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HAMLIN -- Winless through four games is not where the Brooke Bruins hoped to be facing a lengthy trip to Hamlin, West Virginia.
But through those four losses, the Bruins have made steady, if even just minor improvements from the opening loss to Beaver Local to last Friday's shootout against Indian Creek (4-1).
The Bruins actually led 17-14 in the third quarter after Ty Sperringer hooked up with William Scott on a 28-yard scoring strike.
Creek answered with 14 unanswered points. Brooke managed to cut the deficit to six on another Sperringer TD toss, this time to Chance Brozstek from 26 yards out.
The Bruins got no closer, suffering their fourth-straight loss to start the season.
But, the offense showed life it hadn't displayed in previous weeks and this week, despite the long drive, provides a potential get-right game for head coach Casey Goff and the Bruins.
Like Brooke, Lincoln County is winless through four games, but unlike the Bruins, the Panthers are still searching for their offensive identity.
They've been shutout twice. Lincoln County's TD total stands at three through four games, their best scoring output came in a 49-12 loss to Roane County.
Last week, the Panthers fell to Oak Hill 24-0 at home.
The Panthers are led by quarterback Lucas Johaim and running back Drew Banks.
Johaim has passed for 327 yards and two TDs against five picks, an average of 81.8 yards per game.
Banks leads the ground attack with 51 yards per game and has received the overwhelming bulk of the Panthers' carries.
Through the air, Banks also leads the team in receiving with 167 yards on nine receptions, an average of 41.8 per game.
In short, Johaim is either handing the ball to Banks out of Lincoln County's spread formation, or rolling out and looking to hit him with a pass.
Banks is also the team's leading defender, averaging 12.5 tackles per game.
The Bruins and Sperringer put up season highs last week in both rushing and passing, as Sperringer became more of a focal point of the rushing attack, rumbling for 145 yards on 17 carries, an average of 8.5 per tote.
Through the air, the sophomore passed for 163 yards and three touchdowns, with Darion Hilton snagged the first of three scoring strikes.
When Sperringer isn't doing the running, Dante Tulenko is getting the remaining bulk of carries. Tulenko averages 46.3 per game, slightly ahead of Sperringer's 43.2 average which received a major boost following the Creek game.
Ethan Fisher leads the Bruins in receptions with eight, while Owen Haught has the most yards with 83.
There are no gimme-games in football, but this is certainly Brooke's best opportunity during the next few weeks to pick up its first victory, as tough matchups with unbeaten Bridgeport, W.Va. and Frankfort loom next.