Reverse the teams' records and this wouldn't be one of the top games in the area.

It's no misprint, though, that Cross Creek is off to a 5-0 start and traditional power Washington County is 1-4. Despite the Golden Hawks' record, Razorbacks coach Scott Tate is not taking them lightly.

"Watching Washington County on tape, they've got a good football team," Tate said. "They execute well. They move the ball. Our defense is going to have to go and play like they always have.

"It's going to be a great game."

Washington County will pack up its tradition and travel to Cross Creek for tonight's region opener at 7:30 p.m.

The winner will walk away with its playoff hopes intact and a legitimate shot at the Region 3B-AAA title. The loser will have to play catch up to make the playoffs.

For Cross Creek, the stakes are sky-high. A Razorbacks win would put them in position for a second postseason berth and a run at their first region title.

"This would be huge," Tate said. "Would it be the biggest (win) in school history? It'd be one of the biggest.

"This would be the one that'd turn the corner."

It would also be Cross Creek's first victory over Washington County. The Golden Hawks have dominated three previous contests, outscoring the Razorbacks, 140-7.

Last season, Cross Creek drove the opening kickoff down to the 10, failed to score and never got on track. Washington County pulled away for a 48-0 victory.

"Last year is last year," Tate said. "You take this year and just go with what you have."

Tate acknowledged the fact naysayers point to his team's record and then look at the schedule. Cross Creek's opponents are a combined 9-16.

The Razorbacks' lone victory over a team with a winning record came two weeks ago against South Effingham (4-1)

Cross Creek rallied late for a 27-21 comeback road thriller.

Last week, South Effingham went to Washington County and pulled off a 23-14 win, the Mustangs' first win over the Golden Hawks after they allowed more than 40 points in a pair of losses.

South Effingham rushed for 184 yards against Washington County. Cross Creek will try to do the same, if not improve on that number. Led by running back Patrick Province and quarterback Keenan Grissett, the Razorbacks have shown an ability to successfully run the ball out of the spread formation. Cross Creek has rushed for more than 600 combined yards its past three games.

"We've shown we can run on everybody we've played against," Tate said. "We're definitely going to try to establish the run. But we're also going to throw the ball. We're going to mix it up."