South Forsyth at Lambert

When, where: Friday, 7:30 p.m., at The Horn in Suwanee.

Records, rankings: South is 6-3 overall, 6-2 in Region 6-AAAAAA and unranked; Lambert is 6-3, 6-2 and unranked.

Series history: Lambert leads 3-1.

Last meeting: South won 21-14 in 2013.

What to know: South Forsyth played a do-or-die game on the last day of the regular season in 2013 and lost to North at Raider Valley. The War Eagles have to go on the road again with a first-round home playoff game on the line, though the South-Lambert loser will still be alive for a playoff berth.

Lambert has won five games in a row. The difference: a stingy defense. In the Longhorns’ 1-3 start to the season, they allowed more than 24 points per game. Over the last five, Lambert has allowed just 9.6 points per game. Senior linebacker Adison Schimmelpfenning has turned it on of late and leads Lambert with 86 tackles and 14 tackles for loss. Brad Whicher and Will Dunavant have four sacks apiece, and Houston Earnest (four interceptions) and Justyn Jean-Felix (three interceptions) are part of a ball-hawking secondary. Jeremy Johnson missed last week’s game against Chattahoochee with knee, hip and shoulder injuries but will play against South.

South running back Tyler LaFlamme (191 carries, 1,395 yards, 15 touchdowns) will be one of the Longhorns’ toughest tests to date. The War Eagle offense is far more than just LaFlamme—quarterback Matt White has built a nice rapport with receivers Jalen Camp and Drew Witalis and tight end Cameron Kline. If and when South gets its passing game going—and you can bet Lambert will walk safeties down to stop LaFlamme—the War Eagles are dangerous.

Maxwell projection: Lambert by 1.