South Effingham is off to a 3-0 start, but the games start to count on Friday when Cross Creek comes to the Corral for a Region 3-AAA crossover game.

South Effingham is in the “A” subregion and Cross Creek is in the “B” subregion, so the game will not have a direct impact on playoff opportunities, but if there’s a logjam in the subregion, the game could have tiebreaker implications.

SEHS coach Greg Manior described the Razorbacks as big, strong, athletic and fast and said it’s going to be a tough game.

“We’ll see how we match up. We’re not going to impress anybody when we step out on the field,” he said. “Hopefully, we can hit some people in the mouth and walk away with a victory.”

Cross Creek is off to its best start in the school’s 10-year history.

“They’re (Cross Creek) eager and hungry and they know what it feels like to win,” Manior said. “They felt like they should have beaten us at their place last year. Most of their guys are back, and I guess they have a score to settle with us.”

Last season, the Mustangs left Augusta with a 20-13 win over the Razorbacks.

Both the Mustangs and Razorbacks have had two weeks to prepare for Friday’s 7:30 p.m. contest. anior said the Mustangs have studied plenty of film on Cross Creek and are aware of the Razorbacks' penchant for passing.

Quarterback Keenan Grissett has completed 29 of 53 passes for 455 yards. He’s thrown two touchdowns, but three interceptions.

Grissett’s favorite target has been Eric Eitson, who has 13 receptions for 235 yards. Running back Patrick Province has racked up 296 yards on 34 carries and scored five times.

To counter the spread offense, the Mustangs defense has worked on four and five wide packages.

“If we can just execute what we’re trying to do, then we’ll be all right,” Manior said. “It’s hard for us to match up with them as far as ability and size. We’re going to mix it up some, hopefully confuse them and walk away with a couple picks.”

Fortunately for the Mustangs one of their better defensive backs, Josh Jackson, will return to action on Friday. He missed the first three games with a broken wrist.

Cross Creek at South Effingham
• Records: CCHS 3-0, SEHS 3-0
• Time: 7:30 p.m.
• Where: The Corral, Guyton
• Tickets: $7 at the gate
• Radio: WSGA FM-92.3