LAGRANGE – It’s homecoming night for the Troup Tigers.

Troup will return from an off week and open its Region 5-AAAA schedule tonight against Chapel Hill, and a homecoming king and queen will be crowned at halftime.

Chapel Hill heads into the game with a 2-1-1 record, and it has already matched last year’s win total.

It has also been a turnaround season for Troup, which is 3-1 after going 1-9 a year ago.

“It ought to be a real good game,” said Troup head coach Tanner Glisson, whose team has won three straight games since a season-opening loss to Hardaway. “Whoever wins tonight should have a good chance to make the playoffs. They’re much-improved.”

Also tonight, LaGrange will begin its Region 5-AAAA schedule with a road game against Central-Carroll.

There are seven teams in the region, and they’re all vying for four state-playoff spots.

Each region game is critically important, which is why Glisson has made sure his players keep their focus on football this week, and not the homecoming festivites.

“This week, where we are in the season, I’m not even letting them speak the word (homecoming),” Glisson said. “I’m really being a Scrooge this week compared to what I have been in the past. Because we’re sitting right on the cusp of doing some special things. We’ve got our football team right where we want them.”

Troup is one of five teams in the region that has a winning record.

Leading the way among that group is defending state champion Cartersville, which is 4-0 and has outscored its opponents 155-21.

Cartersville, the state’s top-ranked Class AAAA team, is led by quarterback Trevor Lawrence, who is one of Georgia’s most heavily recruited players.

Sandy Creek, which is ranked fifth in the state and appears poised to make another championship run under head coach Chip Walker, has won three games in a row to improve to 3-1.

Also at 3-1 is Troup, and Cedartown (2-1) and Chapel Hill (2-1-1) have winning records as well.

Only LaGrange (1-3) and Central-Carroll (0-4) didn’t post a winning record in non-region play.

Callaway (4-0) has one non-region game remaining, and that will be tonight at Harris County (3-1) in a matchup of teams with just one loss between them.

Callaway is off next week, and it will begin its Region 5-AA schedule on Oct. 7 at Lamar County.

In eight-man football, Lafayette Christian school will look to improve on its 1-3 record when it hosts Ballard Christian.

Reach Kevin Eckleberry at (706) 884-7311 or on Twitter @lagrangesports