JEFFERSON TWP — Hall of Fame inductions, pressbox dedication, introduction of a new trophy ... a lot will be happening Friday night at Knoch Stadium.

The Freeport and Knoch football teams hope one more thing occurs there that evening.

A win.

The Yellowjackets (0-1) visit the Knights (0-1) for a 7 p.m. kickoff. The 2021 Knoch High School Sports Hall of Fame class will be introduced on the field that night.

“I think that gives them (Knoch) even more motivation,” Freeport coach John Gaillot said. “Alumni and friends come in from out of town for a special night like that.

“That team is going to want to cap this off with a win.”

The Knights have lost nine straight games, a streak that started with a 34-31 loss to Freeport to close out the 2019 season.

Gaillot recalled the night Freeport played the first game at its new stadium. The Yellowjackets defeated Deer Lakes that night.

“Deer Lakes was probably more talented than us,” the coach said. “But we were flying high emotionally that night. I can see Knoch in a similar situation this Friday.”

Both teams are coming off season-opening lopsided losses at home. Defending state champion Central Valley shut out Knoch, 62-0, while Armstrong quarterback Cadin Olsen threw for 248 yards in a 48-14 win at Freeport.

“We picked out small nuggets (of success) here and there,” Knoch coach Brandon Mowry said. “But in truth, when you're playing an opponent as strong as Central Valley, our window of opportunity closed pretty quickly.”

Keagan Fraser had eight carries for 54 yards for Knoch, which rushed for only 52 yards. The Knights attempted only three passes all night.

“They have a talented team,” Gaillot said of Knoch. “You have to consider the caliber of opponent they played. That defensive tackle-offensive lineman Alex Cotton impressed me.

“This will be an emotional game. It's neighboring schools and it's a grass field that may be muddy. They're used to that, we're not. That could be a mental advantage for them.”

The teams will also be playing for the first Pike Trophy — a mounted fish on a plaque — that will go to the annual winner of the Freeport-Knoch game. This is the third time in four years the teams will meet.

Freeport leads the series between the schools, 12-3-2.

“Both programs have the same type of kid,” Mowry said. “Neither one has the 6-foot-3, 280-pound lineman who's gonna dominate. We have hard-nosed kids, solid skilled players, who love to play football.

“This is a game both teams believe they can win. And with some of the Hall of Fame inductees being football guys, coach (Larry) Kunselman, John Ivory, Michael Crouch, who's on our staff ... We would love to get this done for them.”

Former Knoch line coach Ken Elliott, who lives on the border of the Knoch and Freeport districts, came up with the idea for the Pike Trophy.

“Pike Road runs for 14 miles through both school districts,” Elliott said. “I was talking to some Freeport guys a while back and they loved the idea.

“I wanted to do this three years ago. We finally found an actual pike to mount the final score of the game will be put on there each year.”

“You want to win anything — especially the first one,” Gaillot said of the trophy.

Ben Lane returned a kickoff 94 yards for a touchdown last week, but the Yellowjacket offense struggled. Counting quarterback sacks, Freeport netted 19 yards rushing. Garrett King threw for 74 yards, including a 24-yard touchdown pass to Jackson Reiser.

Knoch's renovated pressbox will be dedicated Friday night to the late Regis Schiebel, who died Dec. 27 of last year at age 86. Schiebel was a math teacher and assistant principal at Knoch for 36 years.

He also did the public address announcing at Knoch Stadium for 56 years.