The tough ones keep coming for Troy (2-1) as they host undefeated Montgomery (3-0) at Alparon Park on Friday with a 7 p.m. kick-off.

Both teams are coming off grind it out wins, with Troy beating Towanda and the Raiders edging South Williamsport.

"Montgomery came off a tough fought win against a good South Williamsport team last week," Troy coach Jim Smith said. "They proved they can beat a quality team with that win. They seem to have the same philosophy as us and understand that the team that controls the line is scrimmage and is able to run the ball is generally the team that wins in a high school football game. We have a big test with them. They are athletic, strong, and have some guys that can make plays. They are verbalizing their desire to win a state championship in their class. They are certainly confident in their team and have lofty expectations. We are happy to play a great opponent."

Don't expect to see a lot of passing, as the Raiders didn't throw a pass last week. 

"Preparing for a team with similar philosophies to our own is a scary thing," said Smith. "It’s a philosophy we have had crazy success with over many years. Week in and week out, you prepare for teams that run the spread offense. That’s a weekly challenge this day and age; and one that we feel comfortable defending due to the amount of times you defend it. Preparing for old school football is totally different. It’s not flashy and it might not sell tickets, but it wins games. You see this type of offense once or twice a year and generally for us it’s been in a championship type setting. We are going to have to be very physical with them, win the turnover battle and take advantage of any opportunities when they arise. This will be a running clock this Friday. Chances to make plays will be very limited. We are excited for the opportunity."

KEYS TO THE GAME

Montgomery - Don't get sucked in on defense. Troy has shown, to great effect, that they will make teams pay if they crowd the box. As tempting as it is, the Raiders can't ignore Troy's pass threat.

Troy - Hold on to the football. They've won but the last two weeks saw Troy have six giveaways, that can't happen with a team like Montgomery, that can hold the ball for 6-7-8 minutes at a time.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Josh Knoebel, Montgomery, RB - Knoebel ran the ball for 148-yards and two scores last week in the Raiders' win. He's the one Troy will have to slow down.

Micah Pesesky, Troy, OL/DL - It'll be a big night for Pesesky as Troy looks to dominate the line of scrimmage. The 3-year starter will be looking to lead that attack.