It may only be the third week of the football season, but it's already time to get serious for the Russellville High School football team.

After a pair of tuneup games the past two weeks, the Panthers open Class 3A, District 2 play tonight at home against Edmonson County.

“I think it's going to be a heck of a fight,” Russellville coach John Myers said. “This game could be for the district championship. You never know how it's going to turn out and I think Edmonson is going to be one of the best teams in our district.”

It's the first of four district games for the Panthers. The district games determine which teams make the Class 3A playoffs and where the teams are seeded in the postseason.

“This is a very important game,” Myers said. “But we've played in a lot of important ballgames the last couple of years.”

Russellville beat Edmonson County twice last year - 49-6 in the regular season and 33-14 in the second round of the playoffs.

“I'm sure they're going to come out with a lot of emotion and enthusiasm,” Myers said. “We knocked them out of the playoffs last year and they're going to want some redemption.

“They're probably thinking that because we lost so many players from last year's team that this is their chance to get us.”

The Wildcats are already 2-0 this year after winning a pair of low-scoring contests.

Edmonson County beat rival Grayson County 14-8 to open the season and knocked off Caverna 14-0 last week.

“They are strong, big and physical and they are going to try to push us around,” Myers said. “They want to run the football. They are going to try to line up and run it down our throat try and we're going to try to stifle that.”

Russellville is coming off its first win of the season.