TIFTON — Every football team in the Tiftarea is in action this week with four of the eight teams involved in head-to-head region matchups.

After getting back into the playoff hunt in Region 1-AAAAA last Friday with a 20-13 victory over the Warner Robins Demons, the Tift County Blue Devils will be back on the road this week for a 8 p.m. contest at Lowndes.

The Vikings of Lowndes High are ranked fifth in the state Class AAAAA Associated Press poll this week and are undefeated in league play at 4-0. Tift is 2-2 in the league and an upset win over Lowndes could put the Devils in a spot to finish higher than fourth in the final league standings.

After knocking off the Warriors of Southwest Georgia Academy in Chula, 33-21, last week, the Tiftarea Academy Panthers will be on the road Friday in Thomasville to face the Brookwood School Warriors.

Brookwood is currently ranked second in the GISA State Class AA coaches poll. The Warriors are also 8-0 on the year.

In a huge Region 1-AA matchup, the Fitzgerald Purple Hurricanes will host the Cook High Hornets Friday.

Fitzgerald was defeated for the first time this year, 28-14 by Thomasville, this past Friday. The Purple Hurricanes are 5-1 in the region standings.

Cook defeated Berrien this past Friday, 48-7. The Hornets are 4-2 in the league.

A win by the Hornets could mean Fitzgerald could end up failing to host a state playoff game. A Cook victory would also mean the Hornets could move into position to host a playoff encounter.

The playoffs begin early for the Turner County Rebels this week.

Coach Erik Soliday’s team will need a victory Friday night over the Irwin County Indians in Ocilla to play in a Region 2-A playoff game the final week of the regular season.

On the other hand the Indians have earned a spot at the region playoffs, but a victory would mean Irwin could move up to a third seed.

In Albany the Worth County Rams will continue their quest to earn a state playoff spot out of Region 1-AAA. Coach Harris Rainbow’s team will face the Dougherty High Trojans at Hugh Mills Stadium.

The Rams defeated Crisp by a 22-12 score this past week. That means Dougherty and Worth will enter the contest with identical 1-2 marks in the region. The two squads are tied for fourth in the league.

Finally, the Berrien High Rebels will close out their regular season hoping to get a momentum boost for the 2008 season with a game at Mitchell County.