The GHSA state football playoffs continue tonight with the second round of competition.

What was once a crowded field of contests on Friday nights has now been narrowed down to just eight games in each of the five classifications.

And three local teams are still fighting to compete until the very end.

Two teams from Region 7-AA, No. 6 Pepperell and No. 10 Calhoun, as well as Rome from Region 7-AAAA will be back on the field tonight in their quest at winning a state championship.

“You get to this point in the season, you’re just happy to be playing,” Pepperell coach Jeff Shiflett said, whose Dragons (10-1) travel to LaGrange tonight to play Callaway.

“We feel like we’ve played well on the road this year and had some of our best games on the road,” Shiflett continued. “We’re excited about the opportunity to play in Callaway Stadium.”

The home of the Cavaliers (10-1) features artificial turf and was the site of Darlington’s come-from-behind win in the first round last season.

Pepperell’s 38-10 win over Riverside Military Academy last week gave the Dragons a boost they needed after falling to Calhoun by one point in the Region 7-AA championship game.

But playing to a 6-3 halftime score in their first round game has led to some adjustment in practice for Pepperell this week.

“We started a little slow last week,” Shiflett said. “We’ve had a good week of practice and we need to increase our tempo on Friday night.”

While having the same records, both teams have also had plenty success at scoring while holding opponents to an average of less than two touchdowns a game.

“I do see a lot of similarities between us,” Shiflett said. “They want to play at their tempo and run the option. We’ve got to do good job with responsible football.”

Rome (9-2) also goes on the road tonight to take on a team that has emerged as a power in Class AAAA.

No. 2-ranked Sandy Creek (11-0) has spent its first season in a new classification fairing quite well, including winning the Region 5-AAAA title.

“They’re as good as advertised,” Rome coach Sid Fritts said of the Tyrone program. “I think going into the season, everybody talked about how good their offense was, as well they should, but they’ve got a great defense as well.”

The Fighting Patriots have only allowed just a little more than a touchdown (7.5 points) on average this season and have three shutouts on the year.

As far as scoring, the Wolves edge out their hosts with an average score of 29.3 points per game while Sandy Creek averages 21.8 points per game.

Having a win last week also helped Rome alleviate some strain after they fell in their region title contest.

“At practice this week we were a lot more focused and a lot crisper,” Fritts said. “We got a good plan in. Now we’ve just got to go down there and execute it.”

Home-field advantage will belong to one Greater Rome team tonight as the Calhoun Yellow Jackets (9-2) stay at Phil Reeve Stadium for the second week in a row to battle Westminster (9-2).

“Without a doubt … they are definitely the best team we’ve played this year based on the tape I’ve seen,” Calhoun coach Hal Lamb said.

“This is really a tough draw for us because I think they are one of the top three AA teams left (in the playoffs) in the state.”

Lamb has evidence to back up his claim as the Wildcats’ only two losses this year have come against Lovett and Buford, the two AA teams who played for the state championship a year ago.

“We’re definitely going to have to bring our ‘A’ game,” Lamb said. “Because we can’t win with our ‘B’ game. We’re going to have to be ready from the get-go if we’re going to have a chance.”