The following preview was provided by Oklahoma high school football expert Ben Johnson -- the former award-winning sports editor of the Tahlequah Daily Press and a frequent contributor to the Tulsa World.

Tulsa Booker T. Washington (OK) and West Monroe (LA) will bat leadoff in the biggest high school showcase event of the season.

Here's everything you need to know before this weekend's premier high school matchup:

Battle on the Border VII -- Booker T. Washington (OK) vs. West Monroe (LA)
When: Friday, Sept. 8, at 6 PM (CT)
Where: Independence Stadium, Shreveport, LA
Broadcast: FloFootball.com

What you should know about Booker T. Washington:

A subpar season by Booker T. Washington's standards, the Hornets (2-0) labored to a 6-5 finish in the 2016 season and suffered a first-round playoff exit at the hands of Lawton. After the departure of Justice Hill, now Oklahoma State's starting running back, Booker T. Washington's offense lacked consistency last season, generating only 11.4 points per game in the team's five losses. Fortunately for the Hornets, the team returned a wealth of talent in 2017, including Rylan McQuarters, the son of former NFL cornerback R.W. McQuarters and a standout on both sides of the ball at running back and cornerback. That experience has already paid dividends, most notably in a 35-21 road victory at Edmond Santa Fe in the season opener.

What you should know about West Monroe:

West Monroe (2-0) went on a championship binge from 1996 to 2000, winning four Louisiana state titles in that span. While the program has showcased the same pedigree since the turn of the century, there have only been three championships to show for it. The wins have been there, though, logging double-digit victories since 2000, save for a 9-3 season in 2013. Last year, the Rebels were a game away from a Class 5A state championship appearance, but a 50-21 loss to Landry-Walker derailed any kind of title aspirations. West Monroe figures to be right back in the mix for a 5A crown in 2017 with the return of quarterback and Alabama commit Slade Bolden.

Offense:

Quarterback hasn't been a strong position for Booker T. Washington recently, but Phillip Wheatley is changing that narrative. As a junior last season, Wheatley played in eight games and threw for 1,431 yards and 11 touchdowns. McQuarters led the rushing attack with 653 yards and eight touchdowns on 90 carries. Wheatley's receiving arsenal returns DeWayne Cooks, who had 496 yards and five touchdowns on 41 catches in 2016, and McQuarters and Hill figure to get plenty of looks on the outside, as well. 

When a team has one of the top players in the country at quarterback, that offense automatically vaults up the list of "most feared." And in West Monroe's case, it's well warranted. Slade Bolden is a multi-faceted weapon, including, at times, at wide receiver. As a junior in 2016, Bolden rushed for 1,370 yards, passed for 906 and caught -- yes, caught -- 15 passes for 248 yards. In all, he accounted for 37 touchdowns and didn't throw a single interception. Long story short: Booker T. Washington has a lot of playmakers on defense, but Bolden is dynamic and difficult to stop.

Advantage: ​West Monroe
 

Defense:

Perhaps he's overlooked because of who's around him, but Jason Harris II has been a stalwart for Booker T. Washington on defense. At 5-foot-11 and 215 pounds, the senior linebacker notched a team-high 87 tackles and eight sacks last season. Mix in defensive lineman Jonathon Brown, along with McQuarters and Hill in the defensive backfield, and the Hornets figure to be quite opportunistic in 2017. 

Dalvin Hutchinson, all 6-foot-1, 310 pounds of him, will clog the lanes up front for West Monroe, and John Gullatt will be lurking at linebacker. The Rebels allowed 19.7 points per game last season, but 81 of 195 points allowed last season came in the West Monre's final two games of the playoffs.

Advantage: ​Booker T. Washington
 

Special Teams:

There was a time when Booker T. Washington excelled in the kicking game. That was 2015 with Zach Haney. Since then, the Hornets' special teams have been mostly pedestrian, much like the rest of the teams fielded by Tulsa public schools. One thing the Hornets can use to their advantage is McQuarters and Hill in the return game. 

West Monroe will use Reece Aultmann for kicking duties, and just about anyone West Monroe throws out there on special teams will be well equipped to deliver in the return game. Still, the pedigree and athleticism of Hill and McQuarters is tough to match.

Advantage: ​Booker T. Washington
 

Intangibles:

West Monroe knows all about the Battle on the Border. The Rebels lost 27-13 to John Curtis Christian (LA) last season. Meanwhile, Booker T. Washington went out of state to meet Florida superpower IMG Academy and got dump-trucked 49-7. The previous big-game experience figures to benefit both teams, but the Battle on the Border is a unique animal. The Rebels will have significant familiarity, playing in their home state ​and ​having been on this stage before.

Advantage: ​West Monroe
 

Key matchup:

Bolden vs. Booker T. Washington's defense

Can the Hornets concoct a scheme to limit Bolden's production? Few did it last year, but even fewer have the speed and athleticism on the defensive side of the ball that Bolden and the Rebels will see from Booker T. Washington. No matter the outcome, it will be fun to watch highly touted prospects on both sides of the ball battle it out.

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Battle on the Border VII

Friday & Saturday, September 8-9 | 6 PM (CDT)

Shreveport Independence Stadium, Shreveport, LA

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