A lot of anticipation in the offseason has now come to the first game of the season for the Knoxville Football Squad. The Panthers have spent the last three seasons struggling to stay competitive and only winning three games in the last three seasons. That can change starting tonight as Knoxville travels to Boone to open the high school football season. Much of the Panthers experience is back from last year, which saw progress. The Panthers will play a program that, like Knoxville, wants to turn the corner and Coach Matt Dunkin tells KNIA/KRLS Sports that while Boone lost several key players from last season’s squad that also went 1-8, the Toreadors will be ready to defend home turf.

Dunkin: “We noticed this offseason when we started looking at our non-district scheduled that Boone lost most of their stats guys from last year. They look like they could be young in spots, but they seem energized just from their scrimmage tape, and it should be a good game.”

The Panthers and Toreadors have not played in nearly 40 years on the football field, and never met in football during the Little Hawkeye Conference years when the two schools were in that league. Knoxville holds a two games to none advantage in the series. Listen live for all the action on 95.3 KNIA starting at 6:30 with the pregame and kick off at 7:30.