TIFTON — Tift County has a favor to ask of its neighbor and rival, Colquitt County.

This is the last week of Region 1-6A competition and the Blue Devils, having already clinched a berth in the upcoming state tournament, would like to host a home series. To do that, however, they need a little help.

Currently, the Devils are fourth in the standings at 7-5. Lowndes is 10-2, uncatchable by Tift (as Lowndes took two of three in their region series) with Colquitt and Richmond Hill both at 8-4. Richmond Hill plays Colquitt this week.

To get that coveted No. 2 seed and to avoid three hours of bus rides for the first round state series, very specific things need to happen. Tift County can do its part by sweeping Camden County, which has yet to win a region game at 0-12. This is where the favor kicks in: Colquitt has to win two of three from Richmond Hill. No more, no less, as confirmed by head coach Greg Williams.

If the Packers swept Richmond Hill, they would have 11 wins, which the Devils can’t catch. If Richmond Hill takes all three, that’s 11 wins for them, also uncatchable. But if the Packers hit the sweet spot with two wins, they will be tied with TCHS at 10-5. Tift has the tiebreaker because they took two of three against the Packers last month. They wouldn’t have the tiebreaker with Richmond Hill, who won two games to Tift’s one in that series.

All that math does not matter one bit if Tift loses as many as one to the Wildcats. Game one is in Tifton Tuesday, with the doubleheader in Kingsland on Friday.

Technically, the region championship has still not been clinched, but if Lowndes wins any from Valdosta this week, the Vikings are No. 1.

Fortunately, Tift is guaranteed a spot in state. Valdosta (3-9) and Camden (0-12) have been eliminated.

No region games were played last week. After run-ruling Cairo on Tuesday, the Blue Devils spent the end of the week in Florida’s Panhandle, where they won one of three.

Holmes County, one of Florida’s top schools, won a 15-4 contest. The Blue Devils responded with a 15-0 victory over Taylor County before falling to Port St. Joe, 7-5.

Ryan Whitley and Brodie Robbins combined to two-hit Taylor. Robbins threw an inning and struck out one in his varsity debut. Whitley fanned six.

Neither team scored in the first and the Devils were up a mere 1-0 after two before exploding for six in the third. Three more crossed in the fourth before they plated five in the fifth.

Quae Bell recorded his first ever varsity hit, then scored his first run. John Davis drove in three and Jake Spurlin scored four times.

Outside of a brief 1-0 lead, the Devils trailed all game against Port St. Joe. Mac Brooks had three RBIs. Spurlin had three hits.

Tyler VanSumeren knocked in two of the runs against Holmes.

It was a very good road trip for Spurlin, who went 7-for-7 at the plate, with four RBIs and five runs scored.

Spurlin now has nine hits in his last official nine at-bats. The road trip saw him raise his average from .191 to .267.