It's Showtime!

Gaffney's Jeremiah Cochran should have plenty of room to run against the porous run defense of the Lexington Wildcats. The Gaffney quarterback should keep handing off to running backs Steffen Foster and Jeremiah Cochran during tonight's first-round Class 4A playoff game. That's what everybody else has done against the Lexington Wildcats - with plenty of success.

Lexington is giving up a whopping 241 yards a game on the ground. A figure that does not bode well against a run-oriented Gaffney offense, featuring 800 yard-rushers Cochran and Foster.

Overall, the Wildcats are allowing an average of 27 points a game.

Former Daniel High and first-year Lexington head coach Allen Sitterle acknowledges his team is the underdog.

"We are outweighed by an average of 100 pounds per player. Gaffney is so big it's amazing," Sitterle said. "We do not have a lot of speed. This is probably the least amount of weapons I have ever taken to a football game in Gaffney.

"Gaffney went 9-2 in a tough region and has played a lot of good football teams," he added. "This will be a huge challenge for us just to stay in the football game."

The Wildcats' offense has been successful in controlling the clock with the running game. Thanks to fullback Anthony Carden, who has rushed for nearly 1,200 yards and scored nine touchdowns this season. Running back Dexter Wells is also dangerous, rushing for 559 yards and three touchdowns.

Both teams are coming off wins against their archrivals. Quarterback Trad Hunter had three rushing touchdowns and threw a 17-yard touchdown pass in Lexington's 37-10 victory over White Knoll. Carden and Wells combined for 132 yards in a 27-point first half for Lexington.

Gaffney, on the other hand, had a hard-earned 14-7 win over Spartanburg to close the regular season. In that game, sophomore Joe Craig came off the bench to spark the offense with a 64-yard touchdown run.

Gaffney head coach Phil Strickland said Craig will split time at quarterback with Bo Davidson, who missed the Spartanburg game with a shoulder injury. Former starter David Dewberry will return to his tight end position.

Strickland said that Davidson and Craig give the Indians added speed at the quarterback position.

Lexington also has had quarterback issues. The Wildcats have thrown the ball sparingly and lost their projected starting quarterback in the third game of the season.

Hunter has stepped in at quarterback, completing 45 of 82 passes for 523 yards. He has thrown three touchdowns with two interceptions.

Wide receiver Schott Garbett is the team's top two touchdown catches, including a season-long 61- yarder.

Three other running backs and receivers have caught at least eight passes for the Wildcats.

"We like to spread the wealth by distributing the ball among different players," Sitterle said.

Lexington (6-5) tied for first place in their region. The Wildcats' record is a bit deceiving - seven of their 11 opponents are in the playoffs.

Sitterle said his team must be balanced on offense and play well defensively in order to be successful against Gaffney.

"We can't let them get downhill with their speed or it could be a long game," he said.

In his first year at Daniel, Sitterle took the Lions from a 5-6 record to the Upperstate championship game in 1990. He led Daniel to four state championships and turned the team into a perennial playoff contender.

"All the places I have gone were in the rebuilding process when I got there," Sitterle said. "I was fortunate to have the opportunity to come back to South Carolina and coach at Lexington. I wanted a different challenge."

The Indians are expected to provide that challenge tonight.