The Longhorns have known since the first game of the season that their state title hopes would go directly through Edgewood Academy.

The No. 1 team in the AISA, Edgewood played and defeated some of the best competition from the state of Georgia in Glenwood Academy’s Border Wars Tournament earlier in the season and effectively put the rest of the league on notice.

“This is our toughest semi-final game since I’ve been here,” Marengo Academy head coach Jonathan Lindsey said of the task that lies in front of his team.

If his Longhorns are to meet their goal of repeating at Class AA state champions, they will have to unseat the tournament’s top seed.

“They’re going to be a very good team,” Lindsey said of EA. “I feel like, player for player, we match up really well with them and it is going to come down to who comes ready to play.”

Lindsey’s team erupted for 19 runs in a two-game stretch against Springwood in round one. However, the Wildcats responded with 17 runs of their own.

Lindsey believes Edgewood will prove just as capable at the plate in round two.

“I think one through nine in the lineup, we matchup really well,” Lindsey explained. “This series is going to come down to pitching and defense.”

The Longhorns’ pitching struggled in stretches in the first round and starters Chris Whitaker and Trace Stenz each hit rough patches.

“Both of them know that they didn’t have their best stuff. They’ve pitched very well for us all year and eventually you are going to get to a point where you have a bad day,” Lindsey said. “Friday just seemed to be one of those days. They know not to get down on themselves and to keep plugging.”

The Longhorns travel to Millbrook today to challenge Edgewood. Game one of the series is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. Game two will follow immediately afterward. Should the teams split today, they will turn to a rubber game, which is scheduled for 2 p.m. Thursday.