TORONTO — The Toronto football team has shown the ability to score points in bunches, while Buckeye Local has struggled to put points up on the scoreboard.

This week, the Jefferson County rivals square off as the Red Knights are set to take on the Panthers at 7 p.m. Friday night at Clarke Hinkle Field.

The boys from the Gem City have scored at least 26 points in seven of their eight games, including 35 last week as Toronto rallied to defeat Monroe Central, 35-21, last Friday night at home.

“We made some adjustments at halftime, and the kids answered the call,” Toronto (7-1) head coach Jaret Aubiel said. “We found ourselves, and we were able to get back on the right track.”

After scoring 36 points to rally for a shocking 36-30 victory against Carrick in Week 5, Buckeye Local has been outscored, 104-0, the last three weeks, including last week’s 42-0 loss to Union Local at home.

“Honestly, we are going through a rough point right now,” first-year Buckeye Local (2-6) head coach Chris Kiedaisch said. “We put a lot into that Oak Glen game. Both teams were banged up. Both teams lost some starters. We were missing six starters against Martins Ferry, and we were missing seven starters against UL. We are just trying to get healthy. We are playing a lot of younger kids, and we are proud of how hard they are playing.”

Buckeye Local lost to Oak Glen, 17-0, in Week 6 before falling to Martins Ferry, 45-0, in Week 7.

“From what we have seen on film, Buckeye Local can run or pass,” Aubiel said. “They are very well coached. Coach Kiedaisch was at Linsly. He’s a really good coach. He’s going to come up with a great gameplan, and they are going to be ready to go.”

The Panthers (2-6) find themselves in one of the toughest schedule stretches of any team in the valley as their three previous opponents have a combined record of 18-5, while Toronto’s mark of 7-1 improves that record to 25-6.

“Toronto is super well coached,” Kiedaisch said. “They have got a great program. They have a beautiful facility. We are excited to see how things go coming off the loss to Union Local.”

The Golden Bears are 6-1 on the season, while the Purple Riders and the Jets are both 6-2.

“Defensively, they have size and speed,” Aubiel said about the Panthers. “They make plays here and there. Their scores are not indicative of how good they are. It is going to be a battle Friday night.”

Both teams have played Oak Glen, and the boys from the Gem City handed the boys from Hancock County their lone loss of the season back in Week 5 up at the Bears’ Den.

“Toronto runs what I call an Instagram offense,” Kiedaisch said. “They run a bunch of stuff that is unique to high school football. All the cool plays you see online, Toronto is running them, and that makes it a challenge for us to prepare for on defense. They run about 13-15 different formations, and they have a lot of motion pre-snap.”

With the exception of the 12 points Toronto scored in its loss to Tuslaw in Week 7, the Red and White have tallied at least 26 points in the other seven games they have played up to this point.

Defensively, Toronto has held three teams to six or fewer points with the Red Knights registering two shutouts this season.

“They play super hard on defense,” Kiedaisch said. “They hit you. You are not 7-1 without a good defense. They are sound defensively. They force you to make long drives. They hope you make a mistake, and it has been working for them.”

Both teams consider their offensive lines to be one of the strengths of their team.

“They have size, and we have size,” Aubiel said. “We are going to see who wins the battle of the trenches.”

Toronto is looking to get off to a good start against Buckeye Local.

“We are going to have to start fast, play a clean game and have no turnovers,” Aubiel said.

The Panthers are looking to get their offense recharged this week.

“Our offense is struggling,” Kiedaisch said. “We are struggling with our identity. We wanted to pound the ball, and throw quick angles off of that. We have injuries on our line. Our offensive line is depleted. Our top ballcarrier – Xzavier Eastham – is banged up. We are trying to redefine our identity. We are trying to mix it up. We want to have the power run game, and we can spread you out. We just have to worry about ourselves.

Toronto enters this week in sixth place in the Ohio Division VI, Region 23 rankings. The top 16 teams in each region qualify for the playoffs with the top four teams in each region receiving a bye in the first round.

“We’re taking it one day at a time,” Aubiel said. “We play Buckeye Local Friday night. That is who we are preparing for, and that’s how we are getting ready for. Our kids are doing a great job of not looking ahead. We are looking forward to playing a football game on our home field Friday night.”

On the other side, Buckeye Local finds itself in 20th place in the Division V, Region 17 rankings.

“This is going to be a big test for our kids,” Kiedaisch said. “We can go 9-1 and walk into the playoffs with an easy schedule and then not perform when it really matters.

“We are going to continue to challenge our kids. That is what is best for our program.”