With the 36-35 overtime win against Marist last Friday, the 4th-ranked Wildcats are at a level they have never been before. Not just in their overall ranking, they have made it past the second round of the State Playoffs.

It doesn’t hurt then that the Apalachee football team gets to enter this new territory in a familiar place, R. Harold Harrison stadium.

The Wildcats won the coin flip with No. 1-ranked Griffin, meaning Apalachee will get to host the quarterfinals Friday night.

“It may be the biggest win of the year,” Head Coach Shane Davis said. "Being able to be at home in the third round is great for the community and the players.”

Apalachee has given the home crowds more than they asked for in the first two playoff games the Wildcats have ever hosted. Both games have gone to overtime, and Apalachee’s margin of victory has been four points combined.

In the first round Wildcats kicker Guy Hunt lifted his team to a 27-24 win over Starr’s Mill in double overtime.  And last Friday Christian Hoard ran in the two-point conversion to defeat the War Eagles by one point in the first overtime.

“They’re just tenacious, they don’t quit,” said Griffin Head Coach Steven Devoursney. “They play hard and with lots of emotion.”

The Bears have not experienced any close calls this season.

They defeated Harris County 34-7 in the first round and Ware County 42-10 in the second round last Friday.

Their tightest margin of victory this season was 12 points in a 26-14 Region 5 win over North Clayton.

The Griffin defense has been nothing short of dominant, posting five shutouts in 13 games, and allowing just one team (No. 7-ranked North Clayton) to score more than 10 points.

The Bears have allowed just 65 points throughout 12 games this season, and two of the touchdowns (an interception and a kickoff return) can’t even be credited to the defense.

Their defensive line is led by defensive ends Xzavier Dickson and Brandon Williamson, who together have combined for 22 sacks. 

The Bears’ leading tackler is linebacker Cartavious Woods, while cornerback Chandler Worthy and safety Dontre Morris patrol the secondary.

Devoursney said that his team’s strength is the defense, but Apalachee’s offense might cause some problems.

“This is probably the best offense we’ve seen all year,” the Griffin coach said. “We’ve just got to bend but not break. Try not to give up the big play.”

In the playoffs running backs Jon Lee (two touchdowns), John Ansley (two touchdowns) and Hoard (three touchdowns) have all been very effective.

Of course the Bears offense has also been effective.

Quarterback Marcus Waller (1390 yards passing for 15 touchdowns, 576 yards rushing for seven touchdowns this season) runs a spread offense which has worked very well.

Through 12 games this season Griffin has failed to score 30 points just three times. They scored at least 40 points six times.

Starting tailback Buck Hancock has found the endzone frequently (781 yards rushing, 15 touchdowns) and he has an athletic pedigree, he is the son of former Atlanta Hawk Darrin Hancock.

The Bears have a serious dual threat at wide receiver with Nile Daniel (28 receptions for 353 yards and five touchdowns) and Denarious Appling (19 receptions for 557 yards and six touchdowns).