The Maplesville Red Devils (11-1) will be playing football after Thanksgiving for the ninth-consecutive season.

Maplesville hosts the Lanett Panthers (10-1) in a third-round showdown on Nov. 23 with a spot in the Class 1A semifinals on the line.

Both teams were tested in the second round but advanced with one-possession victories.

The Red Devils defeated Georgiana 21-14, while Lanett took down Marengo 14-6.

It will mark the first time in this postseason that Lanett will have to go on the road after playing the first two rounds from the comfort of home.

Lanett’s defense has allowed just 83 points on the season and 13 through the first two playoff rounds.

Finding success against the stingy defense will be one of the challenges that Maplesville will face.

The running back tandem of Christin Brown and Ryan Morrow is an explosive pair and present a game-breaking ability on every handoff.

Brown is coming off a massive game where he rushed for 181 yards and averaged a first down per carry.

However, Brown is dealing with a hamstring injury that could play a role in his production.

If Brown is not 100 percent, the weight of the offense shifts to Morrow, who led the team in rushing during the regular season and has proven that he is capable of carrying a heavy workload.

The passing game was seldom used against Georgiana but may have to be relied on more heavily to compensate.

The Red Devils’ offense is averaging 45.2 points per game, while Lanett is scoring an average of 39.2 points per game.

Which offense will win out? That is a major question heading into the contest, and the answer will most likely be indicative of the final outcome.

Lanett won the Class 2A state championship a year ago but dropped down to Class 1A following the recent reclassification process.

Although it is the first meeting between the schools there is a connection that exists, as Maplesville head coach Brent Hubbert graduated from Lanett in 1989.

The winner will play either Linden or St. Luke’s Episcopal in the state semifinals on Nov. 30.