Both games will have a lot of intrigue going in, and will be a tough choice for the casual observer:
1). It's always tough to beat the same team twice in the same season, so will the Mountaineer players be totally focused on a Braves' team that they have already beaten once this season, or will they be looking ahead to that possible showdown with Murphy or MICS in the Western Regional final, the following week?....For the Braves, who should be very motivated this time around, will they make the adjustments to be able to slow down an experienced and talented team that has been there and done that, last year?....How much improvement has both teams made since that early season showdown, will be obvious by the end of the first half?....May be wrong, but I think this may be the first time that Cherokee has played Mitchell County in a playoff game?....If I were close by, I would probably go and watch this game....
2). The old saying could never be more true than in this first time, first ever playoff matchup between the Bulldogs and the Raptors: "To be the MAN, you've got to beat the MAN" has always been a slogan that gets thrown around this time of year when you face a perennial powerhouse, which of course is what Murphy represents on generally a yearly basis.....The Bulldog stadium slogan "The Hill" has become a mountain that's been tough to climb through the years for most playoff opponents, so can the new kid on the block beat the bigger, and more experienced playoff bully on his own turf in front of a big home crowd?....It's a question that will surely lure a lot of casual fans to see if MICS has what it takes to end the Bulldogs' season, or will the Bulldog sit proudly on "the hill" at the end, awaiting either the Braves or Mountaineers in the Western Final!....Once again if I were close by, I would probably go and watch this game......
In the end, a casual fan will likely be entertained by either game!
Good luck to all, and may all injuries be limited and minimal!