WEST POINT — Last year’s playoff berth was West Point’s first-ever as a Class 5A program. Therefore, the Warriors have obviously never made back-to-back 5A postseason appearances.

They’ll have the chance to change that Friday night.

For the second straight fall, the final seed in 5A, Region 8 will come down to West Point and Lawrence County. Warrior Field was the site for 2014’s overtime classic, but the rematch between a pair of squads sharing identical 4-4 overall records and 3-3 region marks will go down a bit further northwest at Red Devil Stadium.

Alex Hernandez called the clash “a do-or-die game.” Teammate Kobe Smith’s summation was just as simple: If West Point doesn’t want to be sitting at home the first week of the postseason, then it needs to secure the W.

“It’s exactly like last year,” Smith said. “Winner goes to the playoffs. Hopefully we can go in and do the same thing we did last year.”

The contest the tailback referenced was a 21-14 thriller decided by a 7-yard touchdown run in overtime from none other than Smith himself. The speedster’s somehow gotten even better since, topping triple digits on a nightly basis as a senior and even putting up a combined 624 rushing yards and eight rushing touchdowns in consecutive showings against Hanceville and J.O. Johnson.

But don’t bother trying to bring up individual accolades to Smith. This week especially, he’s far more interested in the bigger picture.

“I’m only able to do the things I can do because of my line and my team that helps and supports me,” he said. “Playoffs, that’s what we want. I’m just one person. We’re a team.”

Both West Point and Lawrence County will need to have short memories one Friday after sufferering remarkably similar losses in the closing seconds. The Warriors were denied a comeback by East Limestone on a late 65-yard screen pass, while the Red Devils’ bid for a massive upset was thwarted when Russellville took advantage of a bad punt snap and scored on a short connection.

As disheartening as West Point’s defeat was, Hernandez only plans to use it as fuel to the fire for Friday night’s pre-playoff playoff.

“Basically, it all comes down to us executing on the field,” the linebacker said. “Taking the film work onto the practice field and into the game. Just playing together, playing as a team, playing for each other. Putting ourselves aside for the team.”

There are two ways the Warriors can look at their current three-game skid to the region’s top three teams: Simply as a string of Ls and nothing more or as opportunities to learn and get better.

It’s pretty easy to guess which one third-year coach Don Farley tends to fancy.

“We stress not to let one mistake lead to another, and we take the same approach when dealing with a loss,” he said. “We want to improve as football players and a football team each week.

“I feel this team’s best game is still out there.”

With so many seniors lost from last year’s West Point roster, it’s not entirely fair to compare the Warriors’ 2014 team and this one seeking the program’s first consecutive playoff appearances since 2004-05. There are athletes still around who experienced last season’s rush of beating Lawrence County, though, and Farley wants them to draw from those positive feelings as they try to recreate the magic Friday night.

“The players all remember that game, and any confidence they have from winning was gained in their preparation,” the coach said. “It’s going to be fun. With the playoffs on the line, that’s the way it should be — fun.”

That goes for the kids in uniform and everyone Farley hopes to see lining the visitors stands.

“We need our students and fans to really turn up,” he said. “They’ve been great all season.”

A win would pull West Point, which is averaging 32 points a game on offense and 22 on defense, even in the all-time series. Lawrence County, which is scoring 24 points a Friday but giving up almost 29, enters with a slim 17-16 advantage in 33 matchups since 1965.

The Warriors have won the last four meetings.