“And injuries have had an affect. Our top two quarterbacks have been injured and (leading rusher Kaream) Hess had a broken hand.

“It’s just hard to improve when you have to shuffle the deck so much.”

And while Colquitt County and Tift County have had to deal with the loss of a number of outstanding players heading into the 2007 season, Walls points to the resurgence of Lowndes as how quickly a team can rebound from a down year.

The Vikings were 6-4 a year ago and now are 8-1 and ranked No. 4 in Class AAAAA.

Valdosta also has come off the canvas in a big way this season, goinG 8-2 and finishing second in the region after going 1-9 and failing to win a region game last season.

Walls said his team appears to be reasonably healthy for the game that could determine its playoff fate.

Starting quarterback Nick Prostko has suffered two injuries that have caused him to miss games and his backup, Malcom Dixon, also was injured, forcing Walls use Ricky Pierce to quarterback the team against Houston.

But Prostko appears on the mend after completing 25-of-47 passes for 243 yards and a touchdown against Lowndes last week.

Despite playing in less than six games because of injuries, Prostko, a junior, still has managed to complete 95-of-169 passes for 1,016 yards and six touchdowns.

Prostko was on the field for one play against Colquitt County last year.

He went in to spell starter Sean Baxley and completed a 10-yard to Jared Davis in the 60-yard, 15-play drive that allowed the Blue Devils to tie the game with 23.7 seconds left and send it into overtime.

And all-state running back Kaream Hess missed two games with a broken hand, but he has carried the ball 151 times for 803 yards and also is second on the team in receiving with 23 catches for 210 yards. Hess rushed for 129 yards on 26 carries and scored two touchdowns against the Packers last year.

“Those guys are our playmakers and they will have to play well for us,” Walls said.

One starter not 100 percent is All-Region linebacker Josh Abbott, who has been battling a neck strain.

Abbott leads the team with 44 solo tackles, 37 assists and a sack.