When Pike County travels to Midland City Friday to take on Dale County, it will be a battle of teams with completely opposite records.

The Bulldogs (6-0, 4-0) come in unbeaten, while the Warriors (0-6, 0-4) are still searching for their first win of 2009.

PCHS head coach Eddie Stephenson said he has seen an inconsistent Dale County team on film. “With Dale County, it really has been a tale of two teams,” said PCHS head coach Eddie Stephenson. “We’ve seen a couple of films on them and earlier in the year, they were playing with a lot of intensity, especially on defense. They were really playing outstanding defense and flying to the football. They played No. 7 Daleville real close and didn’t allow them to score an offensive touchdown.”

Stephenson said DCHS has used some new players in recent weeks, something that has helped contribute to the Warriors’ woes.“But, the last couple of weeks, I think they’ve had some injuries because we saw some different personnel that they weren’t using at the beginning of the season,” Stephenson said. “Those guys are still learning to play, so they may not have had the season so far that they would like to have had.” The DCHS defense that Stephenson spoke so highly of is a traditional 4-3 alignment. The Warriors are led on defense by six-foot-3 inch, 264-pound senior defensive end Xavier Hightower.

The Warrior offense is similar to the Pike County offense, in that both are wing-T offenses. However, the Warriors offense is a bit more conventional than the hybrid version of the offense used by the Bulldogs.

A win would further the Bulldogs’ quest for an undefeated season, something Stephenson said has been helped by a tremendous amount of focus from both players and coaches. “Really, we’ve just been focusing on doing what we have to do week to week,” Stephenson said. “Our kids have really improved, and part of that is due to their focus on improvement. Also, I can’t say enough about our assistant coaches. They have done a great job of helping to prepare our kids every week, and that has led to our success.”

While a win would put PCHS at 7-0, it could also set up a showdown with No.7 Daleville next week in Brundidge that would essentially be a region championship game.

However, Stephenson said his team will remain focused on the task at hand. “I don’t think we’ll have a problem with looking ahead,” Stephenson said.

“A road game is a big deal for our team. Our kids know Daleville is down the road, and they’ve known that Daleville has been down the road for a while now. They haven’t overlooked anyone yet, and I feel pretty good about not looking ahead this week.” The Bulldogs and Warriors will kick off in Midland City Friday at 7 p.m.