For the first four years of the Sierra League, Carson and Douglas met up in the last match of the regular season.
Three years ago, the league threw the schools a curve ball. After all of the late-season fireworks that the rivalry matchup provided, often serving as the league-title match, the two schools got their schedules turned upside-down and began meeting in the season-opener.
Douglas won the first of those in 2005-06 and Carson took last year's matchup, 50-18.
The Tigers and Senators open up the year with each other again this season, this time at Douglas High School at 5:30 p.m. Thursday.
"We get Carson right off the bat," Douglas coach Lamont McCann said. "They beat the heck out of us last year, so this year we want to come back and set the tempo early with that first league tournament. Hopefully we can show them that Douglas is back."
McCann said the atmosphere for the match the last two years has been fantastic and he is expecting nothing less this year.
"We're expecting big things to happen," he said. "I want to fill this gym up. We have them going under the spotlight again. The electricity we get from the crowd and that hometown atmosphere, it's really something else.
"The kids really enjoy it."
McCann said the league this year will be a showdown between Carson, Douglas and Damonte Ranch " the three co-champions from last season.
"Right now, I believe Damonte Ranch has the edge," he said. "They are the team to beat. They have three returning state champions, they have one of our old guys, Garrett Hekhuis. They are going to be very solid."
As luck would have, Douglas has to come straight off the Carson match and travel to Damonte Ranch the next week,
"It'll be a tough road this year," McCann said.
He said with the addition of Fallon and Galena next year, the Sierra League will be possibly be the most elite league in the state.
"You'll have the five toughest teams in the north in one league next year," he said. "Whoever wins the league will really have to earn it. It'll make for some great matchups."
