After facing two top-10 teams during the past two weeks, the Long County football team gets a little bit of a break tonight with Atkinson County coming to Ludowici.  
But even though Atkinson (0-3) is winless, it has been competitive. The Rebels lost to Lanier County, 14-6;  Jeff Davis, 18-0; and to McIntosh County, 27-0.  
Like the Rebels, the Blue Tide also go into tonight’s contest struggling.
After opening their season three weeks ago with a solid 16-12 win over Lanier County, the Blue Tide has dropped games to highly ranked Benedictine Military School and Vidalia by a combined score of 91-7.
However, certain factors suggest Long County will be favored tonight. The Blue Tide is scoring a little more than seven points a game, compared to the Rebels’ average of two points. Also, MaxPreps.com has Long County ranked No. 41 in the state’s AA ratings, while Atkinson County is ranked No. 60.  The teams have played each other three times with the Rebels winning twice. However, when the two teams met last year, Long County clearly was the better team, winning 47-6. But even though the Blue Tide won last year, Long County head coach Ron Flott doesn’t put any stock in that outcome having anything to do with tonight’s game.
“They’re just like we are — still fighting for that first region win,” he said. “They have some good players in skill positions, and they’re getting better every week.”
Flott added that if his team is going to win, better fundamentals will be key.
“If we are going to beat them, we have got to improve our basic fundamentals and play better than we have been playing,” he said.