Madison County Red Raiders

Is 2010 going to be the year for Madison County to get back to the postseason?

That seems to be the question as the Red Raiders prepare to start the season this Friday against Flowery Branch.

Replacing the worst team in the region with a team that had a serious bid in the playoffs last year, just means that Madison County gets to welcome the newest quad-A school and see if the Flowery Branch Falcons live up to their hype.

While it’s no secret that Madison County is ranked as the underdog in Friday’s game, head coach Randell Owens knows that the Red Raiders are not going to panic.

“Our biggest strength is the attitude of our kids,” he said.

Solely on the “X and O stuff,” as Owens calls it, Madison County is hard pressed to surpass the physical prowess that Flowery Branch can put on the field. Yet, the very nature of the game depends on how well the Red Raiders can roll all that ability together as a unit.

“The work ethic and the attitude, is going to be our strength,” Owens said. “These kids are a close knit group that are going to go out and play hard and give it their best. We have the opportunity to go out and knock off a state-ranked opponent and get that state-wide recognition – if we can pull off the upset.”

Madison County will not be going blind into Friday’s game. ...