Clayton News Daily

By Doug Gorman

When the Mt. Zion Bulldogs board the bus for their first-round payoff game later this week, they won't stop until they get to the Georgia Coast.

But it won't be a day at the beach for head coach Jackie Green's 6-4 football team.

His squad faces the gigantic task of trying to knock off the Class AAAAA's No.-1 ranked team in the form of the Camden County Wildcats.

Camden County will dress out nearly 100 for its home game; Mt. Zion is taking only about 39 players.

Still, Green is making the five-hour road trip with plans on winning the football game.

To come back with a victory, Mt. Zion is going to have to do something nobody else has been able to do, beat the state's No. 1 ranked team.

Most teams haven't even been able to score against the Wildcats.

Camden County has shutout seven of its opponents, and only allowed 16 points.

"There's no doubt that the most impressive thing about their team is their defense, but somebody has to play them," Green said. "It's the playoffs and there are 32 teams in the playoffs and eight of us are No. 4 seeds playing No. 1s."

Although Green was disappointed with his team's 6-4 record, he thinks playing a Region 2-AAAAA schedule has prepared his team to make a playoff run.

"This will be a third team that is 10," he said. Lovejoy, Northside and now them (Camden). Westside was 8-2, and Houston was 7-3, and we jamored against Newnan who is 9-1. You look at our 6-4 record and you realize we lost to four pretty good football teams."