It’s “Friday Night Lights” season for everyone.

Week One football contests begin Thursday for schools that did not compete during Week Zero action and the gridiron in the Pikes Peak region features several notable games.

Also, Fountain will host a swath of schools including 4A softball’s preseason No. 4 team Pueblo County during its Trojan Invite this weekend.

Here are five competitions of interest occurring in the coming days.

Five contests to watch:

Boys soccer

Thomas MacLaren at Vanguard, 6:30 p.m. Thursday

Although the Highlanders are 0-2 to start the season, they’ll aim to end their two-game road trip with a victory. Since 2021, the Highlanders are 3-0-1 against Vanguard with the two schools battling to a 2-2 tie in last year’s matchup.

In its season opener, Vanguard earned a 2-1 victory against Widefield and managed to ward off the Gladiators’ attack, which averaged four goals per contest in 2024. In their past four meetings, Thomas MacLaren has outscored Vanguard 15-4 and the Highlanders will need that success as they’ve logged just one goal in two games this season.

Football

Air Academy vs. Mesa Ridge (at C.A. Foster), 7 p.m., Thursday

The Grizzlies will trot out quarterback Leland Frescaz, the senior transfer who previously played at Doherty. Mesa Ridge finished last season 8-4 in a run to the 4A quarterfinals and will focus on continuing to move the needle following the loss of several seniors from last year’s team.

After a loss in 2017 to the Kadets, the Grizzlies have a 2-0 record against Air Academy and have outscored them 113-0 including a 48-0 shutout victory in last year’s opener. For Air Academy, junior quarterback Cade Ballard has an additional year of experience at his disposal and a chance to boost the Kadets’ offense, which averaged 28.5 points in their wins last season.

Sand Creek at Harrison, 7 p.m. Friday

This matchup is for fans who love a solid o-line versus d-line battle. Harrison defeated Sand Creek 14-13 last year in the season opener after a late-game scramble by quarterback Jeilo Hamenyimana gave the Panthers a 14-13 lead with four minutes left in the game. Sand Creek’s 1-2 punch of Achilles Evans and Ethan Mangrum rushed for 191 yards and one touchdown.

Harrison will return four of its defensive linemen from last season while Sand Creek’s offensive line punished Denver East in the season opener in Week Zero. The Scorpions rushed for 443 yards and Mangrum finished with 190 yards and a career-high four touchdowns on 17 carries.

The Scorpions take that momentum to Memorial Stadium and look to earn their first win against the Panthers, who have won all four meetings against Sand Creek.

Softball

Cheyenne Mountain at The Classical Academy, 3:30 p.m., Thursday

Prepare to watch these teams send a plethora of players across the dish. Albeit early in the season, the Titans and Red-Tailed Hawks combined to average just over 28 runs per game and 30 hits per contest.

In three games this season, the Titans have scored at least 12 runs in each contest and Ada Wilson has seven runs along with seven hits. For Cheyenne Mountain, eight players finished with at least two hits in its 15-5 win over Pueblo South on Aug. 20.

The Red-Tailed Hawks own an 8-0 record against the Titans including a 15-5 victory last season. Of their eight contests, the Red-Tailed Hawks have scored at least 11 runs in each matchup.

Fountain-Fort Carson Trojan Invite, all day Friday and Saturday

Several teams will venture to Fountain this weekend to compete: Lewis-Palmer, Pine Creek, Liberty, Air Academy, Pueblo East, Pueblo County and Loveland.

As of Wednesday afternoon, the Trojans have a 3-1 record, which is already one victory better than last season and their best start since 2020 when the Trojans finished 12-4.

Prior to their game Wednesday against Rampart, Pine Creek owns a 2-0 record and has allowed just seven runs in two contests this year.