SOCIAL CIRCLE, Ga. — The Oglethorpe County Patriots could not have popped up on the schedule at a more opportune time for Social Circle. 

The Redskins have lost three of four to start the season, and all three games had running clocks in the fourth quarter. With its Region 8-A schedule starting next week, Social Circle desperately need to build some momentum when they hit the road this Friday night. 

No team in recent years has proven more compliant for the Redskins than Oglethorpe. Social Circle has won four of the past five meetings, although the Patriots snapped a four-game skid to the Redskins last fall with a 27-7 beatdown.

Offensively, with last year’s leading rusher Amarion Russell standing on the sideline on crutches, the Redskins haven’t been able to develop a consistent attack. Meanwhile, defensively they are allowing 37 points per game. 

As for the Patriots, they've played just two games so far in this young season and found themselves on the wrong side of close calls each time. After opening the year with a 20-6 loss to Athens Christian, they dropped a 14-7 contest to East Laurens last Friday. They'll enter the showdown with Social Circle riding a six-game losing streak, which dates back to last October when they beat none other than the Redskins.

Mason Wittner, sports editor of The Covington News, contributed to this report.