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FLORENCE - Chad Willis has no qualms about having to face likely the best fourth-seed in the history of state high school football.

"To tell you the truth, I wouldn't have it any other way," the Florence quarterback said. "This will get us ready for the rest of the playoffs. Might as well get the big dogs over with."

The canine in question is Hoover, which will come to Braly Stadium Friday for a what weeks ago seemed like an unlikely first-round matchup with the Falcons.

Hoover led Class 6A, Region 6 with an undefeated league record before it was forced to forfeit four region games after a transfer player was ruled ineligible by the AHSAA.

That put the Bucs and Coach Rush Propst, who will step down after the postseason amid allegations of improprieties, on the cusp of the playoffs. But Hoover (3-5, 3-4 in region play) earned the region's final playoff berth after winning 21-18 against Oak Mountain on Oct. 26.

That was the same day Florence beat Huntsville to win Region 8 and earn a playoff pairing with the fourth seed from Region 6. Still, Falcons players and coaches refuse to cry foul.

"All I can say is this is life, and life isn't fair," Willis said.

Willis was a freshman in the stands the last time Hoover came to Braly in 2004. Hoover, in the midst of run of four straight 6A titles, rolled to a 51-6 win over Florence, in its first year of existence after the merger of Class 5A Coffee and Bradshaw programs.

"Back then we were a young team just starting off," Willis said. "But now we've gelled together as team, and we're going to give them a run for their money."

Falcons coach Alvin Briggs, who wasn't with the program then, described the loss as "growing pains." "You have to suffer through those sometimes," Briggs said.

Florence (8-2) is coming off another blowout, but this time they were on the wrong side of a 43-13 decision to Class 5A power Russellville.

"I'd like to think otherwise, but I think by what the game film showed, we were feeling satisfied," Willis said. "But it's not going to happen this week."

While Briggs acknowledges the implications and oddity of Friday's game, he said he's trying to keep his players focused on what they can control this week, not what happened last week and definitely not on the hype that follows Hoover.

"It's more significant because we're playing one of, if not the top team, in the state for a first-round playoff game," Briggs said. "But we're going to go in there with the attitude that we've had for the last 10 weeks. If we worry about them more than us, we're not going to have a good game.

"We're just looking at it as another opponent. To get to the state championship game, you've got to go through them anyway in the north half. It just so happens we got them this game. It doesn't matter if we play them two or three weeks from now. If you want to get to that next level, you have to play the next level."

Bryan App can be reached at 540-5730 or bryan.app@timesdaily.com.