Pick your poison.

Set your defense to stop Landrum running back Tyler Burrell, who has rushed for more than 200 yards in three of his last four games, and you risk quarterback Brandon Cannon, who accounted for more than 250 all-purpose yards in Landrum’s win over Southside Christian this past Friday, will beat you with his arm and feet.

That’s the dilemma Blacksburg coach Mickey Moss finds himself in as he prepares

to travel to Landrum for a big region game today.

But Moss said the Cardinals are more than just

Cannon and

Burrell.

“They came over here for the jamboree and they are just a bunch of tough, goodlooking football players who play well. They are just a very good football team,” Moss said.

The Cardinals enter today’s game with a 4-4 mark, but more importantly, they are 2-0 in the region and have a chance to capture the region championship.

Blacksburg is 2-6 overall and 1-1 in the region. But Moss said he’ll let the playoff stuff sort itself out. He’s just pleased that his team is playing its best at this time of the season. That’s because for the first time this season the Wildcats are healthy.

“We’ve put our best players on the field and that has made a difference,” the Blacksburg coach said.

Lennal Dasher and Raymond Ellis, who have been battling leg injuries through most of the season, made big contributions in last Friday’s win over Whitmire.

Dasher was the team’s leading tackler and also scored on a 7-yard touchdown run. Ellis had several key carries and was a mainstay in the Wildcats’ secondary.

“We are just trying to get better every week,” Moss said.

The Cardinals also seem to be playing their best as the regular season winds down.

“The offense is playing much better now,” Landrum second-year coach Russell Mahaffey said.

Defensively, the Cardinals have given up an average of 17 points an outing. The unit was particularly effective in the second half last week, when it limited Southside Christian to only nine yards.

This week, the Landrum defense has one task - stop the Wildcats’ power running game.

“We have to focus on stopping the run,” Mahaffey said.

But the Landrum coach added the Wildcats and quarterback Treyvon Parker are capable of moving the ball through the air at times.

Moss said he’s excited about the game because his team is coming off its best week of practice all season.

Mahaffey is excited for another reason.

“This is just a big game all around,” he said. “You want to win every region game you play. But we are tied for first (in the region with Christ Church) and you want to win the region to have a home playoff game.”

Unlike the Wildcats who have been beset with injuries, the Cardinals have been injury-free this season.

“We’ve been very blessed,” Mahaffey said.

GAME AT A GLANCE

WILDCATS (2-6) VS. CARDINALS (4-4)

Kickoff at 7:30 p.m. at Landrum High

School.

Players to Watch: Blacksburg QB Treyvon Parker, RB Chase Hames, DL Alex Campbell Landrum QB Brandon Cannon, RB Tyler Burrell, DL Antonio Barron, DL Michael Allison.

The Wildcats will win - if they limit their turnovers and sustain long drives to keep the Cardinal offense off the field.

The Cardinals will win - If they establish an effective running game and force the Wildcats to abandon their run-oriented offense.