If you see people looking around to check their calendars and make sure that this Friday isn’t Friday the 13, than don’t be to quick to call them weird. After all, it’s very rare that you will ever see two powerhouse programs such as Cedartown and Westminster enter a game against each other with a combined 1-7 record.

But this Friday at Alfred E. Thompson Stadium, that is exactly what will happen as the Bulldogs (1-3) face the winless Wildcats (0-4) at 7:30 p.m.

The two teams, which usually meet with undefeated records or deep in the state playoffs, will both be trying to snap long losing streaks.

For Cedartown, a team that hasn’t won since a 15-7 season opening win over Paulding County, they will be trying to break a three-game skid. Westminster, meanwhile, will be looking to stop a five game losing streak that dates back to last year’s second round playoff loss to Cartersville.

And while both teams enter the game with losing streaks, each team has gotten that way vastly different.

For the Bulldogs, losses have been mostly due to a lack of a steady offense. Cedartown has scored one offensive touchdown all season and averages six points a game.

Westminster will enter the non-region game with a big defensive problem.

The Wildcats have been unable to stop teams this year as they have given up 122 points in four games for an average of 31 points per game.

Three teams have scored 30 points or more against Westminster, including Cartersville who scored 43 points last week in a 43-7 romp.

In that game, the Wildcats had 21 yards rushing and six turnovers while allowing the Purple Hurricanes to score four touchdowns on their first five possessions.

Westminster allowed 37 points in less than three quarters as the final 13 minutes of the game was played with a running clock, a mercy rule the Georgia High School Association started last season.

And while Westminster’s defense continues to allow opponents to score in bunches, Cedartown has been just the opposite.

The Bulldogs defense has allowed only seven offensive touchdowns in four games while forcing nine turnovers.

One area the Bulldogs have been similar to Westminster is in the kicking game.

Each team boast good kickers. Westminster has David Towles, a senior kicker that is seven-for-seven on extra points this year and has also kicked three field goals.

Cedartown’s kicker, Russell Tillery, has been just as good. He has punted 25 times for 877 yards this season, including five punts that have been downed inside opponent’s 20-yard lines.

Tillery, who is averaging 35.1 yards per punt, has also connected on five of six field goals with two kicks coming from 40 yards out.

Marcus Ross has also been a bright spot for Cedartown in the kick return game. Ross, a senior, has returned seven kicks for 235 yards this season. Ross’ longest return came in the season opener when he ran a kickoff back 64 yards.

Westminster, which will be the third straight Region 5-AAA team Cedartown has faced, will also be the last non-region game for the Bulldogs this season.

After this Friday’s game, the Bulldogs will take next week off before kicking off the Region 6-AAA schedule on Sept. 30 against the undefeated and state-ranked Carrollton Trojans.