Lee County has not beaten Cary since 2004, when the Yellow Jackets won 22-19. Since then, Cary has outscored the Yellow Jackets 152-52.

Last year, two interceptions turned into points for the Imps, as they cruised to an easy 21-7 victory over the Yellow Jackets in a game that all but knocked Lee County out of the 4-A playoffs.

In 2008, the Yellow Jackets had a second-half surge where they outscored the Imps 20-6 but still fell short as Cary's ground attack rushed for over 190 yards in its 34-20 win.

"Everywhere we look, we've got some kind of thorn in our side," said Cates. "Apex was a thorn, Athens Drive was a thorn, there are thorns everywhere we turn. What we want to do with this program is take the next step. We were 2-6 at this time last year and we're 6-2 now. We want to continue taking that next step and getting better. We definitely want to end the streak that Cary has on us."

In order to snap this six-year losing streak to the Imps, the Yellow Jackets have got to figure out a way to contain Cary tailback DeAndre Henry. The junior rushed for 171 yards on 32 carries and a touchdown in last week's win over Middle Creek.

Cary's defense forced the Mustangs offense to cough the ball up four times, three fumbles and an interception. The Imps held the Mustangs to their lowest scoring total all season.

"Defensively, Cary is playing real well," said Cates. "They're very strong on the defensive side of the ball. Offensively, they've got a great tailback that can break a 60-yard run through a gap if you're not careful."