LEWISTOWN — Week 3 brings one of the more intriguing non-conference matchups of the young season, as the Indian Lake Lakers travel to Harrod to take on the Allen East Mustangs Friday, Sept. 4.

Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Allen East High School, with both teams entering the matchup undefeated at 2-0.

For Indian Lake, Friday's contest provides another opportunity to prove that the Lakers' fast start is no fluke.

The Lakers opened the season with a 54-43 victory over Bath, then followed it up with a dominant 40-7 win over Fairbanks in Week 2. Through two games, Indian Lake has put up 94 points, while allowing 50.

The Week 2 performance was particularly impressive, as the Lakers traveled to Fairbanks and controlled the game from start to finish. Indian Lake's defense limited the Panthers to just seven points while the offense continued its early-season scoring pace.

Lakers bringing balance and firepower

Indian Lake has found production from several different areas during its undefeated start.

Senior Brady Golliday has been one of the area's best players through 2 weeks, accounting for 12 touchdowns and being a catalyst of offensive productivity. Golliday leads the Central Buckeye Conference in passing yards and touchdowns through the outset of the season.

Junior Dawson Stevenson has been one of the Lakers' biggest contributors, averaging 129.5 rushing yards per game through the opening two contests. Senior quarterback Brady Golliday has also played a major role, leading the team with four total touchdowns.

Through the air, senior receiver Brodey Reisinger has averaged 103 receiving yards per game, giving the Lakers another dangerous option for opposing defenses to account for.

Defensively, junior Aaron Rapp leads Indian Lake with an average of 10 tackles per game, while senior Tristan Taylor has already recorded two sacks.

The Lakers' ability to move the football in multiple ways could be especially important Friday night against an Allen East defense that has allowed just 21 points through two games.

Mustangs enter at 2-0

Allen East has been just as impressive to open the season.

The Mustangs began the year with a 49-0 shutout of Lima Perry, then traveled to Fort Recovery last Friday and came away with a 28-21 victory.

Allen East's defense has been a major reason for the perfect start, surrendering only 21 points across its first two games.

The Mustangs' offense has also shown its ability to produce when necessary. After overwhelming Lima Perry in Week 1, Allen East found itself in a much tighter battle with Fort Recovery but managed to hold on for the seven-point victory.

Now, Allen East returns home for its biggest test of the season to date.

A rematch with recent history

Friday's matchup will be the second consecutive season these two programs have met.

Indian Lake dominated the most recent meeting, defeating Allen East 50-20 in Lewistown in September 2025. The victory moved the Lakers to 2-1 at the time, while Allen East fell to 1-2.

This year's matchup, however, comes with both teams entering undefeated and playing some of their best football of the early season.

The Mustangs will be looking to turn the tables on a Lakers program that has already demonstrated its offensive explosiveness, while Indian Lake will attempt to continue its momentum and remain unbeaten heading into another difficult stretch of the schedule.

Something has to give

Friday's matchup sets up as a battle between two teams that have started the season with plenty of confidence.

Indian Lake enters with the higher-scoring offense, averaging 47 points per game, while Allen East has been nearly perfect defensively, allowing just 10.5 points per contest through two games.

For the Lakers, establishing the run and forcing Allen East to defend the entire field will be critical. For the Mustangs, slowing down Indian Lake's collection of offensive weapons and preventing big plays will be the primary objective.

With both teams sitting at 2-0, Friday night offers an early-season measuring stick for two programs hoping to make noise throughout the fall.

The winner will leave Harrod with a perfect 3-0 record and plenty of momentum heading into Week 4.

Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. Friday at Allen East High School.