West Potomac High School's football team will play against Lake Braddock Secondary School at 7:30 p.m. Friday at West Potomac, located at 6500 Quander Road.

West Potomac head coach Jeremiah Davis said the team is planning to change up the pace as they prepare to "face a heavy team for the first time this season."

Lake Braddock's Caleb Henderson (who formerly played for West Potomac) is a strong quarterback, Davis said, adding that Lake Braddock has a pretty good running game as well, he noted.

West Potomac's emphasis for this week's game is to play disciplined defense and on offense, make use of every athlete, Davis said. As usual, West Potomac's special teams will also play a vital role in the game.

Like many coaches, Lake Braddock head coach James Poythress said West Potomac has a lot of good players, but singled out player Demornay Pierson-el as their major concern. "He's [Pierson-el] already scored 10 touchdowns," he noted.

"We need to shore up on defense," Poythress said. "We have a lot of injuries, so there are some inconsistencies."

Poythress also said they're concerned about West Potomac's kicker, Chris Blewitt, adding that field position can play a major role. However, Poythress said they're going to use the talent and strengths they have throughout the game.

"We have a lot of big strong kids with talent," Poythress said.

Poythress also mentioned that their quarterback will play a huge role, calling Henderson the "big weapon" on the team.

What Poythress doesn't want this game to be about is the controversy surrounding former West Potomac head coach Eric Henderson — who now works with Lake Braddock's team.

Poythress said he knows people are still talking about it, but that's not what the game is about. Instead, Poythress said it's about getting out there and playing a good game.