WARNER ROBINS -- Most high school football players aren’t worried about their playbooks the week of Thanksgiving.

Only a few teams are still alive at this point in the season, so a majority of the players in the state are free to enjoy food and spend time with family.

Players at Northside and Warner Robins, however, have to supplement their family time this week with film sessions and practice.

“I definitely rather still be working and preparing this week than not,” Warner Robins head coach Bryan Way said.

Participating in football-related activities during a holiday week is nothing new for the Demons and the Eagles.

The Northside and Warner Robins football teams have routinely readied for games the week of Thanksgiving. Both teams have played the day after Thanksgiving regularly through the years.

Rarely, however, are both teams still playing football this late into the season. The last occurrence came five years ago, when both teams advanced to the semifinals. The teams were in different classes then, when Warner Robins lost to Peachtree Ridge in the GHSA Class AAAAA semifinals and Northside beat Marist in the Class AAAA championship game.

This year, both teams are alive in the quarterfinals in the same classification for the first time since the playoffs expanded to 32 teams in 1996.

Before dreams of a rematch between the two rivals in the championship game can come to fruition, both teams still have plenty of business to take care of over the next two weeks.

Northside (12-0) plays the Tri-Cities Bulldogs on Friday at McConnell-Talbert Stadium in the quarterfinals. The Bulldogs (10-2) had never won a playoff game or won more than eight games prior to this season.

“You take every game seriously during the season,” Northside head coach Kevin Kinsler said recently. “But when you get to the playoffs, there are no bad teams, so you better take every game seriously.”

The Bulldogs have one of the largest lines of scrimmage in Class AAAA, with three players weighing 270 pounds or more. Two of the linemen weight more than 300 pounds.

Tri-Cities has outscored its two playoff opponents 86-28 while Northside has outscored opponents 90-30 in the playoffs.

Warner Robins’ opponent this week is no surprise.

East Paulding was ranked as high as No. 4 before an upset loss to Pope on Oct. 21. The Raiders have “no weaknesses,” according to Way.

The Raiders (11-1) mix two running backs who have each rushed for more than 700 yards with an efficient quarterback (20 touchdowns to two interceptions) and a big-play receiver.

“They are big and athletic,” Way said. “They have good speed, and they are very physical.”

Even with wins this week, the road to an all-Warner Robins championship remains tough.

Northside would likely face undefeated and top-ranked Tucker in a rematch of a their thrilling 2007 Class AAAA semifinal game. Warner Robins would face either Ware County or an undefeated Lovejoy team.