RUSK — Rusk will launch its bid for a return to the state Class 3A playoffs — head coach Ted Patton's Red and Black were an Area finalist a year ago — when they welcome Terrell to Eagle Stadium for the season opener on Aug. 31.

The Eagles were forced to scramble late to fill the slot after an East Texas-based school backed out of an appointment with the Red and Black.

Terrell, who is based in District 10-4A, is coming off of a 2-8 season and is not predicted to be a playoff team this season.

In Week 1, Rusk will face good news-bad news proposition.

On the positive side, the Eagles will be the home team for the second week in-a-row, but the competition should be much saltier.

That's due to the fact that the Crockett Bulldogs, Dave Campbell's Texas Football magazine's pre-season No. 8-ranked team in Class 2A, Division I will provide the opposition.

Crockett posted an 11-2 record in 2011 and with 18 lettermen back, it's easy to see why the Bulldogs have been chosen to capture the District 11-2AI crown this year.

Rusk will hit the road on Sep. 14 when the Eagles visit Eustace in what will be the first of four-straight road games.

The following week Rusk travels to Athens and is scheduled to follow that contest up with a trip to Brownsboro on Sep. 21.

Both Athens and Brownsboro were district mates with the Eagles in the past, so the teams should be very familiar with one another.

The lengthy road swing is scheduled to come to an end on Oct. 5 when Rusk journeys to Carthage for a date with the Bulldogs, a team that opens the season ranked No. 3 in the Class 3A poll.

On paper the date with the Dawgs appears to be the Birds' toughest test of the year.

The Second Season opens on the 12th day of October when Fairfield travels to Rusk for the District 19-3A lid lifter.

Fairfield went 10-1 in 2011 and returns 14 starters off of that squad. Fairfield is picked to finish second, behind Palestine, in the 19-3A standings this season.

The Eagles continue league play a week later by playing the Wildcats in Palestine.

Rusk will get an opportunity to rest up on Oct. 26 as the Eagles are idle.

The Red and Black will then drop the drape on the regular season by hosting Groesbeck on Nov. 2 and visiting Mexia on Nov. 9.

Both of those tilts are league games and are against the two clubs that are that are not forecasted to make the playoffs.

Coach Patton believes his team is better than a third-place team, which is where those at Texas Football see the Red and Black finishing.

So, the mid-October games against Fairfield and Palestine in back-to-back weeks should be key, with Rusk probably needing to win at least one of those contests to finish in one of the top-two spots in 19-3A.