Blue Jays ready to put disappointing end to 2025 in rearview mirror, begin season against Knox

NORTH JUDSON, Ind. -- It's Friday, and that means another installment of Under the Lights.

This week, ABC57 is heading to North Judson, where the Blue Jays are taking on Knox.

Week one is finally here, and the 2026 regular season is kicking things off with a showdown between Knox and North Judson. This will be the third time these two teams have faced off to start their seasons, with each team winning one game in 2025 and 2024, respectively.

Some rivalries wait for later in the season, but this one couldn't happen any earlier.

"Since we're not in the conference together anymore, and we're not going to see each other in the playoffs, this is it. For us to have the opportunity to, I guess you could say, think about this all offseason, knowing that this is the first game up, I think it's great for us and great for the rivalry," said Brett Lambert, North Judson head coach.

Lambert returns for his eighth year leading the Blue Jays.

He still vividly remembers the last time his team played at Liberty Field - a two-point sectional loss to LaVille, which knocked North Judson out of the playoffs, in a six turnover game that he says the Blue Jays have learned plenty from.

"You always learn from your losses, I'm not going to shy away from that, we've done that over the years, every time we've lost, if it's the end of the year or during the regular season, always pick something from that," said Lambert.

Lambert and his team will be running a triple option offense this year, with senior Javen Christensen under center. Christensen moved into the starting quarterback role late last season, and since then, the camaraderie he's developed with his offensive unit is why he feels this team can put up some crooked numbers on the scoreboard in 2026.

"I'm close with all these guys, we all hang out, I've been around this offense for four years, my four years of high school, I study a lot, I watch a lot of film, I'm always in the playbook, just confident," said Christensen.

Christensen is also a key member of a defense that was stifling for opponents last year, including 7 games out of 11 total where they gave up 14 points or less.

"We pretty much have the same defense, we graduated a few people on defense, but really, it's the same backfield, mostly the same linebackers, few different linebackers, but all around, we're just really fast, really strong, we all live in the weight room, I just think we're going to dominate this year," said Christensen.

The Redskins and Blue Jays will kick off at 8 p.m. at Liberty Field.