Sideline Report Game of the Week: Battlefield at Stonewall Jackson, tomorrow, 7:30 p.m.

Stonewall Jackson Coach Loren Johnson will never forget when Battlefield opened in 2004. The Raiders had gone 2-18 the past two seasons, and 40 of 42 players on his freshman team left for Battlefield, which drew many of its students from the Stonewall school district.

"There was a little bit of disbelief that that many kids would leave, but I came to the realization it was an opportunity for them to do something new in that community," Johnson said.

The Raiders have rebounded, and Battlefield has become one of the top teams in the area. For the first time in the three years the teams have played each other, the Battle of Bull Run (as named by the schools' athletic directors) has regional implications.

Stonewall (3-0) is undefeated for the first time in the five years Johnson has coached at the school, and Battlefield is 2-1, its only loss coming against No. 15 Potomac. The winner, which will pick up power points that will become important as the playoff race intensifies, has to be considered an early favorite to win a competitive district.

"Your next-door neighbor could be going to Stonewall or playing for them," Battlefield Coach Mark Cox said. "That has a downside also because sometimes people can get a little carried away."

The winning team gets to claim a Battle of Bull Run trophy, and each player on the winning team gets a $20 gift certificate to Glory Days restaurant. The Bobcats have yet to experience either after losing 20-13 in 2005 and 40-38 last year.

This could be a year of milestones for Battlefield, which fielded its first varsity team in 2005. The Bobcats look like a playoff contender for the first time, as they have a handful of offensive threats in quarterback Corey Thacker, wide receiver Erik Patterson and running back Andre Ingram. The Battlefield defense has not allowed a point in the past two games (a 7-2 win over Gar-Field and a 14-0 win over Hylton).

"They play as a team," Johnson said. "They are very methodical in their process. They have the ability -- with Adrian -- to break a long run if he gets to the corner, or they can drill you with a 12- to 13-play drive. This is a very good team we are facing here Friday night."

Stonewall's offensive stars have had plenty of publicity -- most notably senior running back Ryan Williams (8.8 yards per carry) and junior back Damien Thigpen (8.3 yards per carry). Williams sat out last week to rest a sore ankle. Johnson said Williams was about 85 percent but wanted to be fresh for the district opener.

"The young man has been going and going and going," Johnson said. "We have a good running back and offensive line, a good quarterback and a defense that is playing well. We just felt like Ryan could rest and get ready for district play."

That's a luxury few teams have. Thigpen provided enough offensive power on the ground, rushing for 189 yards on 20 carries and scoring a touchdown. He also blocked a punt, an extra-point attempt and had two pass breakups in a 28-14 win over Freedom-Woodbridge.

But it's the Stonewall defense, yielding 7.3 points per game, that has been the backbone. Last week middle linebacker Delawnte Owens recorded 10 tackles, and linebacker Aaron Dial has nine, plus a sack and an interception.