ASHLAND – The fifth-ranked Southern Oregon football team caps its spring practice season this weekend with the annual Red/Black Spring Game and the Raider Red Zone Golf Tournament.

The Spring Game will kick off on Friday at 6 p.m. at Raider Stadium, following a free one-hour kids clinic available to any local youth football players who want a chance to get out on the field with the Raiders. The game itself will carry a unique scrimmage structure pitting the offense against the defense with different scoring opportunities for each unit.

“We don't have enough guys to break the team up into two groups,” SOU offensive coordinator Ken Fasnacht said. “We're going to have a little unique scoring system where the offense will play the defense in the game and the defense will get points for things like stops and turnovers. The offense will get their points from the normal things, trying to get the ball in the endzone.”

The special scoring structure should provide a different experience for SOU football fans and will help place an emphasis on big defensive plays. Unlike traditional football scoring, defensive players will be able to put points on the scoreboard without scoring touchdowns off turnovers.

“It'll be fun to watch, and it may even make it more exciting,” Fasnacht said.

Defensive coordinator Matt Toblin believes the defense has made major strides during the past month of practices. The SOU defense faces the difficult task of stopping a record-breaking offense every day in practice, as Austin Dodge (Vancouver, Wash./Skyview) and the Raider offense averaged nearly 650 yards per game last season. The spring schedule has given some younger players more chances to learn the system and step into the lineup, and Toblin hopes to see that progress on display on Friday.

“We're really excited about the progress that we've made,” Toblin said. “It will be kind of like a final coming out party before we buckle down and get ready for the conference games coming next fall.”

Following Friday's scrimmage, the Raider Red Zone hosts its annual Golf Shootout on Saturday at Eagle Point Golf Course. The fifth annual golf tournament will include more than 150 alumni and supporters of SOU football, who will have a chance to watch the team play Friday and then enjoy the sunny forecasts out on the links. The event is one of the top fundraisers for the football program each year.