Before the season started, Lawrence Conneff, Scotty Thompson and I all looked at the football schedule and talked about the teams we cover. Just for fun, we predicted how each one would do.

I really can’t remember how we did with three of the teams, but I know we got one right. All three of us said Dublin would be playing for the Region 3-AA title this Friday against Jefferson County. And that is exactly what will be happening.

The Irish will be looking to win their fourth region title in a row when they travel north to take on the Warriors. A win against Jefferson County will not only give them the region title, but it will also put them in the Class AA playoffs as the No. 1 seed. A loss, of course, will put them in the playoffs as the No. 2 seed from Region 3-AA.

Both teams enter the contest with identical 8-1 records. Dublin’s lone loss came against Laney (21-11), while the Warriors’ lone loss was against East Laurens (35-7).

The breakdown of the numbers goes like this: the Warriors are averaging 23.6 points a game while the Irish have been averaging 31.0 points a game. The Irish give up 11.0 points a game while the Warriors have given up 12.7.

Both teams have good quarterbacks. Barry Bostic is good, but Rashad Smith is Mr. Everything. And he has a knack of elevating his game in the big games. He can return kickoffs, punts and end offensive drives by intercepting passes.

And just when opposing teams single in on him, he can give the ball to Michel Coffey, Josh Jordan or Nick Glenn.

Now, I can’t say that Dublin is going to run away with this game. I think Jefferson County is going to put up a fight, especially since the game is being played in Louisville. But I don’t think Dublin is afraid of playing on the road.

A year ago, Dublin had to go on the road and beat Dodge County for the region title. The Irish did just that. I believe they’ll do it again.

My pick: Irish 20, Warriors 12.