The Long County Blue Tide football team knew they had locked up a playoff spot with their 49-7 win over the Islands Sharks in the regular season finale, but where they actually ended up was still a mystery.

The Class AAA brackets revealed November 2 had the Tide as the number 23 in the state.

Waiting for them? A matchup against the number 10 Westside-Augusta Patriots.

Kickoff is 7:30 p.m. from James Alexander McCrae Jr. Football Stadium.

The Patriots finished as the Region 4-AAA runner-up with a 9-1 after they fell to West Laurens 27-3 in the final game of the regular season.

The Tide and Patriots will be similarly matched in their offensive showcases as they both feature powerful rushing attacks.

However, the biggest difference is the Patriots are led by one player in running back Tamari Curry. The senior finished the season with 1,713 yards and 15 touchdowns. The Patriots finished the year with just over 2,100 rushing yards.

The Blue Tide have relied on their rushing attack as has been the case since head coach Mike Pfiester’s arrival in 2021. This year was their best year in team history as they rushed for 3,167 yards, blowing past their 2022 mark of 2,818 yards.

They are coming off the best performance in team history, rushing for a team-record 443 yards in their win over Islands.

Their attack has been paced by four backs surpassing 300 yards on the year with sophomore Tyrell Grayson, who has gone for 790 yards and eight touchdowns, leading the way. Senior Cortney Charles is second on the team with 547 yards and seven touchdowns. Seniors Wesley Williams and Jehmiel Pettis have 491 yards and 323 yards, respectively.

Patriots quarterback Jaylen Stone has thrown for 1,320 yards and 13 touchdowns.

Chase Burley tops Westside’s defense with 68 tackles and Reonte Brown had 16 tackles for loss and nine sacks. The Patriots have a total of 35 sacks on the season and have forced 13 turnovers on 10 interceptions and three fumbles.

Freshman linebacker Markyl Allen leads the Blue Tide with 50 tackles and Tyler Gamble has six sacks. Charles leads with four interceptions while the Tide as a whole also have forced 13 turnovers.

This is the first meeting between the Tide and Patriots. Both teams fell in the first round of the AAA state playoffs in 2024 with Upson-Lee topping the Tide 35-23 and the Patriots losing to Oconee County 31-14.