Coach Matt Dobson had faith when he took over as head coach at Statesboro High that he could help get the Blue Devil football team back to their glory days of the past.

In his first year, Statesboro made an improbable run as a four seed into the second round of the playoffs. Now, in year three, his team is one win away from their first region title since 2011.

Cross-county rival Effingham County is coming to Womack Field Friday night and a Blue Devil victory will give them the region title.

Last Friday, the Blue Devils fought off a pesky South Effingham squad before finally winning 27-17. In what Dobson agreed wasn’t their finest outing of the season, the Blue Devils were able to answer every Mustang score and had big plays on offense, defense and special teams along the way.

“It says a lot about where this team has gotten that we can win a game where we weren’t necessarily at our best,” Dobson said. “Playing complementary football was the key. When our offense struggled, our defense stepped up. Our special teams struggled early, but then made a huge play when we needed it. That says a lot about our team and our coaching staff.”

The Blue Devils have clinched at least a third-place finish in the region regardless of Friday’s outcome, but Dobson knows what winning a region title would mean to the players, coaches and fans.

“What I am most proud of our team and our coaching staff was we didn’t take any shortcuts to get here,” Dobson said. “There were some bumps in the road but we built this thing the right way. We have tried to stay process-driven and not look ahead. We never said our goal was to win a region championship. We said do things the right way and follow the process and the results will take care of themselves. It’s very cool that we have a chance at the region championship. I hope our fans turn out as it should be a great atmosphere.”

The Blue Devils have won five-straight games, but Friday they welcome a team who have won six straight. The Effingham County Rebels come in with a similar record of 7-2, but have not lost since a 42-14 defeat at the hands of the Brunswick Pirates on Sept. 5.

During their six-game win streak, the Rebels have averaged more than 43 points per game and are allowing 20 points per game, which included a 45-42 shootout last Friday at Glynn Academy.

They are led by a few Division-1 athletes, including the Jacksonville Jaguars Travis Hunter’s brother Trayvis, who is the Rebels leading receiver. Quarterback Tucker Perkins comes in with 14 touchdown passes, while the Effingham backfield of Jmere Doe-Davis and J.R. McKenzie have combined for more than 1,300 yards rushing and 20 touchdowns.

“Going up against a rival with so much on the line is very exciting,” Dobson said. “They are really explosive on offense and their quarterback is a great player who doesn’t make a lot of mistakes. They also have some really good skill position players. Like most weeks, we have to run the football and control the clock and try and slow the game down a bit. We have to limit explosive plays and try and win the turnover battle.”