Lake Norman's football team enters the 4AA state playoffs with a school-record eight wins in tow.
The ninth-seeded Wildcats (8-3) travel to Clemmons on Friday night for a first-round matchup with eighth-seeded West Forsyth (9-2), loser of two straight games.
This marks the fourth time in the program's eight years Lake Norman qualified for the postseason.
"We're excited," Lake Norman coach Scott Sherrill said. "That was one of our team goals. We've been preparing, if you will, for that since last year. One of our team goals was to get back into the playoffs, but not just be satisfied with making it."
The playoffs haven't been kind to the Wildcats. They've lost their three previous first-round appearances by an average of nearly 30 points. Kannapolis knocked them out of the 3AA playoffs in 2008 with a 42-27 victory.
But Sherrill feels they have their best chance yet of reaching the second round.
"If we play like we're capable, and our defense plays solid, which they've done all year, we have an opportunity to advance," he said. "It's just a matter of which team wants it more and which team comes in prepared."
Preparation shouldn't be too difficult. Sherrill has watched West Forsyth on film and said the Titans' formations mirror Lake Norman's in some ways.
"I think we match up well," he said. "Very similar spread offense, 4-3 defense. Blitz quite a bit, which we've seen. We see it every day in practice. Not a whole lot of adjustments there, as far as getting a scout team ready."
The winner of Friday's game moves on to face either Butler, the state's top-ranked 4A team, or West Charlotte, which Lake Norman defeated in conference play.
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