They’ve only played two games, but a healthy Shelby County Wildcats team may be hard to beat this year.

Moments after knocking off No. 2 Briarwood Christian on Friday, head coach Ryan Herring said he did not believe the win wasn’t Xs and Os but simple hard work. While the hard work answer is often over used and nearly cliche, it may truly be the case for the crimson and white.

Every week and nearly every play, seven or nine of the Wildcats that open the game on offense also line up on defense. Play-after-play Darion Sutton lines up in the Shelby County backfield. He’d pound the ball at the opposing team’s defense, and then just moments after, help snuff out the same kind of attack on the other side of the ball.

One of the main reasons why seven players can consistently play on both sides of the ball is the Wildcats’ offseason and in-season conditioning, hitting the weight room hard six days a week during the season.

“We try to train them to always be a little bit fatigued at practice and workouts than what they’re used to,” Herring said.

That tired feeling pays off on Friday nights.

Shelby County is a long way from Legion Field in December, but if the six day workouts and grueling nights under the lights don’t take their toll, then the Wildcats are in line to not only win a region championship but also to go deep in the playoffs.

Just like any group of seniors, this year’s goal is to go unbeaten through Oct. 31 and take it one game at a time from there.

But just like another crimson and white team, the Wildcats have to know that a big win doesn’t mean mistakes are corrected or even learned.

But quarterback Braten Dill already knows that lesson needs to be taught through the field house this week and every day in the weight room.

“We just don’t need to overlook anybody. If you overlook somebody, you make mistakes and bad things happen,” Dill said.

The Wildcats can enter Chelsea on Oct. 24 an unbeaten team and hungry for revenge after the Hornets kept them out of the playoffs last year with some last minute trickery.

This year, Shelby may repay the favor with its hard hitting.