Red Hill opens playoffs Saturday at Sesser-Valier

The game can be heard on 99.3 GIANT fm Sports WAKO starting with pregame coverage at 12:30 p.m.

The Red Hill Salukis have turned road warriors.

For a third straight week, the Salukis will travel at least two hours for a football game. But this trip is for a playoff game, the Salukis 19^th appearance in the IHSA postseason. The Salukis (6-3) are the tenth seed in the 1A South and will travel Saturday to Carroll Kelly Field to play 7^th-seed Sesser-Valier (7-2).

The game can be heard on 99.3 GIANT fm Sports WAKO starting with pregame coverage at 12:30 p.m.

The Salukis guaranteed their postseason berth with 16 unanswered points in a fourth quarter rally at Carlyle for a 22-20 win to finish the regular season with a 6-3 record.

From afar, playoff week may look a lot like any other football game week. But look behind the scenes and you’ll typically find a heightened emphasis on detail and preparation.

Head coach Billy Gray.

For Sesser-Valier, the Red Devils season was on cruise control through the first seven weeks. A record of 7-0 led by a defense that had only surrendered 32 total points (including a Week 2 forfeit win provided by Vienna-Goreville). The Red Devils best wins were over Fairfield (6-3) by an 8-6 score and a 32-0 shutout of Carmi-White County (7-2).

However, in Week 8, the Red Devils were outscored 50-30 as Johnston City claimed the outright Black Diamond Conference title. Then, Flora earned a postseason berth by upending Sesser-Valier in the season finale.

The Red Devils ground attack is led by Jace Erwin. The junior is averaging over eight yards per carry with 1083 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns.

Winning a playoff game is certainly its own motivation. But Coach Gray also knows that a win at Sesser means the Salukis would host a second round playoff game next week.

The winner of the Red Hill – Sesser-Valier game will play the winner of the game between the 2 - 15 seeds Hardin (Calhoun) (8-1) and Mowequa Central A & M (5-4). Their game at Calhoun begins Saturday.at 1:30 p.m.