NATCHEZ — The Wilkinson County High School football team hit the road last week and came home with a 26-18, four overtime, first-round win over Kemper County.

This week the Wildcats will get to host a playoff game, and head coach Kenneth Brown said he is excited about staying home for the second round.

“(Hosting the game) is better for our coaching staff,” he said. “The players like to travel, but the staff is excited, and hopefully the community will gather around us and turn out for the game. Hopefully we can come up with something to pull out a victory.”

Wilkinson County will have its hands full with Seminary this week, a team that comes in with a 10-2 record on the season.

Brown said Seminary is a run-heavy team that uses different formations and good athletes such as Demetrich Barnes, Austin Balthazor, Josh Keys and Raco Magee to run right at teams.

“Stopping their run game, and being a little more consistent on offense, especially when we get in scoring position (will be key),” Brown said.

Brown said he feels good about his team’s mentality going into the game Friday.

“I’m pretty sure they will be up for the game,” he said. “I hope the intensity stays there, and they are enthused about the fact that we are in the playoffs and have a chance of getting into Jackson and winning state.”

Wilkinson County (6-5) and Seminary will kick off at 7 p.m. Friday.

Franklin County at Forest

The Franklin County football team will hit the road Friday after winning its first-round game 21-7 over Southeast Lauderdale at home last week.

Bulldogs’ head coach Rickey O’Quinn said his team played well defensively last week in the opening-round victory, despite the offense giving Southeast Lauderdale plenty of opportunities.

“We played good on defense and flew around to the football,” he said. “We were able to withstand five turnovers and hold them to seven points.”

O’Quinn said reducing the turnovers will be the main factor in Friday’s second-round matchup at Forest.

“They are defending state champs, and they have a bunch of guys from last year’s team returning,” he said. “They are a balanced football team. With the way both teams are playing defense, we can’t turn the football over.”

O’Quinn said his coaching staff started working on defensive and offensive assignments Monday.

Friday’s game will also provide Franklin County its first playoff road test, and O’Quinn said it would be different from the first-round home game.

“Being on the road changes things, with the playoff atmosphere against the defending state champs,” he said. “They will have a big crowd with a bunch of fan support. They will have home-field advantage, and we will have to do like we did earlier in the season when we played three-straight road games.”

Franklin County is also looking for a bit of revenge Friday. Forest defeated the Bulldogs 43-7 in last year’s playoffs.

Forest (9-2) will host Franklin County (9-3) at 7 p.m. Friday.