North Forsyth at West Forsyth

When, where: Friday, 7:30 p.m., at The Den in Cumming.

Records, rankings: North is 0-5 overall, 0-4 in Region 6-AAAAAA and unranked; West is 2-3, 2-2 and unranked.

Series history: West leads 4-2.

Last meeting: West won 28-7.

What to know: It’s a rivalry week in Forsyth County, though this edition of North-West is somewhat tempered compared to last season when both teams were clear playoff contenders. Instead, the Raiders are reeling with injuries that have plunged them into a youth movement while the Wolverines are teetering on the brink of contention.

Nothing has gone right for North through the first half. It has the county’s worst offense and defense, and things aren’t looking any better with a recent rash of season-ending injuries that include junior running back Zac Slaton (ankle) and senior linebacker Mason Quarles (ACL). Senior linebacker Shane Pierce has a broken thumb but will play. First-year kicker Jacob Whitten has been a bright spot for North. He’s 4-for-5 on field goals, 4-for-4 on extra-points and has punted 19 times for 555 yards.

West has battled its own injuries, particularly in the secondary, but has managed to flash signs of its potential in wins against Chattahoochee (23-18) and Habersham Central (56-35) and a competitive loss to Northview. The theme of the Wolverines’ struggles has been turnovers. West had six against Northview that led to 13 points. But the Wolverines still boast some of the county’s top players, like quarterback Hampton McConnell (712 yards, 6 TDs), wide receiver Nathan Schmitz (265 yards, TD) and defensive end Alec Coburn (24 tackles, 5 sacks).