SANDERSVILLE, Ga. — On a windy afternoon in November, Coach Bert Brown and the Brentwood War Eagles are right where they want to be -- still on the football field.
"Well, it's always nice to be, at this point, be one of the few remaining teams," Brown said.
After back-to-back eight-win regular seasons, the Eagles are 9-2 and coming off a first round GISA playoff bye. Brown said he knows how big a week's rest can be down the stretch.
"It gave us a chance to mend a few bumps and bruises, the fundamentals of blocking and tackling, so here we are getting ready for Terrell Academy," Brown said.
Now Brown will lean on his senior class to lead the playoff charge. Many, like guard Brock Burley, have been starting since they were freshmen.
"We've seen a lot of losses and we've seen wins. Now we're just focusing on the wins, trying to give it all we've got. This is the most talented team we've had in a while," Burley said.
The War Eagles suffered two back-to-back losses during weeks three and four, but senior fullback Colby Johnson says the Eagles are using those losses and past seasons' experiences as fuel to propel them the rest of the way.
"We learned that, you know, you get down, but you've got to get back up and fight as hard as you can," Johnson said. "As a senior, you want to cherish it all, play every game like it is your last and, hopefully, at the end, you come out with a win."
Brentwood will face a 7-5 Terrell Academy team, who beat their first round opponent 64-26. At the point in the season where every team is 0-0, Coach Brown knows anything can happen in the playoffs.
"Let's tee it up and see what happens. Best man wins and moves on to the semifinals," he said.
Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. in Sandersville.
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