DAPHNE, Alabama — The road “back” to Auburn for two 2010 champions starts tonight at Jubilee Stadium as 4A Thomasville visits 6A Daphne for a preseason scrimmage at 7 p.m. Preseason polls rank the Tigers and Trojans at No. 6 in the state in each of their respective classifications.

Each team won their division for state championships at Jordan-Hare Stadium two years ago, but failed to repeat in 2011. But that was then and this is — not then. Two seasons later means a lot of personnel changes for both teams, but Daphne coach Glenn Vickery said his team has kept the basic offensive and defensive systems employed for many years and believes Thomasville is sticking to it’s bread and butter, too.

“They like to run a wing-T and that’s a little bit different than most of the teams we play, so you always have to prepare a little differently as well,” he said. “But I think it’s also good to play against a scheme or system you don’t see much of. Keeps you on your toes. The main thing is to just be ready to adjust on defense and fit up to them defensively before the ball is snapped. Then play heads-up football. They have a lot of play-action stuff, throw the ball well, have a lot discipline, are well coached and will show up ready like great teams do with a lot of good people on both sides of the ball. Our job is to show up as well and put more points on the board than they do and try to keep them away from our endzone. On defense they like to blitz people and change things up, but they’ll also show basic 4-3 fronts, then go to a modified look. But it’s a preseason game and they have a big rival game with Sweet Water next and so they may not show as much stunts and such. Just save it for later. But we’ll see. We’ll try to be ready.”

Both teams went 10-2 last year and Vickery said a good preseason game is a valuable warm-up for both teams, especially with graduation taking its annual toll.

“They have graduated a lot of skill guys the last couple of years, like us. But they have some goods ones this year, too. They had a good spring and we had a good spring. I expect it to be a tough game. Thomasville always has a lot of pride in their programs as do we so I think the fans will get to see two good teams serious about their football. I think its a good match up. I look at it as kind of a dress rehearsal. The kids get to play under the lights with real officials and real fans on both sides of the field. It’s a good way to get some kinks out and take stock of ourselves and then go from there.”

Some of the Tiger players to look for led by head coach Jack Hankins are quarterback Tevin Watters and running back Devonte White on offense and on defense, Terrance Hyde at end and Cody Shoemaker at linebacker. Many of the THS players play on both side of the ball in key situations.

After having years of counting on 2012 grad T.J. Yeldon to turn a run or catch into a big play — almost on demand — Daphne may need to look to the air more with a solid corps of receivers anchored by Jonathan McGaster and Chris Sain hauling them in from veteran quarterback T.J. Fleeto, who committed early to Louisiana Lafayette.

“We’re ready,” McGaster said. “We’ve been doing a lot as a team offensively, studying their defense and other defenses too. T. J.’s throwing the ball well and our line is coming along. Our defense is tight, stingy. We haven’t looked at a lot of film of Thomasville because it’s a preseason game, but we take it serious anytime somebody comes to our place. Anytime, anywhere, we set the bar high for ourselves. We know they’re a good program just like we are, have a lot history and tradition and what not and we respect all that, but we’re going to come out and play hard just like it the biggest game of the year and every game’s going to be that way. We want to make a statement every time we step on the field. So we don’t take anybody for granted but they better not take us for granted neither.”

McGaster will likely touch the ball as a running back at times behind the strong offensive line blocking of Robert Alexander and Ashton McQuitery. The Trojan defense will depend largely on key play from linebacker Jalan Coleman and defensive back Trey Jenkins, who has committed to the University of Alabama at Birmingham.