-- — Since the series resumed in 2005, East Carter and Fairview have competed closely in each year’s contest except for one.

Of the past five meetings, Fairview’s 54-17 blowout in 2008 served as the only game decided by more than two scores.

“Regardless of what each team’s like, it usually ends up being a good football game,” said Fairview coach Nate McPeek. “These teams are fired-up to play each other for whatever reason.”

East Carter eked out a 16-13 win last season in Grayson behind departed senior kicker Matt Langstaff’s 35-yard field goal with less than a minute remaining. The victory gave the Raiders their only win in a 1-9 season.

“We got a lot of breaks last year, created turnovers in the right place,” recalled East Carter coach Aaron Baldwin.

Fairview dealt with a few key injuries during the game, including one that sidelined its starting quarterback and another that took out its top receiver and cornerback.

McPeek didn’t use that as an excuse for last year’s hiccup.

“It was a combination of East Carter playing really well with high emotion and the fact that we didn’t,” McPeek said. “We made enough mistakes to last the whole season.”

Fairview makes it difficult for opponents to run with an experienced front seven on defense, but Baldwin is hesitant to air it out against Fairview’s secondary, which includes senior Jared Hutchinson at strong safety.

“The (secondary) may be inexperienced, but they’re athletic,” Baldwin said. “We’re going to take whatever they give us.”

East Carter quarterback Kyle Smith had success through the air during a 35-6 loss to Russell in opening week, going 6 of 9 for 94 yards. Smith was a factor in last season’s victory over Fairview as he rushed for 58 tough yards on 14 carries.

“Kyle Smith really put us on his back last year at times,” Baldwin said. “He made some key first downs when we were driving.”

Brett Carra and Cody Prichard — two of the main points in Fairview’s defensive game plan — will contribute carries along with Smith.

East Carter’s youthful team, in which only six players had significant varsity experience before this season, took too long to get over first-game jitters against Russell, according to Baldwin, but he hopes the bye week will represent a fresh start, as it did last season against Fairview.

“We were standing and watching sometimes (against Russell),” Baldwin said. “We were lackadaisical when it came to ball security. When you fumble on their side of the field four times, they’re going to score. We played better and more loose in the second half because, why have any nervousness at that point?

“We need to have that desire from the opening kickoff,” Baldwin added. “Hopefully we’re over (the nervousness).”

One major concern for Baldwin has been a luxury for McPeek — a slew of talent and athleticism in the Eagles’ backfield.

Hutchinson touched the ball seven times and scored four touchdowns in a 49-12 rout of Bracken County last week. Gary Felder, Devon Turner and Chris Littlejohn, who should be back from a hyperextended knee injury, are all legitimate threats at running back. Chris Brewer, a sophomore fullback, has rushed for 222 yards in two games.

“We need to get Hutchinson eight to 10 carries a game at receiver, quarterback or running back,” McPeek said. “We have five really good backs that can hurt you in the spread and under center.”

While Fairview is 2-0, McPeek believes the real test of the season comes in the next two weeks, with games against two 4A schools in East Carter and Boyd County.

“If we come out of this thing 2-0, I think it means it will be a really good year,” he said.

Aside from Littlejohn, Fairview is virtually injury-free.

A few Raiders are getting back to full health after fighting a stomach virus this past week. East Carter will be without sophomore tailback Conner Staton until roughly Week 6 due to a broken collarbone.

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