Fort Frye’s Maddox Huck (9) and Braxton Ross (55) celebrate after a play during last week’s playoff win over Buckeye Trail in Beverly. (Photo by Missy Huck)

BEVERLY — Eric Huck can’t wait to see the crowd when his team takes the field for Friday night’s playoff game.

The Fort Frye head coach has led his team into some wild environments over the years, but with rival Waterford set to visit in the Division VI regional quarterfinals, he thinks this one will be much different.

“We’ve had some doozies here, but this will probably be the most packed the stadium’s ever been,” Huck said. “I’m looking forward to it.”

Huck’s Cadets haven’t lost to the Wildcats since 2007, but this will be the first postseason meeting between the two.

Fort Frye has been a regular in the D-VI playoffs since 2015, while Waterford has typically been in Division VII. The Wildcats moved up a division for the 2024 season, and when the final playoff ratings had Fort Frye seeded fourth and Waterford seeded fifth, it became clear that a Washington County second-round playoff showdown was a strong possibility.

Now that it’s here, the excitement is palpable throughout the community.

“Yes, it definitely feels a little bit different,” Huck said. “There’s already a lot of excitement when it’s a playoff game. This being a rivalry game — without a doubt, it’s not the same.”

The Cadets have the confidence going into this week of knowing that they won the regular season matchup. Fort Frye bested Waterford 35-7 back in week four, with Tyce Beardsley carrying seven times for 147 yards.

Grady Hesson added 61 yards on 15 carries while Clayton Miller was limited to 47 yards on 12 rushes as FFHS overcame 120 yards of penalties in the game.

Huck, though, admitted that the Waterford team Fort Frye faced in September isn’t the same unit they’ll see Friday.

“They’ve just kept getting better,” Huck said. “They’re finding ways to win close games against good opponents. They feel like they’re a bit of a different team than the one we played before.”

For Waterford, everything starts with brothers Hayden and Colten Jones. The duo has combined for 2,432 yards and 35 touchdowns on the ground.

“They run hard,” Huck said. “They’re tough players. You see it on both sides of the ball.

“They’ve got other weapons as well, but those two touch the ball the most. They’ve got a lot of weapons but it starts with those two.”

Speaking of weapons, the Cadets have their fair share, too.

Miller and Beardsley both are averaging around 11 yards per carry. Miller is up to 1,560 yards and 18 touchdowns on 136 carries while Beardsley has 103 rushes for 1,121 yards and 10 TDs.

“They’re doing a great job,” Huck said. “At the guard spots, we’ve been moving guys in and out with injuries, but the line has been solid. That’s the main reason we have two 1,000-yard rushers. Those guys are running hard. I’d throw (Kainan) Bradford in that mix at fullback. He’s been solid there, getting us 4 to 6 yards a carry, at least.”