COXEY — Clements Coach Barry Daniel knows he isn’t going to have a hard time getting his team excited about its opening week opponent.

That’s because the Colts open the season tonight at home against county rival West Limestone.

Even though Daniel knows his players are excited about opening the season with a rival, he said it’s important they don’t get too caught up in the hype.

“It’s a big game for us,” Daniel said. “Our school districts back up to each other and all of the kids know each other. It’s big, but we’re going to approach it like any other game on our schedule.”

Because the game is being played tonight, both teams have had a shorter than normal week of practice. And with torrential rains from Tropical Storm Fay hitting the area earlier in the week, it made things a bit more challenging.

“It’s been real tough with all the rain,” West Limestone Coach David Arnsparger said. “But we got through it.”

The Colts and the Wildcats met at the end of the regular season last year, with Clements coming out on top. However, regardless of the outcome last season, Arnsparger said his team is looking forward to playing them right off the bat.

“We’re looking forward to it,” Arnsparger said. “It’s important to get off to a good start. You always want to start the season off with a win, so we’ve got a lot to play for with it being the first game.”

Daniel said although they have practiced in the gym most of the week, for the most part he feels like practice has gone well.

“I think the kids are excited,” Daniel said. “It’s the first part of the year and everybody is starting off on the same note. You can tell that they’re ready to play somebody else besides themselves.”