The entire season will be on the line this Friday night when the Pike County High School Bulldogs travel to face the Daleville High School Warhawks in an important 3A, Region 2 matchup. Kickoff from Warhawk Stadium in Daleville is set for 7 p.m.

The Warhawks won last year’s meeting over the Bulldogs 30-27 in Brundidge.

The winner of Friday’s contest between these two perennial winning programs keeps their state playoff hopes alive. The loser is virtually eliminated from post-season consideration.

The Bulldogs (0-6, 0-4) are looking to avoid missing the post-season for the first time since 1999.

These two programs have suffered through tough seasons due to heavy graduation losses from last season and constant coaching turnover in recent years. Former Pike County assistant coach and player Fred Holland is filling in as the interim head coach for the Bulldogs after Rodney Dollar was placed on medical leave. This will be Holland’s third game as the interim head coach.

The Warhawks (2-4, 1-3) had a close to a similar situation in the mid-2000s with four different head coaches directing the program during a five-year period. But former Prattville assistant and third-year head coach Brad McCoy has brought much-needed stability to the program leading the Warhawks to two straight post-season appearances and the 3A, Region 2 title last year.

Daleville is coming off a convincing 41-23 win over Geneva last Friday night. Senior running back Brandon Burks rushed 25 times for 259 yards and five touchdowns to help the Warhawks earn the victory Burks was selected this week to represent the state in the annual Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Football Game this December in Montgomery.

Through six regular season games, Burks has rushed 111 times for 891 yards (more than 8 yards per carry) and 15 touchdowns.

Senior quarterback A.J. Jones (6-1, 180) is more than serviceable at the signal-calling position for the Warhawks.

Meanwhile, the Bulldogs hope to revive a sputtering offense that has scored just 46 total points (7.66 points per game) this season. Pike County fell to Opp 28-6 last week.

Pike County hopes to count on the running of backs Dominique Mills and Raheem Pearson to solidify the ground game in Holland’s conventional offensive attack.