Centreville — The Centreville Academy Tigers just began their journey through the MAIS Class AA playoffs, but assistant coach Brian Stutzman said they must stay sharp, or the next game may be their last.

The Tigers (10-1) are one step closer to a state championship after last week’s victory against Oak Hill Academy, and Stutzman said everything has been going according to plan so far.

“We had a good week last week,” he said. “Everything went good, and we were able to come out and score early. Plus everybody got to play.”

With a feel-good start, the Tigers must bring their momentum into Friday’s game against Tri-County Academy.

Tri-County is a solid offensive team, Stutzman said, and they must bring an even better defense to the field.

“The main thing is defense, we have to be able to contain their running back,” Stutzman said. “He’s probably leading the association in rushing yards. They also have a good quarterback, so they’ll have options.

“We just have to play with a lot of intensity.”

Stutzman said, as his defense must step up, he expects the offense to keep being consistent.

“Our offense has been more balanced lately,” he said. “We just want to continue to do the same things we’ve been doing.”

The Tigers are aware of how important getting a win means, because it’s win or go home.

“We have three seniors, and they realize this could be their last game,” Stutzman said. “So we preach playing every play like it’s their last play.”

Centreville will host Tri-County Academy at 7 p.m. Friday.