The old adage “To be the best, you have to beat the best” couldn’t ring any truer for the the Forsyth Central football squad.

The Bulldogs, who barely missed out on the playoffs in their first season in Region 6-AAAA, must play not only the defending Class AAAA state champion Tucker Tigers during region play, but also the team Tucker defeated in the Georgia Dome for that title, Marist.

Both Marist and Tucker, as well as Southwest-DeKalb, which made it to the state quarterfinals before being eliminated, stand in the way of a Forsyth Central ascension to the top of not only the state, but also the region.

“[Region 6-AAAA] is a very difficult region,” Forsyth Central head coach Chris Bennett said during last month’s spring practice.

“Last season, there were four teams from our region in the Top 10 [of the GACA Coaches Poll] at one time.”

Playing such stiff competition, how does Bennett foresee his team fulfilling their goal of making the state playoffs, especially after losing their main offensive threat in do-it-all talent Dustin Canon to graduation?

“When you lose a player like Dustin Canon, it is like losing five players, but we feel we have guys that are ready to step up,” Bennett said.

With some players at instrumental positions being untested on the varsity level, preparing those core players Bennett believes the Bulldogs will rely upon was one of the keys throughout spring practice for Central’s coaching staff.

Bennett also noted how much the players have bought into the team philosophy of “perfection through execution.”

Without any five-star recruits among their ranks, the players have jumped aboard the team-first train, with the hope to ride it straight through the regular season schedule and into the playoffs for the first time since 2001.

“We are in a unique situation. We have to work as a team,” Bennett said. “We’re strong up front, but everyone is going to have to contribute for us to be successful.”

In the trenches, Central is led by Casey Morrison and Shawn Mateer. The M&M duo’s ability to help Central control the line of scrimmage on the offensive and defensive sides of the ball could be the determining factor in a tight ball game.

Another major factor will be the site of the contests. After having to travel to Marist, Tucker and Southwest-DeKalb last season, the Bulldogs will host each of the region powerhouses.

“It’s a huge advantage. The kids are creatures of routine and traveling can definitely change the routine,” the coach said.

While some routines are perfectly healthy, they can also be hard to break. Central would love nothing more than to alter its current routine of missing the playoffs, and replace it with a winning tradition starting this fall.

E-mail Shotgun Spratling at sports@forsythnews.com.