St. Albert and Lewis Central kick off the 2006 football season with their annual Thursday night showdown tomorrow at 7:30 p.m. at Al Leber Field, and both teams feel defense will be key.

The Titans, back down in Class 3A this season, will have numbers and size on their side, but St. Albert returns the majority of last year's Class 1A state semifinalist squad, giving the Falcons an edge in experience.

Last season L.C. shut out its crosstown rival 16-0, and defense could once again prove to be the difference.

"Obviously we've got to play great defense and try to slow down what will be a pretty potent offense," St. Albert coach Jim Duggan said. "With (Jimmy) Waters at quarterback now, he's going to be a big factor, and we need to be smart and play our game."

"I think the key to the game is going to be defense," echoed L.C. coach Larry Sterbick. "We're going to have to play well against them, because if we make a mistake it could cost us touchdowns."

While the Falcons will be nearly identical to last year's team, especially on offense, the Titans have a decidedly different look.

Waters makes the move from tailback to quarterback, and the Titans will run a spread-style offense out of the shotgun, giving the talented senior an optimum amount of touches.

Waters will most likely still carry the ball several times a game, but his strong right arm gives the Titans a new fold in their offense.

"With that type of offense, there are so many things that can happen or work for you," Duggan said. "As a defensive coordinator, it's a tough task to defend, especially because Waters probably isn't going to be afraid to throw it downfield."

The St. Albert offense will be a carbon copy of last season's, which is a good thing for the Falcons.

Nolan Batten returns for his third season directing the offense at quarterback, and Jeremy Schieffer will start at running back after reaching the 1,000-yard plateau a year ago.

The Falcons are also bigger this year. After not having a single player weighing in at 200-pounds or more in 2005, St. Albert has five on the roster for '06.

Four are on the line in Kevin Awalt, Shawn Daley, Steve Nielsen and Andrew Knuth, and junior Marc Baumert moves from wide receiver to tight end.

"It's a nice surprise. We feel pretty good that we have a little more size this year," Duggan said. "They really got after it in the weight room this summer ... Vinny Rallis did a good job of getting them in there."

Lewis Central will have one other back in the offensive backfield with Waters in Jackson Dick, who was the starting fullback last year. Four seniors lead the way up front in linemen Devin Juel, Ryan Andersen, Vince Junior and Kody Housley.

"You hope that the veteran offensive experience helps," Sterbick said. "We'll be bigger than (St. Albert), but bigger doesn't mean better. We still have to get it done on the field, and experience usually helps more than size."

Last season the Titans broke a string of three straight losses to St. Albert, with the seniors topping the Falcons for the first time in their prep careers.

In 2003 and 2004 the Falcons advanced all the way to the state title game - winning it all in '04 - and continued their streak at the Dome by reaching the semifinals last year, shaking off a tough start to the season to do so.

"Good programs don't like to get beat, and St. Albert is a good program," Sterbick said. "Their focus is probably the same as ours right now though. They're probably not focused on one game so much as getting better."

While it's a non-district tilt for both teams, it's a big season-opener against an intra-city opponent.

"It's nice to open with a big game against a team like L.C.," Duggan said. "I think it's good for both teams. It's one of those games where there's a lot of emotion and it's a lot like a playoff game."

"There will be a lot of people there from both schools, and a lot of people from other schools since it's a Thursday game," Sterbick added. "It's a great atmosphere, and the kids are excited to get out there and play."

Quick Hits

Who: Lewis Central vs. St. Albert in both teams' season opener.

Where: Al Leber Field.

When: Thursday at 7:30 p.m.

What to watch for: Lewis Central and St. Albert continue their annual tradition of opening up the prep football season on a Thursday night when the two teams meet up at 7:30 p.m. at Al Leber Field.

St. Albert had a stranglehold on the series in the early years of the new millennium, but the Titans broke a string of three straight losses with a 16-0 blanking of their crosstown rival last season.

The Falcons return all but three of their starters from last year's Class 1A state semifinalist team, and they have reached the UNI-Dome three years running.

Lewis Central features a new-look offense with senior Jimmy Waters moving from running back to quarterback.