MT. AIRY — It is the elephant in the room. The Ghost in the Machine. The thing under the bed.
But by whatever idiom you want to call it, neither Habersham Central coach Benji Harrison nor Stephens County coach Wes Tankersley is paying any attention to the Indians’ 14-game winning streak in the long-standing rivalry between the programs.
The two programs will play for the 43rd time Friday at Raider Stadium. Kickoff is slated for 7:30 p.m.
However....
“It’s obviously out there. The kids know about it,” said Harrison, who played at Stephens County in his prep years. “But we don’t think much about it. Most of these kids have only played in one or two games maybe with (Stephens County) so to them it’s just the next game.
“But they also understand the history and I know they would love to be the ones to break it. You only have a few opportunities as a group or a class against your rivals so you want to make the most of them.”
Tankersley, who is just in his second year in Toccoa, said they also try not to focus on it.
“We don’t talk much about the streak. I think everyone knows what it is and you hear people talk for sure,” Tankersley said. “But for our kids, they don’t want to be the group where the streak ends. That can help with the motivation.”
But if there is a year where the Raiders (1-2) may be considered a favorite in a series they trail 30-11-1 and have not notched a victory since 1996, this is certainly it. Of course, they led Stephens County 28-7 in the second half last year before succumbing to a late blitz in a 41-28 loss.
“That was one we certainly let get away from us,” Harrison said. “A tale of two halves. Frustrating.”
Habersham comes into the 2019 edition off a big win two weeks ago against another rival in White County. The Raiders offense, with several new pieces, finally got untracked against the Warriors in a 42-28 win. The defense is yielding just just 27 points per game, which is slightly ahead of last year’s 30.8 ppg. However, they have not given up more than 28 in any game so far after allowing 32 or more points seven times in 2018.
The Indians (1-3) are in the midst of their first three-game losing streak since 2009 after a rough 44-7 blowout loss to Rabun County last week. They have one of the toughest schedules in the state with eight playoff teams from 2018 and are in the midst of seven straight games against that group. On defense they have allowed 35 ppg so far, including allowing 93 in their last two games. And the offense has struggled as well during the losing streak averaging just 13 ppg.
Much like the streak, neither coach is putting much stock in any of the numbers either.
“We’re very inexperienced in several spots, especially on defense, and we just haven’t found our way yet,” said Tankersley. “ Our focus is just on trying to get better right now.
“We have a tough schedule but no one is going to feel sorry for us. We have to find a way to get wins. This is a big game for us, not just because of the rivalry but just to try and get ourselves back on track.”
“Records, stats, none of that matters in this game,” said Harrison, who is now in his fifth season on the Raiders sideline in the series. “And they are better than their record shows. I expect the same kind of game it always is -- hard-hitting.
“This kind of rivalry is what high school football is all about. Both communities are into the game and want to win. It’s always a lot of fun.
“But it would be even more fun if we could end that streak. That’s all I’m going to say about that.”
STEPHENS COUNTY at HABERSHAM CENTRAL
-- WHEN: 7:30 p.m.
-- WHERE: Raider Stadium, Mt. Airy
-- STEPHENS COUNTY (1-3, 0-0 Region 8-4A): Lost 44-7 to Rabun County last week
-- HABERSHAM CENTRAL (1-2, 0-0 Region 8-6A): Off last week; defeated White County 42-28 two weeks ago
-- NOTABLE: Stephens County leads series 30-11-1. Stephens County won 41-28 in 2018 in Toccoa. The Indians have won 14 straight in the series. The last Habersham win came in 1996 in Mt. Airy. ... The Raiders have been close the last two seasons to breaking the long losing streak. They dropped a 49-46 decision in 2017 with a late Stephens County score and let a 28-7 lead slip away in the second half last season. ... The Indians have lost three straight for the first time since 2009. They have one of the toughest schedules in the state with eight playoff teams from 2018 and are in the midst of seven straight games against that group. ... The Raiders’ rebuilt offense finally got untracked against White County and face a Stephens defense that is yielding 35 ppg so far, including allowing 93 in its last two games. ... Habersham is allowing 27 ppg, which is slightly ahead of last year’s 30.8 ppg. The Indians offense has struggled during the losing streak averaging just 13 ppg.
