RUSSELL — Boyd County senior Reid Dearfield never dreamed he would end up playing against one of his best friends under Friday night lights.

Oh, wait, he actually did.

“I had a dream that we went there and won 28-14,” Dearfield said on Tuesday.

“There” is Russell’s Henry R. Evans Stadium, where Boyd County’s next opponent just happens to be quarterbacked by former Lion Lance Evans, a senior.

Dearfield expounded upon the vividness of his night vision.

“I remember seeing coach (Lee) Evans in the dream, and remember seeing the scoreboard,” Dearfield said.

Dearfield thought about this Friday, when reality will engulf the scene.

“It’s going to be weird, seeing him on the other side in maroon,” Dearfield said of Lance.

Collin Smith, a close friend of Lance’s and Lions senior nose guard, described it as “a friendly rivalry.”

Still very much respected among Boyd County players, Lance and Lee Evans will be going against the Lions for the first time. Coach Evans was fired after six seasons as head coach of the Lions following last season. He is now a Russell assistant.

“It really shocked me, honestly,” said Lance, thinking back to Boyd County’s decision. “Me and dad, we put in so much extra time that nobody sees. Some people get that, some people don’t. I just hated to see it the way it ended.”

While Lance is now truly happy being a Russell Red Devil, saying “it’s the best thing for me,” several former teammates were initially feeling the same way about losing coach Evans.

“For me and a lot of the seniors, at first, it was scary for (Lions first-year coach Ray Brooks) to come in and coach Evans to go out. I have the utmost respect for the Evans family.”

That respect won’t disappear.

“(Coach Evans) helped me not only in football, but with school, family problems ... I’m going to give him a big bear hug after the game on Friday.

“I miss coach Evans, but it’s turned out much better than I thought. I respect coach Brooks a lot.”

Boyd County is 2-1 under new guidance, with wins over Shelby Valley and East Carter.

Russell (1-2) is coming off a couple of rough losses — 47-21 to Ironton and 47-7 to Ashland.

Lance admitted there’s a little extra incentive in the prospect of winning this one.

“I don’t know about satisfaction, well, yeah, it would be satisfaction,” he said.

Lance actually attended Boyd County’s Week 1 shutout of Shelby Valley. Russell was off, so he decided to go out and support his friends.

An unsettling sensation washed over him as he walked through the ticket gate.

“It was so weird,” recalled the 6-foot-5 Red Devil QB. “It was good seeing the guys, but it was still weird.”

Smith said the gesture speaks volumes about Lance’s character.

“It shows that he’s a really good friend, and he didn’t care what people thought,” said Smith, who was lured back into football by Lance after taking a middle school hiatus. “Everyone here still loves him as Lance.”

As for Friday’s showdown, Lance said it’s been in the back of his mind all season.

Said Dearfield: “This is definitely the biggest game of the year for me, personally,” he said. “I've looked forward to this ever since he moved to Russell.”

There’s been some friendly banter inside the Lions’ locker room.

“Some linemen have been joking around about sacking Lance, they’re really wanting to do that,” said Dearfield, a running back and defensive back. “If he throws anywhere near my zone, I won’t be surprised if I take one from him.”

Dearfield studied Lance closely while the two were teammates. In fact, when Lance went down with a broken leg late last fall, Dearfield took over at QB.

“Lance taught me so much about the quarterback position,” Dearfield said.

As a junior, Evans threw for 1,120 yards in eight games, with his favorite target being All-Area wideout Dylan Harris (36 total receptions).

“We helped each other out tremendlously last season,” Harris said. “We had a great connection. Looking back on it, I’m realizing how good Lance really is.”

This year, he’s 15 of 27 for 292 yards with two TDs and no interceptions.

Russell’s quarterback isn’t the Lions’ only focus — Troy Huffine and his team-leading six touchdowns, a playmaker in Googie Hayes and some imposing figures up front are other concerns.

“We’re definitely doing our homework,” Dearfield said. “I went to the Ashland game. We’re not judging them by that. Nothing went their way, and that just happens every now and then. They’re not a bad team at all.”

Billy McCoy will be under center for Boyd County. Harris and Jacob Barnwell have been instrumental out of the backfield behind a big, experienced offensive line.

Smith said the key is to “keep Lance in the pocket. He’s gotten quite a bit better since he played with us. We can’t let him make plays downfield.”

As for Dearfield’s dream, joked Smith: “Reid’s a one-of-a-kind guy. You can’t listen to what he says ...

“... but a 28-14 win would be pretty cool,” he added with a laugh.

AARON SNYDER can be reached at asnyder@dailyindependent.com or (606) 326-2664.