By KEVIN ECKLEBERRY

Daily News

The Troup Tigers are hoping it’ll be a happy homecoming.

Troup, with a possible playoff spot in Region 5-AAAA on the line, will host the Central-Carroll Lions on Friday night, and the homecoming queen and king will be crowned at halftime.

Troup (5-3 overall) is 2-2 in the region, and it needs a win to bolster its position as one of the region’s four playoff teams.

Central-Carroll (3-5 overall) is 1-3 in the region, and it needs a win to stay in the playoff race.

Troup is coming off a tough 15-8 loss to Cedartown in a game played on a muddy field.

“That weather we played in at Cedartown, that’s as tough a situation as you can be in,” said  Tanner Glisson, Troup’s fifth-year head coach. “It’s muddy, and it’s wet, and it kept raining. So this team should be battle-tested.”

The previous week, Troup was pushed before beating LaGrange 21-6.

For six consecutive games, in fact, Troup has been involved in hard-fought games that weren’t decided until the final moments.

While the Tigers haven’t finished off every game with a win, Glisson likes the mental strength of the players.

“We’re starting to develop it,” Glisson said. “You can see it. We’re making goal-line stands. You can see the toughness.”

Also on Friday, LaGrange (2-6, 0-5 in Region 5-AAAA) will visit Chapel Hill in its final region game.

LaGrange has lost 18 straight region games dating back to the 2016 season.

“Us getting a region win Friday night, that would be our playoff game,” said Chuck Gibbs, LaGrange’s head coach.