The first Friday in November seems so far away.

For area high school football teams that have yet to begin preseason practice, the final week of the regular season is the farthest thing on their minds.

But Nov. 7 already has special significance for teams in three local regions.

That night, region 6-AAA, 7-AAAA and 7-AA will determine how they’ll be represented in their respective state playoffs as they hold region playoffs.

“It makes for an interesting week 11,” said Rome High Head Coach Sid Fritts, whose team is in Region 7-AAAA North.

With each region sub-divided, the coaches agreed to what amounts to an extra week of the postseason for the top three teams in each subregion.

The teams that are at the top of the standings for each sub-region will play each other on Nov. 7 to determine the No. 1 and 2 seeds for the region.

The No. 2 and No. 3 teams in each sub-region will then crossover and play for the remaining two spots — the North’s second-place team will play the South’s third-place squad and vice versa.

“A lot of times, the top three teams are already determined and there may be a fight for the fourth spot,” Fritts said. “Now in week 11, you’ll have four teams battling for two spots.”

For the rest of the teams in the region not in contention for a state playoff spot, the final game of the season will see them face their similar-placed counterpart from the other side of the region.

“I like it,” Calhoun Head Coach Hal Lamb said. “I think it’s definitely the best opportunity to get the best four teams in the region in the playoffs.

“And with both No. 1’s playing to determine a true region champion, that throws another wrinkle into it.”

Lamb and the Yellow Jackets are looking to be battling for the 7-AA title this season after winning seven consecutive region championships.

“We’ve talked about it a little bit and the kids see the change in the schedule and they understand it and are excited about it,” Lamb said.

“I think it’s a good thing for us to play for a true region championship,” Pepperell Head Coach Jeff Shiflett said.

“It’s going to create a lot of excitement in our region and the communities involved and create some opportunities for some people also.”

Shiflett said the region playoff route allows a team that doesn’t start off the season real well to be able to possibly contend for a region title.

The Dragons have taken the No. 1 spot in Region 7-AA South the past two seasons, including last year when they started out 0-2, including a loss to Cedartown.

“It will be a learning process for this first year and teams will have to see how to go about preparing for (the region playoff),” Shiflett said. “There are always drawbacks but mostly I think it will be very positive for the region.”

Cedartown Head Coach Mark Loudermilk and the Region 6-AAA Bulldogs made it to the state playoffs for the first time in four years last season as the No. 4 seed and look to make it back again this season.

“Everybody wants to make the playoffs,” Loudermilk said. “The way it’s set up now, you’ve got three teams from each sub-region that go into the region playoffs and it’s a great opportunity for all of them.”

However, there are concerns from coaches about the format of the region playoffs.

Fritts and Loudermilk both expressed their desire to have a four-team region playoff schedule that would have matched the top four teams in each subregion against each other.

“That way you settle who the best four teams are (in the region),” Fritts said. “This way, I don’t know.”

In the current format, if a team is the second seed in their sub-region, the best they can do is a third seed in the state playoffs. But they can also finish second in their sub-region, lose the region playoff in week 11 and not make the state playoffs.

But the coaches are pleased with the way things will be settled.

“I think it’s a pretty good system … I think it’s pretty fair,” Loudermilk said.

With more than five weeks until the first game of the season though, what is the best way now to approach a region playoff?

“You just don’t try to think about it,” Loudermilk said. “You just play the best you can each week and hopefully there won’t be any trouble with it.

“The biggest thing is going out every Friday night and taking care of business.”