MOULTRIE – First, a look at the math, as easy as 1, 2, 3. Or 3, 2, 1.

There are three football teams in Region 1-7A that might end the regular season with the same region record. That is, if Colquitt County High goes to Martin Stadium on Friday and defeats Lowndes and then Tift County, on Nov. 3, topples Camden County. That same record would be 2-1 with all three 1-1 in head-to-head matchups.

In the Georgia High School Association bylaws, regions establish their own tiebreaker methods. The 1-7A tiebreaker in this circumstance, according to region rules, is based upon points allowed in the games played among those tied teams.

Assuming Tift County does win at home in less than two weeks against Camden, the Blue Devils’ point total is set for this tiebreaker. Tift lost to Lowndes 51-38 on Oct. 13, but on Oct. 20 in Moultrie the Blue Devils stormed back from 15 points down at halftime to defeat Colquitt County 38-35. That’s 86 in the points allowed column for Ashley Anders and company.

Look at those two final scores again and you will see a recurring number: 38. Since the games against Camden County would not count in this scenario, both the Packers and Vikings take 38 points allowed into this Friday’s clash in Valdosta. Lowndes, ranked No. 1 in Class 7A, wants to make all of this discussion moot by winning the game and the region championship outright at 3-0.

But the thinking is different at Colquitt County High, because more is involved than just winning the game. If anyone gives up 48 at Martin Stadium, that team will be tied with Tift in points allowed. So a Packer win and a number less than 48 under Lowndes’ name on the scoreboard puts Colquitt County at No. 1 from the region for the upcoming GHSA 7A playoffs.

Holding Lowndes to less than the value of eight touchdowns? A team that averages almost 54 a game in 2017?

The Packer coaches, particularly defensive coordinator Mo Dixon, just want to find a way to win.

“Regardless of what the points are, we want to win the game,” said Dixon. “Games like this make everybody stand up a little bit straighter, maybe clear their ears out a little bit better. We want to do good by our kids, make sure they have every chance to be successful. We can’t go back in the past, but we have a few more days to get ready because we all know what it’s going to be like over there. Still looks like Region 1’s going to be pretty tough.”

Dixon recalled his last game against Lowndes leading the defense at North Gwinnett. It was the 2007 state championship game when there were only five classifications. He said all it took was a Greg Reid 80-yard touchdown run right off the bat to let him know what kind of program the Vikings had under coach Randy McPherson. That was the third time, but also the last time, Lowndes won it all under McPherson, who is in his 16th season at the helm.

The Viking who can play about three positions at once is the senior quarterback Michael Barrett. This is his second year starting as the offensive leader, for he was a converted linebacker in 2016. He is at 2,148 yards total offense (1,362 passing and 786 rushing) and 23 total touchdowns almost split evenly between the run and the throw. He’ll check in about 220 pounds in a 6-foot frame.

“Typical high school kid, he likes to go for it all,” said Dixon. “He’s got a real good touch and lets those guys run under it.

“He’s a fullback, he’s a tailback, he’s a quarterback. You’ve got a lot wrapped up in that guy.”

One thing that’s not listed in the Lowndes stats is sacks allowed. Dixon said, not having seem Barrett play live, it’s hard to say if he can be rattled.

“If you go by what you see on film, he’s always under control,” said Dixon. “You can tell he’s in charge and plays with confidence. (McPherson’s) got so much read stuff in there, (Barrett’s) a threat on every play. It looks like he could carry it 100 times a game and throw it 50 times a game.”

But Barrett won’t run it 100 times, not with junior Travis Tisdale who gives them 450 more yards on the ground, 415 receiving and 12 touchdowns. Tisdale is one of the best track and field sprinters during the spring seasons, but he’s not a typical track guy who may not like taking a hit.

“They’re not afraid of being physical,” said Dixon. “And I know they enjoy hitting people.”

And they can “fly.” There’s a 6-foot receiver in Tayvonn Kyle who leads the team with 29 catches for 613 yards and seven touchdowns … and he threw the ball one time for a 69-yard TD strike. Senior JD Lee has just 48 carries, but 10 touchdowns.

“You can go on and on,” said Dixon. “We traded (all) tapes and you can watch some of the backups. They have another quarterback who’s outstanding. Both their lines are outstanding.”

The Packers entered this week trying to solve the issues that led to Tift County’s win on Tom White Field at Mack Tharpe Stadium.

“On our side, we have to line up right and we have to tackle,” said Dixon. “We have to get a lot of hats to the ball. We usually do a good job of that. But the thing about this week is any type of option or read … it can lock you in to technical stuff. You have to squeeze people. Linemen can’t get up on linebackers. Linebackers have to be in the right gaps. The force players have to make sure they turn everything inside. The guys on the third level have to make sure nothing goes behind them while being able to make tackles in the open field.

“You also have a quarterback … he doesn’t have to throw the football. He drops back, and he’s an automatic draw anytime he wants it. There is a lot going on.”

What may also set Lowndes apart from anyone else in the classification is how it can score without snapping the football at the line of scrimmage. Seventeen times this season, Lowndes has intercepted an opposing quarterback’s pass (a 5-5 senior Terrell Belcher being the high man with six). Nine of those picks were taken the other way for touchdowns (three by Belcher and two others by Kyle).

Kyle and Tisdale also own kickoff return touchdowns.

“We have to get points every time we get a shot,” said Dixon. “We have an outstanding kicker (Ryan Fitzgerald). I think he’s going to be ready to go.

“On our side, we have to take care of what we do, come up and be physical. Have enough people in the box, but also on the perimeter. Everybody thought Tift was just a passing team, but they were far more than that (rushing for more than 250 yards).”

Both Barrett and Colquitt County quarterback Steven Krajewski go into the game with one intercepted pass each. The Packers have yet to score with a special teams return this season; Marcus Anderson owns the only takeaway TD on a fumble recovery vs. Valdosta.