This Friday night the stands will fill up, the lights will come on and football teams from across Central Georgia will take the field for another season of action. For the first time ever WGXA is letting fans vote on The Big Game at NewsCentralGA.com.

You voted to kickoff the 2012 season with a classic rivalry, Peach County at Perry.

"My Uncles, my cousins, everybody. The students at Perry High. Everybody just wants us to beat Peach County," says Michael Thomas, a Senior WR/RB.

Perry and Peach County no longer play in the same region but the rivalry is alive and well for two schools just 16 miles apart.

"Out of all our games this is like a championship game for me. This is a championship game right here. Tell you the truth, this is the one game I really love playing. Just this game right here," says Larante Noble, Senior Defensive Tackle.

This Friday Perry and Peach County open the season with a bitter battle at the Panther Pit.

"I think when you play a team like Peach you're going to find out what kind of football team you've got. I think the good thing about playing them this year is we're going to know right off the bat what kind of football team we've got," says Stacey Harden, Perry's Head Football Coach.

The Trojans are known for their athleticism but Perry believes returning quarterback Deonte Solomon and a rigorous off-season workout may give them the advantage they need to win.

"I think we're a little bit faster and stronger than we've been. Hopefully it's going to be our running game on offense and on defense it's going to be our tenacity to get to the football," says Stacey Harden.

"Every time they come off the ball hard. Of course they play hard all the time but we're going to go harder than them this year. Real harder than them," says Larante Noble.

"I'm excited. My last year playing Peach County, as a Senior, it's like a championship game to me ," says Michael Thomas.

NewsCentral will be live at the Panther Pit this Friday for our 5:00 and 5:30 shows.

Then at 10:45 Friday night you can tune into FOX for highlights from The Big Game and other match ups from around the Mid-state.