Troy's been here before. Sooner or later they know, in the playoffs, all roads lead through Southern Columbia. On Friday they'll travel to the defending state champions in the District IV, Class AA semifinals.

"Well, it's an honor to do so, to be honest with you," Troy coach Jim Smith said about having to face the defending state champions. "I'm very proud of what we've done with our program here, and what we've built, and we've built our program with just kids from Troy, and Southern Columbia can't say the same thing. I'm really proud of where we're at, and how we've competed against them over the past several year."

Troy watched Southern pull away from them in the District IV Championship game last year, and it's what's been motivating them since.

"I've been excited to play against them all week," Troy's Micah Pesesky said. "Coach has been saying win our job, and if that all goes well, we should come out on top. I'm just wanting revenge from last year."

For senior Jayden Kutt, this will be the fourth time he's faced Southern Columbia in the district playoffs.

"I'm just very grateful I had the guys around me," he said. "I've spent more time with these guys than I have my own family, I think, in the last four years, so I'm super excited."

Defensively they're facing a team that's put up over 4,500 yards of total offense this season.

On the ground Grady Garcia has rushed for 1,647-yards and 23 touchdowns while Joey Williams has 772-yards and 11 touchdowns.

Under center Ayden Hockenbroch has thrown for 1,113-yards and 19 touchdowns on a .681 completion percentage.

"Southern's very explosive," Smith said. "Garcia is the big target, but the quarterback, they're using him a lot in the run game, so we've got to be really careful with the bootlegs. He's very efficient passing. We've got to be great in coverage, and, most importantly, our front four have to stand up tomorrow night, and play a really good football game."

That's going to include guys like Pesesky, Seth Feldmeier, and Reed Palmer, who have been manning the lines since they were sophomores.

"We've just got to stay low and be aggressive every play," said Pesesky. 

Offensively Troy has turned a corner the second half of the season after a slow start, and they hope that continues next week.

"We're definitely focused on playing our pace," Kutt said. "We were a home run before, things have changed a little bit. I think playing at our own pace and being disciplined."

The big thing for Troy this season has been turnovers and penalties.

"Just limiting our own mistakes," Smith said. "We've been our own worst enemy. We've got to hang on to the ball, and not create the little penalties that have been stopping our drives. Catch passes we should catch, and all those things. We just have to execute."

Is Troy senior class is one of the last core members of the team that won a state title two years ago, and they want to go out with a bang.

"It's a good feeling," Pesesky said about being in a game like this. "I play with these kids all throughout my career, so just playing these big games we have a good brotherhood."