencastle in the Colonial, but a winning start on Friday could go a long way in gaining some confidence before venturing into the division gauntlet.
Both squads have some graduation holes to fill, but both also return some exciting players that will have a big say in the outcome of this game. Waynesboro will look to get the job done behind dynamic senior QB Rayshawn Frazier-Hewitt, while Greencastle-Antrim is planning to control action with its three-headed running attack. Buckle up, this party could go deep into the night.
In the weeks and months to come throughout the high school sports season, we plan on spotlighting multiple teams and sports with our Game of the Week. Any big upcoming games we should know about? Send suggestions to Andy Sandrik via email at [email protected].
Waynesboro at Greencastle-Antrim
Kickoff: Friday, 7 p.m., at Greencastle-Antrim
Records: Waynesboro (0-0) went 4-6 last season, while Greencastle (0-0) is coming off a 3-7 campaign.
Last meeting: The Tribe topped the Blue Devils 30-27 in a wild 2024 season opener.
What’s at stake: While the first week is never a “make or break” situation, a winning start would be ideal for both squads as they enter challenging division schedules. The backyard rivalry adds another element to what should be an exciting Friday night at Kaley Field.
Meet the Tribe: Coach Mark Saunders’ Waynesboro squad is coming off an introductory season to the Keystone Division, a campaign which saw the Tribe go 3-6 for seventh place … Rayshawn Frazier-Hewitt is the man to watch for Waynesboro. The electric QB, who can alter the course of a game with both his arm and legs, is back for his senior season … Frazier-Hewitt will be protected by an experienced offensive line, led by the 6-foot-5, 250-pound Matt Bosseler, and his main target in the passing game will be fellow senior Steven Howard … The Tribe’s defense, which graduated a pair of Keystone Division All-Stars in LBs Owen Shockey and Andrew Florek, returns enough talent in both the secondary and trenches to stay competitive … With its win over Greencastle-Antrim last season, Waynesboro snapped a two-game losing streak in the teams’ head-to-head series. Prior to those games, the Tribe had beaten the Blue Devils for eight years in a row from 2014 to 2021.
Meet the Blue Devils: Jason Thurston enters his first game as head coach for Greencastle following a 2024 campaign that saw the Blue Devils go 2-6 in the Colonial Division to finish in a tie for sixth place … Thurston, who succeeds Devin McCauley, brings 25 years of experience, including eight as a head coach … Greencastle runs a Wing-T style offense and returns its starting QB in Lane Berry, as well as backfield mates Blake Reuter, Lars Galinanes, and Noah Shifflett, three RBs who combined for 10 TDs and nearly 1,300 rushing yards last season … Mason Mellott, a Colonial Division Honorable Mention selection last fall, returns for his senior year to lead an offensive line that brings back three starters … Look for Shifflett to lead the defense as Greencastle’s strong safety. Shifflett was a Colonial Division Second Teamer as an LB in 2024 after totaling 53 tackles and two interceptions … Shifflett will be supported by a three-man wrecking crew in the linebacking corps — Ben Belleau, Wyatt Hull, and Mellott — a group which combined for more than 130 tackles last year … The Blue Devils are aiming to beat Waynesboro for the third time in four years.
Sandrik’s pick: Blue Devils by 3.
