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Kenny Fey | For The Journal

Walhalla High School defenders, from left, Justin Nathan, Nick Bradley, Aaron Andrew, Devan White and Jesse Welborn get set for a play against Blacksburg earlier this season at Razorback Stadium.

WALHALLA — This looked like the season where it wasn't supposed be the case, but the Walhalla High School football is back in a familiar spot heading into the final week of the regular season with its season on the line.

After a promising 5-1 start to the year, giving them very tangible hopes of an ever-elusive playoff berth, the Razorbacks have dropped each of their last three games, setting the table for a must-win game on Friday night at Emerald to get into the postseason.

For the most part, the Razorbacks (5-4, 1-3 Skyline 2A) can win the game and punch their postseason ticket. The simplest scenario comes with a Crescent win over Pendleton on Friday night coupled with a Razorback win, which would guarantee them a fourth-place finish in the region.

Other scenarios could have Walhalla winning and finishing in either third place or out of the playoffs in fifth place, as a Pendleton win would create a three-way tie between the Razorbacks, Crescent and Pendleton that would call into action numerous tiebreakers.

But in the grand scheme of things, none of that will matter if the Razorbacks don't take care of their own business on Friday as they look for a trip to the postseason that would be a boost for a playoff-starved Walhalla program.

"To have a winning season and make it to the postseason when we've been knocking on the door for the last several years and coming up short, it would certainly be big for us," Boggs said. "We've been here before and have come up short before, and hopefully we can come out on the right end this week."

It will be no small task for the Razorbacks, as they'll have to bounce back from a crushing 55-15 defeat at Pendleton last week, which came on the heels of an overtime loss at home to Crescent and another shellacking at Abbeville three weeks ago.

"I think the big thing is getting the kids to bounce back after getting pretty much pummeled last Friday, and we have to understand that we've got to find a way this week and beat Emerald," Boggs said.

And to their credit, Boggs said his players have remained responsive and upbeat during the losing skid.

"We continue to have good weeks of practice, and that's a tribute to them, because when you lose a close one like we lost two weeks ago and get blown out against Abbeville and Pendleton, and those weren't anywhere near close, but I think it'd be easy to kind of throw in the towel and not have the right attitude," Boggs said.

And therein lies the reason Boggs feels his squad can go on the road and come home with a win, and a probable postseason berth, on Friday night.