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Steamboat Springs — In coach terms, teams usually improve the most from their first to their second game.

If that is in fact the case for the Steamboat Springs High School football team, an even more explosive offense and stingier defense will take the field at 7 p.m. today at Delta, in the Western Slope League opener for both schools.

Steamboat - ranked No. 3 in Class 3A by The Denver Post and tops in the classification by www.coloradopreps.com - enters the game fresh from a 41-21 win against Holy Family in Zero Week.

Delta beat Gunnison, 34-14, last week.

"It's always very important. The first week of league play is really important," Steamboat coach Aaron Finch said. "If you win, you have half the league chasing you. But we have to come out ready to play."

In Delta, Steamboat finds a team with a new coach again. The Panthers welcome first year coach Ben Johnson, who previously coached the defensive side of the ball for 2008 Class 2A state champion Olathe.

There is always a mystery with first year coaches, but Finch said he has a decent idea of what Delta brings.

The Panthers have been a middle of the pack team in the league the past several seasons, missing out on the playoffs each year by just a couple of games.

That, combined with the new coaching staff, has Finch excited and a little leery about today.

"They can really scare you and can make some plays," Finch said. "They're taking a new direction with a new coaching staff. But they're one of those teams I'm really glad we're playing early on because they are only going to get better and better as they go on."

Steamboat shouldn't have to worry much about its passing game, as senior quarterback Austin Hinder threw for 326 yards and five touchdowns - two each to Jack Spady and Dylan Pivarnik - in the opener.

One area of concern is the Sailors running game that produced only 75 yards on 13 carries. Take away a Hinder 57-yard gallop, and that equates to just 1.5 yards a carry.

"We put in a lot more plays," Pivarnik said. "I think we should have a better chance to mix it up. We got to get a running game because we can't just pass every down. I think that our running game has improved a lot. We worked throughout the bye week to put in a lot more."

Steamboat could again be without two of its top playmakers. Sophomore Garrett Pugh will miss today's game with the lingering effects of a concussion suffered in preseason camp. Senior Joe Dover (hamstring) will be a game-time decision.

Regardless, Finch said he's just excited to get the real season under way.

"Boy it's good to get the league schedule started," he said. "We treated our bye week as an extension of camp. Now it's nice to get a rhythm of football week after week."