The Livingston Academy Wildcats have an opportunity to earn a home playoff game when they host the Macon County Tigers on Friday night.
The Wildcats (6-3, 2-1) are looking to build off the momentum earned in their 15-7 victory over York. LA head coach Bruce Lamb said his team has had a strong week of preparation.
“I think it’s been a very good week of practice,” said Lamb. “The kids have been really focused. They know the importance of the game. They’ve picked it up a little bit. I hope we come out and do what we need to do.”
The winner of the matchup will be the second seed out of Region 3/4A, and will host their first round playoff matchup against the loser of Marshall County vs Nolensville. The loser will be the third seed and will go on the road.
“The biggest thing between second and third is you get to play at home in the first round,” said Lamb. “Marshall County and Nolensville are both very good, but playing at home does give you a little extra advantage. One of them will have to bring a crowd, that’s a long way to go.”
The Tigers (6-2, 2-1) have had a strong 2020 season, with their only losses coming narrowly against Trousdale County and Dekalb County.
“They’re very athletic,” said Lamb. “They’ve got some speed and decent size. The big things about their running backs is they run downhill, and they run hard. The line’s doing a good job being very aggressive. The defense… they’ve got athletes everywhere. We’ve got to line up and play ball.”
Macon County’s offense features a big-play threat in tight-end Landon Whittemore. Whittemore, who has committed to play at Furman, will present a challenge for the LA defense.
“They like to throw to him quite a bit,” said Lamb. “He does a good job of getting open and blocking people. We’ve got to be prepared for anything with what he does. It’s not just him, it’s everybody. They’ve also got a good-sized quarterback whose got a great arm.”
The LA defense struggled in two straight losses against Dekalb County and White County, but bounced back against York as the starting defense did not allow a point. They will be challenged against a strong Tigers’ offense.
“We’ve moved some people around and I think we played a lot better and more aggressive this past Friday night,” said Lamb. “It’s going to be tough.”
In a year full of unpredictability, Region 3/4A was not immune. The region champion Dekalb County Tigers season was cut short due to COVID-19 issues, making them unable to play in the postseason. Lamb said his team is trying to cherish still having the ability to play.
“When I found out about Dekalb County I was sick to my stomach,” said Lamb. “I just feel for those kids. I told our kids we are one day away from that happening to us. You just don’t know. You need to be grateful. I just hope our kids come out and play as hard as they can. We’ll go as long as we can.”
Kickoff between Macon County and Livingston is set for 7 p.m. in Livingston.