TAKING THE SHOW ON THE ROAD — Big Red travels to Newark to battle Licking Valley in the regional semis on Friday night. - Andrew Grimm

NEWARK — To get back to the regional final for a fourth-straight year, the Big Red football team will have to pass a big test.

Coach Reno Saccoccia and his team will travel west on Interstate 70 Friday to test undefeated Newark Licking Valley in the Division III, Region 11 semifinals.

Licking Valley (11-0) entered the playoffs ranked No. 8 in the final Ohio Associated Press poll and is ranked No. 9 in the state by MaxPreps.

“The further you go in the playoffs, the better your execution and fundamentals have to be,” Saccoccia said. “We’re working every day to get better. Licking Valley is a very good football team. We have played them a couple times in the past, but I feel like this Licking Valley team has even more talent and their execution has been top shelf. That is what we’re going to be dealing with Friday, a team that executes very well.”

Each team picked up big wins in the regional quarterfinals after having a bye in the opening round. Big Red shook a slow start to pull away from Delaware Buckeye Valley 51-21 at Harding Stadium, while Licking Valley stormed back from a 21-8 fourth-quarter deficit to survive an upset bid from Bloom-Carroll, 31-24.

“The game wasn’t handed to them, they went out and took it in the second half,” Saccoccia said of the Panthers comeback. “They did a really good job of getting the ball to different people and that makes you defend the entire field.”

Big Red has had a couple big second-half comebacks of its own this season, making it quite clear that whoever wins Friday night will have to give a full four-quarters of effort.

“It’s going to be a battle for four quarters,” Saccoccia said. “We’re focused on going out there and giving it our best for 48 minutes.”

The Panthers come into the game averaging 40.5 points per game, while allowing just 13.3. Big Red, meanwhile, is averaging 35.2 points per game and allowing 23.1.

Big Red is going on the road for the first time since Week 6, but picked up two of its victories on its eight-game win streak away from Harding Stadium with two of its biggest offensive outputs of the season coming on the road.

“That’s when you know it’s playoff time — it’s time to go on the road and be able to execute,” Saccoccia said. “I think going on the road is a lot of fun and I’m sure our players are looking forward to going into a playoff atmosphere and having to play your best game.”

Big Red and Licking Valley last met in the playoffs two years ago, also in the playoffs, a Big Red win at Harding Stadium. The Panthers are in the playoffs for a ninth-straight season and 24th time overall, while Big Red is in its 25th-straight playoff run and 38th overall.

The opening kick Friday at Randy Baughman Stadium is set for 7 p.m. The winner advances to battle the winner of No. 1 Bishop Watterson and No. 4 Tri-Valley in next week’s regional final.