'Experienced' Falcons ready for 2011 playoffs

FLOWERY BRANCH -- If experience has taught Lee Shaw anything, it's that experience doesn't matter.

The Flowery Branch football coach has led the Falcons to seven straight playoff appearances, including a trip to the Class AAA title game in 2008 with an unprecedented four consecutive road wins. But as Shaw and the Falcons prepare to open the 2011 playoffs Friday night on the road at Johns Creek in Alpharetta, that doesn't matter -- at least not to Shaw.

Not the 7-2 record all-time on the road in the playoffs. Not the 13-2 road record during the past three seasons overall. Not the fact that Johns Creek will be playing in its first-ever playoff game.

"The past is the past," he said. "We have a few guys that were on that (2008) team but most of them were just on the bus as the freshmen. They didn't play much. Each team is different and has its own experiences so what happened last year or three years ago won't play a huge factor this week.

"As for the road record, the reason we have had so much success is that we really don't make a big deal of it. We just like to play on Friday night and we really don't care where. It's just another game on Friday night to us."

However, the seventh-ranked Falcons (9-1) may have an extra chip on their shoulder this time around. They were within two minutes of winning their first-ever outright region championship last week before Clarke Central rallied for a 38-35 win to send Region 8-AAAA into a three-way tie. (Flowery Branch did earn its first football region crown, as 8-AAAA awarded the title to all three first place teams.)

The playoff seedings then were determined by drawing the No. 1 seed out of a hat. The Falcons had a 66.6 percent chance of finishing first or second. They wound up third.

"It was disappointing not to be playing at home, but we didn't take care of business when we needed to," Shaw said. "But, we were all named co-champions so that kind of perked everyone up. But it shows what happens when you don't finish strong. That is something we are talking about as we start the playoffs."

The Falcons come into the playoffs with one of the most potent offenses in all of Georgia averaging 47.43 points per game behind quarterback Kanler Coker, receivers C.J. Curry and Casey Osborne, and running back Jeremy Haley in their familiar spread attack. They also sport a defense that has allowed just 15.2 ppg, many of those points coming against the second and third units in lopsided wins.

Johns Creek (9-1) is the second seed out of Region 7-AAAA and is similar in style to Flowery Branch, running an offset, pistol gun spread offense led by quarterback Skye Overton, running back Chase Solomon, and a deep receiving corps. The Gladiators are averaging 32.1 ppg, their defense is allowing just 11.6 ppg, and their only loss during the season was to defending Class AAAA state champion Chattahoochee, 19-16 in overtime, back in Week 5.

"They are a talented team," Shaw said. "We've seen a similar offense against Loganville [a 42-21 Flowery Branch win] so we're familiar with it. They are very physical so we will have to match their intensity, especially on defense."

Shaw said where experience does play a factor is knowing that defense is where you win in the playoffs.

"Really, the star of our team this season has been our defense," he said. "Once you get to the playoffs, having the ability to consistently stop people is where you win games. You will see good offenses every week but you have to be able to slow them down. We've been able to do that most of the year. We've felt all year our defense was good enough to carry us a long way."

The first test against Johns Creek may be the most important one for Shaw and the Falcons. They came into the season with high expectations and are hoping to avoid an earlier exit than last season, where they were knocked off in the second round by Kell.

"Last year doesn't really matter other than the fact we don't want to go out early again. We felt good about this team from the beginning of the year," Shaw said. "This is a team we felt had potential, once they put everything together, to make a deep run and have a chance to win it all. But, if we want to make a statement, we have to get past the first round.

"If experience has taught me one thing, it's that you can't win it all if you don't win the first (playoff game). We played pretty well most of the season but I still don't think we've played a totally complete game yet. This would be a good time to start."

The game can be heard on WDUN AM-550. Kickoff is slated for 7:30 p.m.

NOTES: C.J. Curry is listed as questionable for Flowery Branch with a high ankle sprain. No other injuries were reported by the Falcons. ... Despite the glowing playoff road record, the Falcons have dropped their last two playoff road games, to Kell, and to Gainesville, 29-21, in the 2009 Class AAA semifinals. ...Flowery Branch has failed to score under 35 points just once in 2011, a 21-13 win over Heritage, Conyers in Week 7. ... Johns Creek has not allowed more than 19 points in any game this season.