ALBANY, GA (WALB) -
The Albany Panthers opened their campaign for a third straight title last week by doing away with the Louisiana Swashbucklers in Lake Charles.
This week, they will be in front of the hometown fans for the first time this season.
And they'll do it against their biggest rival- the Columbus Lions.
The Panthers say they always expect an intense battle when Columbus comes to town, and they're preparing for that in practice this week.
Players say their focus always sharpen when the Lions are on the schedule.
"We prepare tough for them. We pay attention to details a little bit more when we're playing these guys," says QB Cecil Lester. "We know they're going to come with a lot of different looks and they're going to give us their best, so we kind of expect the unexpected when we play against them."
The Panthers kick off against the Lions at 7:30 Saturday night at the Civic Center.
