NORFOLK, VA (WTKR)- Game week is finally here for Maury football.
After an offseason and preseason of preparation, the Commodores open the 2026 season Friday against Mallard Creek out of Charlotte in our Game of the Week — the first of three marquee matchups to start the year.
"Oh man, we've been preparing all summer for this, all spring all summer for this," said junior quarterback Domo Everette. "We can't wait."
"We're absolutely excited," senior running back Tayshawn Branche added. "We're ready to go ahead and go put on a show for the city, go ahead and contribute to this four-peat we're trying to go get."
Facing an unfamiliar opponent brings its own set of challenges. Head coach Dyrri McCain said that uncertainty is valuable in finding out what his team is made of.
"Us playing teams that are from around here and in our district, we know what we're going to get, so it's just something different and you need that," McCain said.
"You're not familiar with the team, don't have too much film on team so that's the biggest challenge — you don't know too much about the team," Everette pointed out.
The Commodores know plenty about themselves and what they have accomplished, but one milestone has eluded the program: a win over a North Carolina opponent. Maury has not beaten a team from the Tar Heel State since the 1950s, dropping three such matchups since McCain's arrival.
"We're trying to do things that previous teams have never done before," Everette noted. "That's one thing that nobody's ever done along with the four-peat as well."
"We're just trying to get that off our back and it's more than just us," added McCain. "We didn't do well in the state of Virginia as a whole versus North Carolina teams so we take pride in carrying that on our backs."
Maury enters Friday riding 14 consecutive victories. The last loss came at the hands of another North Carolina opponent, Cardinal Gibbons, in last year's season opener.
"If we can start off hot like how we ended last season, I'm sure we'll be able to dominate these first three along with the regular season and the playoffs," Everette said.
"The other part of it is that was last year, Cardinal Gibbons didn't care about us coming off a state title the previous year so Mallard Creek doesn't either," McCain remarked.
The players are well aware of what a strong start would mean heading into the weeks ahead.
"It would feel amazing because last year we fell short in the first game, so we've got to come out strong," said Branche. "We can't lose at home either."
"Our big goal is to get to the second Saturday in December and win that," McCain proclaimed. "Part of the guys' goal is they wanted to do it undefeated."
"Going into week two we were coming off a loss last season so we didn't have as much momentum going into that tough opponent, Varina," Everette said. "When we win this game, we'll have more momentum going into week two and then week three and the regular season."
Maury and Mallard Creek kick things off Friday night at 7 p.m. at Powhatan Field.
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