AMERICUS — Americus-Sumter might have surprised some folks with last week’s 28-7 win against Liberty County.

But not the coaching staff. While it knew Liberty County would be a challenge, the coaches all thought the Panthers would have a great chance to win the season opener.

This week’s game could be even tougher as the Panthers travel to Cook, which is No. 4 in Class 2A. The Hornets have had two weeks to prepare after stunning Colquitt County 15-9 on Aug. 20.

Coach Michael Pollock said having a bye week could be good and bad, depending on the players.

“It depends on how they handle it,” he said. “They’ve had a big win, and I’ve seen a lot of times with a big win like that, you want to hurry up and use that momentum to get on the field and play again. Off weeks are good depending on the timing.”

Cook is no stranger to Pollock and Panthers defensive coordinator George Dean. The last time Cook played the Panthers was in the state semifinals in 2001. Americus won 35-28, beating the Hornets, which were led by Pollock. Pollock was the had coach there for two seasons, and Dean was either the head coach or defensive coordinator from 2000-08.

Only three coaches have won 11 or more games in Cook history, and that list includes both Pollock and Dean. Pollock’s 2001 team won 13 games, a school record.

He said the playoff game should have been the state championship after Americus beat Early County 33-21.

The times have changed, but Pollock said this game can be another good indication of how far the Panthers have come.

“Our M-O all year is being able to run the football,” he said. “We have to establish the running gave with every team we play. We have to protect the football, and we can’t give them anything cheap. If we make them earn everything they get, I think we’ve got a shot.”

Ja’Rod Lewis will be in the backfield after sustaining an ankle injury that kept him out of the second half of last week’s win. The Panthers rushed for 234 yards, but will face a defense that forced four turnovers.

Cook is led by senior linebacker/fullback Shannon Brown, who has verbally committed to Alabama. Offensive lineman Kyle Champion said if they keep moving their feet, the Panthers should have a good chance at another successful night rushing the ball.

“When you run the ball, everybody’s got to keep working, keep running their feet,” he said. “(Brown’s) a good player, but we have some good players, too. He’s not unblockable; no one is. As long as we get a hand on him, we should be OK.”

Pollock said they have to know where Brown is at all times, offensively and defensively.

“Defensively, we have to stop what they do best, and they like to throw the football,” he said. “We’ve got to play good pass defense. When Shannon Brown comes into the game, we know he’s there for a reason, and we have to take care of business.”

Senior defensive lineman Jonathan Battle said the goal is to get better every week.

“We have to go out and play like we played last week,” said Battle, referring to holding Liberty County to 59 yards of offense. “We’ve got to work harder. We’ve got to go out there and do what we was coached. Hopefully, we’ll get the same results as last week and hopefully be even better. We’ve got to get nine shirts, 11 shirts to the ball. We have to make sure to get our alignment right when the other team gets to the line, and our linebackers have to make the correct call.”

Pollock said he’s been in touch with a lot of his former players at Cook and closest friends from his time there. He said some may be even on the Panther sidelines. But more importantly, he’s interested in seeing how his team reacts to its first road game.

“It’s an opportunity to take the team on the road and see how they react against a good football team. They’ve had a lot of success over the decade, and we’ll see how we stack.”