PICAYUNE — Coming off of a bye week, the Maroon Tide will take on Wayne County in one of south Mississippi’s most anticipated games of the 2017 season.

In Picayune Head Coach Dodd Lee’s dominant career, he has developed a powerhouse football program and led the team to decades of successes. However, the two-time state champion coach has always had trouble winning in Waynesboro, which is the Maroon Tide’s destination Friday night.

Previously, Lee said he has only beat Wayne County away once, but doesn’t plan on losing again.

And although the War Eagles are 2-2, they possess a dynamic threat  that could pose a problem for the Maroon Tide.

Quarterback Zabryon Jackson leads Wayne County in passing and rushing yards so far this season, throwing for 361 yards and two touchdowns along with rushing for 322 yards and making seven trips to the end zone, four of which came last week in Wayne County’s 37-0 victory over Moss Point. In that game, Jackson threw for 104 yards and rushed for 152.

The two loses the War Eagles suffered were against talented opponents in Oak Grove and Jefferson Davis County, in which Jackson was limited to scoring three total touchdowns during that two-game stretch. Friday, the senior quarterback will await for the speedy Maroon Tide defense to arrive, a group that has limited its past three opponents to no more than 10 points.

Picayune will travel to Waynesboro Friday night for its district opener against Wayne County. The game is scheduled to kickoff at 7 p.m.