Southside head coach Daniel Flowers can’t help but smile when he talks about his team’s upcoming playoff game against Montevallo. The Panthers (7-3) defied expectations by reaching the playoffs for the first time since 2005.

Now, they hope to keep proving people wrong.

“They are predicting us to lose. I saw one paper that said 35-17 and another one predicted it to be worse than that,” Flowers said. “I’m like, heck they are already predicting us to lose. Let’s go out there and see if we can shock somebody.”

Flowers said with Friday’s playoff game on the horizon, his team has had some of its best practices of the year. He expects the Panthers to have butterflies, so he’s taking them to Sidney Lanier’s playoff game Thursday night so they can see what the atmosphere is like.

“It’s kind of hard to get overhyped for a team that has never been to the playoffs,” Flowers said. “They really don’t know what to expect. They are just having fun.”

It’s not a secret that Southside will try to get the ball to playmaker DeQuan Johnson, who leads the team with 26 total touchdowns on the season.

He figures to be a big part of the Panthers’ game plan this week and a focus of the Montevallo defense.

However, this is a Southside team with playmakers all over the field. The Panthers averaged 29.4 points per game this season.

Southside is known for its spread offense and for throwing the ball, but in recent weeks the Panthers have gone back to running the football. Johnson ran for three scores against Ellwood Christian last week and Chris Edwards, the team’s starting running back, also scored twice.

“We are a different team heading to the playoffs. We are not where we were against Selma High, throwing the ball 40 times a game,” Flowers said. “I’ve adjusted to the guys we’ve got. We’re going to run the ball.”

The Bulldogs (9-1) have lost several key players to injuries this year, but only lost one game all season to undefeated Gordo. Montevallo wants to spread the field out, a style of play Southside feels comfortable defending because it’s similar to Panthers’ teams of the past.

“They are going to spread it all the way out,” Flowers said.

“The quarterback [Zac Oden] is the key to their team. Their receivers have been out so he’s been running more. He throws a lot of quick little passes and every now and then he may take a shot.”

For what it’s worth, Southside and Montevallo played one common opponent this year —B. B. Comer.

Southside defeated the Tigers (1-9) 40-20 and Montevallo defeated them 45-22.

Kickoff is scheduled for Friday at 7 p.m.