Seventh-year Griffin head coach Steve DeVoursney is the first to tell anyone who will listen this week his No. 8-state ranked team (9-1) is the underdog tonight when it hosts arch-rival Upson-Lee (6-3) in a Region 4-AAAA crossover playoff game.

“There’s no question if we won it would be a big upset,” he said Thursday after the team’s walk-through.

The winner advances to the opening round of the Class AAAA state playoffs next week, a place Griffin has been the last six years in a row and 10 times in the last 11 years.

The Bears ended a six-year state playoff run for the Knights last year, 36-32, in a crossover playoff game also played at Memorial Stadium in Griffin.

The two teams have already met once this season, on Sept. 14 at Memorial Stadium. Upson-Lee handed Griffin its only loss of the season, 12-3.

Both teams, however, have improved a great deal since then. Griffin’s offense has gone from averaging 15 1/2 points going into that game to 34 2/3 points per game since. Upson-Lee has also spiked up its veer option attack.

“They’ve really gotten their option game going,” said DeVorusney. “They running backs hit the hole hard and their quarterback can take it to the house on any play. They have also improved throwing it since then. They have two wide receivers, a tight end they’ll utilize in the passing game and even the back coming out of the backfield.”

DeVoursney rated both teams equal on special teams and said the game could likely come down to turnovers.