Dylan Busby dylan@silsbee-bee.com The Silsbee Bee KOUNTZE — Kountze returns from its bye week Friday with one of the biggest games on its schedule as the Lions host bitter rival Warren for homecoming. The combination of homecoming, district play and a rivalry matchup gives Kountze plenty to play for as the Lions continue working through a reloading season. Warren enters at 3-2 and brings much more momentum into this year’s meeting than it did a season ago. The Warriors have already won two games on the field and picked up another victory by forfeit, giving them more wins this season than they had in the previous two years combined. That makes Friday’s homecoming matchup look much different than last year’s meeting. Kountze mauled Warren 60-6 a season ago in one of the Lions’ most complete performances of the year. The Lions controlled the game from start to finish against an overmatched opponent and played about as close to a perfect game as a team can. This time, Warren arrives with confidence. For Kountze, the challenge will be matching the energy of homecoming night with clean execution. The Lions need to begin stacking quality reps, cutting down mistakes and putting better football on tape as the district schedule gets tougher. The rivalry atmosphere should give Kountze an emotional boost, but the Lions cannot afford to let the pageantry of homecoming become a distraction. A road matchup against Hardin looms next week, making Friday an important opportunity to build momentum before another difficult district test. Kountze has the chance to defend its home field, beat its rival and send the homecoming crowd home happy. More importantly, the Lions need to use the game as a step forward.