This morning in blustery weather, the Hawkinsville Red Devils huddled up to get ready for their quarterfinal matchup against Clinch County this Friday night on the road.
The Red Devils soaked in the chilly air Wednesday.
Clinch County and Hawkinsville sit at 8-3, although Clinch is a higher seed in the bracket.
Red Devil head coach David Daniell says defensively, the Panthers get after it, plus he says they are a threat on the other side of the ball.
"They're big and physical, so offensively, we've got to stop the run," Daniell said.
Offensive lineman Devin Wiggins says a win this Friday would mean a lot of their road to a state title.
"Clinch County's going to try and stack the ball on us and hit us in the mouth," Wiggins projected. "We've got to come out low and drive them off the ball."
Both teams sport red and white jerseys. Both rely on the run, and both have five state championships in their history.
But Wiggins thinks he and his teammates have momentum as November comes to an end.
"We peaked at the right time. We beat the number one team in the state and showed everybody we have what it takes, so we just have to keep on truckin'," Wiggins said.
It's that fire and passion that's fueled these guys' belief that they can achieve a more lofted place in the record books, a team that brings home title number six.
"I've been in one playoff game my whole life. This will be the third one, so this would be a big achievement if we could get a state title," Wiggins said.
In what is a playoff tradition, the Red Devils will have a light Turkey Day practice, and then they will board a bus Friday headed to Clinch County. It's about a three- hour drive.
