The hunt for a coveted Blue Map trophy begins this week for football programs across the state.

Six teams in The Times’ coverage area will look to take that first step this Friday night with their respective opening-round matchups.

Region champions Fairview and Good Hope will have hosting duties, while Addison, Cold Springs, Cullman and Vinemont will hit the road in an attempt to extend their seasons.

Let’s take a look at what awaits each local squad.

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Team: Addison (6-4, 5-2 in Class 1A, Region 7)

Opponent: Berry (9-1, 6-1 in Class 1A, Region 5)

All-Time Series: Berry leads 3-0

The Skinny: Addison is no stranger to the postseason, having claimed its 12th playoff berth in 13 seasons under coach David Smothers.

The Bulldogs have won three of their past four clashes and would love nothing more than to reach the second round for the second time in three years.

Berry, meanwhile, has produced its best campaign since 2020 — with its only loss coming to Lynn (28-26) earlier this fall.

The Wildcats have accomplished that feat on the back of a dynamic offense that’s averaging 53.5 points per game — its highest output since 2011 (52.2 points per game).

Addison last faced Berry in 2012, losing 28-8 in the first round of the playoffs.

Coach Speak: “I’m tickled we survived enough to get in the playoffs, but we’ve only put together a complete game once this year — that was against Decatur Heritage. We played really well against them and we’ll need to do it again on Friday.” — David Smothers

“Berry is very, very explosive offensively. They’ve got three skill players as good as anyone we’ve seen. It’s going to be a full team effort. If we play clean and with passion, we’ll be in it. We just have to play good football. And you should have to play good football to advance in the playoffs. That’s what we’re challenging these kids to do.” — David Smothers

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Team: Cold Springs (5-5, 3-3 in Class 2A, Region 6)

Opponent: Winston County (10-0 in Class 2A, Region 8)

All-Time Series: Winston County leads 11-2

The Skinny: Cold Springs makes an unexpected return to the postseason for the first time since 2019 after region champion Coosa Christian forfeited five games due to a rules violation, moving the Eagles up to the No. 4 seed.

Cold Springs, which will look to win its first playoff game since 1993, fell to the Yellow Jackets (27-6) back in Week 5.

Winston County, meanwhile, put together its first undefeated regular season since 1981, doing so thanks in no small part to a terrific defense that’s allowed just 7.2 points per game.

The Yellow Jackets, who netted their first region championship since 1997, also find the end zone with regularity — averaging 42.5 points per game.

Coach Speak: “These kids have played extremely hard all season. Things haven’t always gone the way they’ve wanted, but they never quit. They just come out to practice and work hard. That’s put them in this position.” — Brendan Voce

“Winston County is a very well-coached football team. What makes them so good is they are good on both sides of the ball. Offensively, they run multiple formations. They’re a hard team to prepare for … they just make it very difficult for you.” — Brendan Voce

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Team: Cullman (5-5, 3-3 in Class 6A, Region 7)

Opponent: Parker (9-1, 6-0 in Class 6A, Region 5)

All-Time Series: First meeting

The Skinny: The Bearcats are back in the playoffs for the second time in as many seasons under coach Danny Stiff and sixth straight year overall.

Cullman, which is arguably a play or two away from entering this tilt riding a five-game win streak, will attempt to secure its first playoff win since 2019.

Parker, meanwhile, is looking to go one step further than last year’s semifinal squad that came up short against eventual state champion Clay-Chalkville.

The Thundering Herd defense has been rock-solid all season, and other than a 48-26 loss against Carrollton (Georgia), hasn’t surrendered more than 17 points in a contest — and that includes wins over Ramsay, Mountain Brook, Hoover and Homewood.

Coach Speak: “It’s always good when you make the playoffs. The season started out a little rocky, but I thought we hit a good stretch of football after that Muscle Shoals game. We’ve played pretty well on both sides of the ball at times and have gotten more consistent and kept our focus more in practice. Hopefully, that culminates with us playing our best game of the season.” — Danny Stiff

“They’re very, very athletic on both sides of the ball. Not only athletic, but big. It’s a challenge. Luckily, we’ve had two weeks of practice before this one. We’re going to go out there and play our best ball and see what happens and control what we can control.” — Danny Stiff

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Team: Fairview (9-0, 6-0 in Class 5A, Region 7)

Opponent: Carver-Birmingham (4-4, 3-3 in Class 5A, Region 5)

All-Time Series: First meeting

The Skinny: The No. 4 Aggies capped the first undefeated regular season in program history last week with a 48-21 win over Class 4A No. 5 Good Hope.

Fairview is making its sixth straight trip to the postseason but hasn’t won a playoff game since its semifinal run back in 2021.

Carver-Birmingham, meanwhile, is likely better than its 4-4 record.

The Rams have played several solid teams, including Corner, Ramsay and Permian (Texas), and also hold a win against Briarwood Christian, which closed the season with five consecutive victories.

Coach Rod Carson’s group is making the program’s first playoff appearance since 2017.

Coach Speak: “It’s been exciting to watch this team and their willingness to maybe prove some people wrong. It’s a fun group that has goals and is willing to do what they need to do to achieve them. They’re physical and willing to put in the work.” — George Redding

“Carver brings a tremendous amount of athleticism and speed. They’ve got a good run game with a good downfield passing game. They can also turn short throws into explosive plays. On defense, they get off the ball hard and are athletic enough to play man coverage. They bring a lot of difficulties to the table, but we’re excited for the opportunity and challenge.” — George Redding

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Team: Good Hope (9-1, 7-0 in Class 4A, Region 5)

Opponent: Hatton (6-4, 4-3 in Class 4A, Region 7)

All-Time Series: First meeting

The Skinny: The No. 5 Raiders are making their sixth playoff appearance in the past seven seasons, having bounced back from a 3-7 campaign a year ago to win nine games so far this fall.

Good Hope’s defense (11.3 points per game allowed) has been its strong point, but the offense is not to be forgotten — the Raiders have averaged 33.8 points per game in their past five contests.

Hatton, meanwhile, reached the playoffs for the first time as a Class 4A program — the Hornets were reclassified from Class 2A last year — but have made the postseason in each of the last four seasons under coach Denton Bowling.

Four of Hatton’s six victories this season were decided by eight points or less — although the Hornets struggled at times defensively (32.7 points per game allowed).

Coach Speak: “What I’ll remember most about this team is what most coaches tell me after watching our film — and that’s that they love how hard our kids play and get after it. They’ve come to work every day and played hard every game. It’s just been a fantastic regular season.” — Alan Scott

“To make the playoffs coming out of a nine-team region says a lot about Hatton. They won six games and beat some good teams like Deshler and Westminster Christian. They’ve got athletes who can break loose and make big plays. They’re big up front as well and just a good football team.” — Alan Scott

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Team: Vinemont (7-3, 4-3 in Class 3A, Region 5)

Opponent: Lauderdale County (7-3, 6-1 in Class 3A, Region 7)

All-Time Series: Lauderdale County leads 4-0

The Skinny: The Eagles return to the playoffs for the fifth straight season under coach Stephen Robinson — the longest such streak since a stretch of seven appearances from 1984-90.

Vinemont is seeking its first opening-round win since 1993 when the Eagles defeated Susan Moore 34-27. Robinson was an offensive lineman for that team, which finished 11-2.

Lauderdale County, meanwhile, ended the regular season with four straight wins and is back in the playoffs for the 15th consecutive year — nine of those berths coming under coach Jeff Mason.

Additionally, all four meetings between these teams have come in the first round of the postseason (2022, 2021, 2014 and 2012).

Coach Speak: “This group has been really fun to coach. They practice hard and practice focused. We also have a good group of leaders.” — Stephen Robinson

“Lauderdale County is tough, physical, fast, hard-nosed. They do things the right way and it’s going to be a challenge. We can’t make any mistakes or have any self-inflicted wounds. If we’re able to avoid those, we’ll have a chance.” — Stephen Robinson