The Pike County Bulldogs host cross-county rival Goshen tonight in Brundidge.

The Bulldogs (7-1, 6-0) have wrapped up a playoff spot and a region championship and look forward to taking on a young and improved Eagle team.

“We are very excited,” said Bulldogs head coach Fred Holland. “The kids are very familiar with one another. Coach (Bart) Snyder does a wonderful job at preparing is kids. Anytime you play a county rival the kids get excited. I feel like it’s going to be very exciting for both of us.”

Last year the Bulldogs blanked the Eagles 53-0. This season they know the challenge will be stiffer against a team that is more physical.

“We have to be able to stop their two running backs,” Holland said. “We have to be able to stop them when they throw the ball. I think they do a good job at setting up the run with the pass. I can’t say enough about how well their backs have been doing. We have our work cut out for us.”

The Bulldogs hope their size and strength on the defensive line will help contain running backs Damion Passmore, Zack Alford and Cory Peterson.

“We have talked about that a lot,” Holland said. “We want to have control of the offensive and defensive lines. It’s a tough challenge for our guys. We have spent a lot of time working on it so I feel like our guys understand and hopefully we will continue to improve.”

Friday’s matchup will feature a strong offense going up against a strong defense. The Goshen offense has averaged 35 points per game this season while the Bulldogs defense has held their opponent’s offense to 13 points per game.

The Bulldogs lead the all time series with the Eagles 17-3-1. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.