Linden (9-1, 7-0) hosts the Kinston Bulldogs (5-5, 4-3) on Friday night in the first round of the Class 1A playoffs.

Head coach Andro Williams said Kinston is a team that tries to beat teams mentally with a lot of different formations.

“We’re going to have to be pretty good between the ears this week,” he said. “They’re a team that tries to outfox you with their formations. We have to go out and win the line of scrimmage.”

He said that the game against Southern Choctaw last week should help motivate his team, but also that losing is never a good thing.

“You play all year to win every game,” he said. “We just have to get focused and continue to work hard. We have to work on our blocking and tackling this week and prepare physically and mentally for the task at hand.”

Williams said his team faced Kinston a couple of years ago in the first round of the playoffs and the Bulldogs did a lot with their formations to outfox the Patriots, but added that they do even more of that now with an older, more experienced team.

Linden made it all the way to the Class 1A state championship last season, but came up short in that game to Marion County. The Patriots will look to return to the Super Six again this season.