Edmonson County hosts its first playoff game since 1998 tonight against traditional power Paducah Tilghman at 7 p.m. in the opening round of the Class 3A playoffs.

After last year’s surprise run to the regional championship game, the buzz is loud in Brownsville, where fans are hopeful for another deep playoff run by the second-seeded Wildcats.

“It’s pretty exciting,” Edmonson County coach Kyle Pierce said. “I was a senior the last time our school hosted a playoff game, but we all know that once the ball is kicked off that it’s still a football game. The team that blocks and tackles the best will be the one that wins.”

Paducah Tilghman comes in 4-6, but Pierce said the third-seeded Blue Tornado is better than its record.

“I think they fell victim to some bad luck,” Pierce said. “They played a brutal schedule, and some games in their district that they had a chance to win they played in torrential downpours. That definitely played against their style in terms of speed and athleticism.”

Offensively, Pierce said the duo of junior quarterback Sam Cox and senior wideout Kristen Jackson have been impressive.

“They are going to try to use their speed and athleticism and spread us out,” Pierce said. “They do like running at you, but they do a lot of stuff out of the gun that worries us. Defensively, they are really good, too. They have so much speed and they know how to use it.”

According to Pierce, Tilghman’s speed and athleticism only emphasizes the importance of fundamentals for Edmonson County (6-4).

“We have to do a great job up front, block the front really well,” Pierce said. “Defensively, we’ve got to stop them on first and second downs. If we get them in third and long, we feel like we have an edge there.”