The Bremen High School football team and its first-round Class A state playoff opponent, Region 7 No. 2 seed Wilkinson County, will meet this Friday in Irwinton a week after facing two vastly different opponents in the final week of the regular season.

While the Region 6 No. 3 seed Blue Devils (6-4) fell 30-10 to rival Bowdon (9-1), the Warriors (8-2) rolled to a 42-0 victory against a Hancock Central group that has won only once this season.

But as far as Bremen senior running back and cornerback Nick Cash is concerned, the Blue Devils can’t afford to worry about what happened against the Red Devils if they hope to win this week and keep their season alive.

“We’ll try to get Bowdon out of our head,” Cash said. “I mean, there’s nothing we can do about it now.”

It will be a rare playoff road trip for Bremen, as it hasn’t played on the road in the first round of the playoffs since 2002, which was also the last time the Blue Devils lost a first-round game. They beat Wilkinson County 27-19 in the first round in 2006.

The one thing Cash certainly doesn’t want to see is the end of his high school gridiron career. With that in mind, he and his teammates are doing everything they can to be well-prepared for the Warriors.

“It’s a must-win every week, and we’ve just got to do everything we can just to keep winning,” Cash said. “I mean, I’m not ready for it to be over. I know all the other seniors aren’t, either.”

Bremen coach Ricky Tolleson said he expects his team to come out strong after the disappointing defeat in Game 10.

“We’re pretty banged-up. It was a very physical game (against Bowdon),” Tolleson said. “But our kids have always bounced back.”

And with the way the playoffs bring a new slate, he’s looking at this week as Game 1.

“We’ll go up there and start season two,” Tolleson said.

Cash said the Blue Devils have to find a way to score more points. Junior running back and linebacker Sam Murphy said the talent is in place and that it’s a matter of execution for Bremen.

“We’ve got the tools. I mean, we’re not that big, but we definitely have what we need to succeed,” Murphy said. “As long as we get everybody clicking, everything will be all right.”

Wilkinson County, meanwhile, will be looking to make a living off turnovers, as Warrior coach James Hagins said his defense has scored almost every week this season.

“My defense needs to score,” Hagins said. “We need to score at least seven points to 14 points (on defense).”

The key to such a productive defense, he said, is a swarming mentality.

“We’re aggressive. We come off the ball,” Hagins said. “And we need to keep coming off the ball.”

And as Bremen goes for its seventh consecutive first-round win, Tolleson said the Bowdon game won’t change the Blue Devils’ strategy. Rather, it will sharpen their focus.

“We’re going to still do what we do. We’ve just got to do it better,” Tolleson said. “We’ve got to block and tackle. When you do those things, you’ve got a chance.”

And while being on the road in round one is a first for the Bremen seniors, Cash is hoping they use it as a positive.

“It’ll be something different and maybe a good experience for us,” Cash said.

Murphy is looking at the tall task of winning on the road as something good, as well.

“If we’re going to have a harder game, I’d rather have it the first round when everybody’s still healed,” Murphy said.

Tolleson insists his guys won’t have any lingering effects from the Bowdon game, noting that they know what it takes to get things headed in the right direction.

“We’re getting back up. Our kids are fighting now. They’ve got heart, character. We’ll do the best we can do,” Tolleson said. “And we’re surely going up there to win. I can tell you that. We’re not going up there to look good. We’re going to do our very best.”