ROLLING FORK – They are talking playoffs at Sharkey-Issaquena Academy this week.

Instead of looking forward to deer season, the Confederates (5-3, 3-1) can land their first playoff berth in 15 years provided they can handle winless North Sunflower Academy Friday night and current District 7-A leader Briarfield beats Deer Creek.

&#8220It’s great everyone is talking about the playoffs, because before the season, the talk was we weren’t going to be very good,” senior running back Chett Maranto said. &#8220Not only has SIA not been to the playoffs in 15 years, they’ve won only one playoff game in school history.”

That could change. Coach Cori Britt’s team has won five straight since starting the season at 0-3. The streak started with wins over beatable foes Veritas and Tallulah, but it was a win over Humphreys Academy that got the Confederates thinking about bigger and better things.

&#8220That’s when things started clicking,” SIA quarterback/linebacker Seth Brown said.

&#8220Honestly, I thought our season would turn around after Briarfield because our first three games were the hardest on the schedule. I thought we would finish strong,” Maranto said. &#8220The key has been no turnovers on offense and our defense is playing better. Against Deer Creek, we had two goal-line stands in the second half.”

The Confederates used the stands to beat preseason district favorite Deer Creek, 20-14.

&#8220The big one was when we stopped them on the goal line with four minutes left,” added SIA safety Steven Cooper, who is one of the Confederates’ leading tacklers this season, averaging nearly 11 per game.

&#8220Really, it’s been the whole team. We have a bunch of sophomores who are doing a good job,” Brown said.

SIA was expected to be improved on offense from last year because of the return of Brown at quarterback, Cooper at wide receiver and Maranto at running back. The defense was supposed to be a work in progress following the loss of senior stoppers Will Prine and Tyler Hankins.

&#8220Danny Barnes and Kent Smith have stepped up in those roles,” Cooper said.

Still, with Brown at the helm, SIA’s offense has been able to create problems for its opponents. He has been able to pass for 700 yards this season and a big reason why is the protection.

&#8220It’s a lot better this season. It makes a difference when we can get the ball to Steven, but we’ve also been seeing more triple coverage on him.”

&#8220Yeah, at Deer Creek, the corner was playing right in front of me, trying to jam me,” Cooper said. &#8220Then they were bringing the strong safety in and then the free safety would come over the top. But just about every time, I’ve seen two guys.”

&#8220That just opens things up for some other guys,” Brown adds. &#8220Taylor Davis, our split end, had some big catches because teams are just playing him man.”

Brown was 9-of-19 for 129 yards with three touchdowns against Deer Creek. Two scores went to Cooper and the other went to Davis.

For most of the season, the SIA trio hardly ever came off the field, because the team only dressed 13 players.

&#8220You have to do everything when you only have 13,” Brown said.

&#8220It’s helped that it has gotten cooler and we’ve got the junior high guys with us,” Maranto said. &#8220But our conditioning work has gotten harder.”

All three seniors aspire to keep playing football after their time with SIA is done.

&#8220I would love to play at the next level,” Brown said.

&#8220If I got a chance, I would definitely play,” Cooper said.

Maranto has drawn some interest.

&#8220A coach from Delta State has seen us play and we went to see them play Valdosta State. Scott Eyster is great,” Maranto said of the Statesmen’s All-America quarterback. &#8220I would love to play there.”