WRCBtv.com | Chattanooga News, Weather & SportsEast Hamilton, Brainerd meet again in the playoffs

EAST BRAINERD, Tenn. (WRCB) -- The TSSAA playoff format has more than its fair share of detractors, but at least for this week, East Hamilton and Brainerd are not among them.

Amidst gripes about seeds, schedule and structure, the District 6-AA rivals can find nothing to complain about ahead of their Class 4A first-round meeting in the Friday Night Football Game of the Week.

"It doesn't bother us at all to see them again," Brainerd head coach Stanley Jackson said. "There's some kids that are sitting at home right now, but our kids got a chance to put the pads on again and play this week."

One would expect the Hurricanes to have a "happy to be here" mentality in their first-ever playoff appearance. But just weeks after playing their first-ever home game at a newly-built stadium, Ted Gatewood's team claimed a it's first district championship to earn the right to host its playoff debut.

"We don't operate on 'maybes,'" Gatewood said of his program's expectations for its third year of varsity competition. "Starting in January, out goal was to win a district championships and make the playoffs, and our kids believed in that.

"We worked hard to get here and we don't want it to go away."

Gatewood credits East Hamilton's late-season surge to that hard work. The Hurricanes started 2-4 overall with a tough early schedule that included matchups with Ooltewah, Bradley Central and Signal Mountain.

A disappointing loss to East Ridge served as the wake-up call in Week 6, sparking a four-game winning streak down the stretch, including wins over Red Bank and Tyner, to secure a No. 1 seed in the playoff quadrant.

"We've grown so much as a team," said defensive back Cody Knox. "It took a big step to get to where we are now. The first few weeks we were just kind of getting a feel for who we were, but the last two-thirds of the season we came together and started picking up some good wins."

The Panthers have already been playing with a playoff mentality after placing themselves on the postseason bubble last month.

A 3-3 start faded with back-to-back district losses to Red Bank and Central, putting Brainerd's back squarely against the wall entering Week 9. The Panthers came out swinging with a win over Hixson to keep their playoff hopes alive, then ousted East Ridge in what turned out to be an elimination game for 4A's final playoff spot.

"We had to fight just to get here," said linebacker Isaiah Hayes. "We had the mindset against East Ridge and Hixson that we had to win to survive, so we did what we needed to do to make it to this week.

"We thought all year we were a playoff team, but we didn't anticipate things happening like they did. We just keep depending on each other and we pull each other through."

That trust is key on a roster of Brainerd's size. Despite being a 4A school, the Panthers have been woefully overmatched at times this season when it comes to size, strength and numbers, but it's never been an excuse.

They dressed around 26 players for a 22-13 Week 4 loss to East Hamilton, and will take just 22 kids on the road this week.

"We just come to work every day and as a team, we just enjoy practicing. We just enjoy the experience," Jackson said. "I've got lineman that aren't even 200 pounds, but these guys are soldiers, Marines, Navy SEALS.

"You name it. These guys fight like it."

Revenge won't be used as a motivation for that fight. Jackson said East Hamilton "was the better team" in a 22-13 Week 4 win.

Both coaches admitted its rare to have such a high comfort level when it comes to knowing a playoff opponent, but that doesn't mean they truly know what to expect.

"We saw them, but it's been awhile," Gatewood said. "They've gotten better. We feel like we've gotten better and now it's the playoffs, so that's how you have to approach it."