This is one in a series of articles previewing this Friday's Butler County area high school football games.ADAMS TWP — There is no easing into conference play for Scott Heinauer's Mars football team.Fresh off a season-opening 27-14 victory at Hampton last Friday, the Planets will host defending Northwest Nine champion South Fayette on Friday.The Lions also began 2017 on a high note, defeating Central Valley 20-0 last week.South Fayette graduated much talent from last season's 10-1 team, but quarterback Drew Saxton is back. He threw for 151 yards and a touchdown in last week's win and tallied nearly 2,400 passing yards and 30 touchdowns as a junior.“We're young and have a lot of new faces,” said veteran South Fayette coach Joe Rossi, “but if you have to break in a new quarterback, it makes it really tough. Having Drew back as a three-year starter helps a lot.“He's helping us break in the new wide receivers.”One target Saxton knows he can count on is senior tight end Noah Plack (6-foot-2, 210 pounds), who led last year's team with 36 catches. He has verbally committed to play at the University of Delaware.“Our receivers had some drops last week, but they also came up with some big catches,” added Rossi. “It's a work in progress.”Mars' secondary will have its hands full. The starters include cornerbacks Cade Hetzler and Chuck Green and safeties Drew Schlegel and Tyler Kowalkowski.“I'd say they throw the ball at least 60 percent of the time,” Heinauer said of the Lions. “He (Saxton) understands the game and that is big for them.”The Lions' offensive and defensive lines are led by senior tackle and University of Richmond recruit Ray Eldridge (6-4, 260).The Lions beat out the Planets for the conference crown last year, earning a 35-14 victory over Mars. South Fayette went on to finish 8-0 in conference play, while Mars was second at 7-1.Heinauer knows his team must exhibit cleaner play this time.“We played (South Fayette) in our first conference game last year,” he said. “So it was early in the season, but it ended up deciding the conference title. We did a great job in the first half, but in the second half, we made mistakes and turned the ball over. We didn't play Mars football and we can't let that happen this time.”The Planets were whistled for several costly penalties in the first half last week against Hampton. A holding infraction on their first drive turned a 3rd-and-4 into a 3rd-and-14 and Mars soon had to punt. On defense, an offside penalty gave the Talbots a first down and they scored the game's first touchdown three plays later.In the second half, however, Mars was not flagged at all and the Planets outscored Hampton 20-7.“I think our kids came out and were a bit over-excited at the beginning,” said Heinauer. “They were playing their game and not our game, but did much better in the second half. That win was against a rival and it meant a lot to us.”Mars' new crop of wingbacks played well in the season-opener. Andrew Moyer and Green combined for 71 yards rushing on 13 carries, including a short scoring run from Moyer in the third quarter. Moyer also had a 37-yard reception from Kowalkowski that got the team's offense going late in the first half.Add in fullback Garrett Reinke's 99 rushing yards and three touchdowns and the Planet backfield got off to a solid start.“The names and (jersey) numbers change, but their system remains the same,” Rossi said of the Planets. “Against the Wing-T offense, you must be disciplined.”