At the conclusion of last Friday’s prep football games, both the Catholic Crusaders and the Washington Wildcats had  lost control of their playoff destiny.

For the Wildcats (0-7, 0-2) the loss to Pine Forest eliminated any postseason hopes. As for Catholic, the Crusaders can only wait for the result of Taylor County vs. Florida High, as that game will finalize league play in the three-team District 1-3A.

But in the meantime, the Crusaders will play host to Washington this Friday at 7:30 p.m. with ESPN Pensacola on the scene.

Though the Wildcats are winless, Catholic coach Greg Seibert said he expects a “formidable” opponent on Friday night.

“Offensively, (Washington) can score points,” Seibert said. “Defensively, I think (the Wildcats) are a better unit that their record indicates. They are athletic and they run pretty well. They are struggling with two sophomore QBs, and sophomore quarterbacks are gonna play like sophomore quarterbacks.”

The Crusaders are a banged-up bunch after last Friday’s district game, as Seibert said Abram Smiley, Simeon Smiley and A.J. Yates will all be sidelined due to injury.

“The game plan doesn’t change for us,” Seibert said. “The most significant thing is, we will end up with more guys playing both ways. Our guys have played hard this season and they will continue to play hard. It’s just a matter of running the football. We want to be in a good position as we get down the stretch of the game.”

The Crusaders will know their postseason position at the end of the Taylor County-Florida High tilt on  Oct. 30.

The Wildcats will face Escambia on the same date in the District 1-6A third-place game.

Want to go?

Who: Washington Wildcats vs. Catholic Crusaders.

Kick off: 7:30 p.m.

Where: Gorecki-Lebeau Stadium

Radio: ESPN Pensacola 1450 AM / 101.1 FM

The Catholic Crusaders, under coach Greg Seibert, will seek to bounce back from last week’s loss.