North Hall and East Hall will meet for the 56th time Friday night in a game that will have Region 7-3A playoff implications.
The Vikings are down to their last strike, needing to win their last two games and probably get some help as well if they hope to make the state playoffs for the first time since 2017. The Trojans have clinched their spot in the bracket, but are still alive for a home playoff game if they can win this week and beat Dawson County in Week 12.
North Hall head coach David Bishop says East Hall can cause some defensive concerns. Vikings coach Michael Perry says his team will likely need to put up a lot of points if they hope to contend with the Trojans' potent Wing-T attack.
NORTH HALL COACH DAVID BISHOP...
On his team's focus after clinching the playoffs with last week's win at Lumpkin County:
"I don't think there's going to be an issue. The one thing about our kids, it seems like they always get up for this game regardless of record or anything else. They've played pick up basketball together, they've played football against each other. I know our kids are looking forward to it, so I don't think getting them up is going to be a problem."
On how East Hall's offense has improved over the season and how the Trojans will look to defend it:
"I think the big thing is they're able to hit some of the bigger plays. They throw a lot of screens and stuff like that and when you don't tackle their players, they're good enough to make big plays and that's what I've seen with them playing other folks. We can't allow that to happen and that just becomes our kids running to the football, regardless of whether we think somebody else is going to tackle him or not. I think that's where they've made some hay here lately.
On if there's any comfort in playing the last two games of the regular season at home:
"Definitely. Our kids love playing at home, our fans are amazing. The atmosphere at The Brickyard and Lynn Cottrell Stadium is, in my opinion, like no other. I coached in Region 1 for several years, played at Valdosta and Lowndes and Moultrie and even to me, those stadiums don't have the atmosphere that we have here, so it is exciting for out kids to have those here."
EAST HALL COACH MICHAEL PERRY...
On the team's health coming off of a BYE week:
"Well, we've still got a lot of guys hurt unfortunately. We're going to have a lot of guys out, but we're not going to make excuses. The guys we've got, the guys that do right and aren't hurt are going to give it everything they've got. I think our guys are very excited to play North Hall."
On defending North Hall's offense, which has scored 97 combined points over its past two games:
"They've gotten better and better as the season's gone one and that's a credit to their coaching staff. (North Hall running back J.T. Fair) is an unbelievable high school football player, and he's got help around him obviously, but it's going to be a challenge to stop him and slow them down. Offensively for us, we're going to have to score a lot of points to match them."
On if the rivalry will add any intensity to the matchup:
"It does and we've talked a lot about composure and having to play composed and never getting too high or too low. Basically just executing the call. If we do that, we'll be fine."
