MAN – For the Man High School football team the day has finally come.

For the first time in 12 years, the Hillbillies will be hosting a playoff game.

It will happen on Friday night as Man, the No. 2-ranked Class A team in the state, is scheduled to play No. 15 Parkersburg Catholic.

Game time is slated for 7:30 p.m. at Man’s George A. Queen Memorial Stadium.

Man enters the game with a 9-1 mark.

The Crusaders are 7-3.

The Hillbillies closed out the regular season with last Saturday night’s resounding 56-6 win at home over Matewan.

With the No. 2 seed, Man has homefield advantage throughout the playoffs.

If the Billies beat Parkersburg Catholic, Man would advance to play in the second round, Nov. 20-21, against the winner of the first-round contest pitting No. 10 Wahama (8-2) and No. 7 Fayetteville. Man beat Fayetteville, 23-7, during the regular season.

A second-round victory would then give Man a third home game on Nov. 27-28 of Thanksgiving Weekend in the Final Four round.

The Class A state championship game is set for Saturday, Dec. 5 at 7 p.m. at Wheeling Island Stadium.

The Billies have their sights set on Wheeling and a long playoff run.

Man has made it to the state championship game three times in its history as the Billies lost in the 1977, 1980 and 1984 Class AA state finals under former coach Tootie Carter.

Man is making its fourth playoff appearance this decade under head coach Harvey Arms. The Billies lost a first-round game at Madonna in 2004, then went 1-1 in the 2005 Class A playoffs as Man won 14-0 at Hamlin before falling in the quarterfinals at Williamstown.

Last season, Man won 27-6 at Mount Hope in the opening round of the playoffs before losing 21-16 at eventual state champion Wiliamstown in the quarterfinals.

Coach Arms said the Billies are thrilled to be where they are at.

“When we started back in August our aim was to make it to the playoffs and get homefield advantage,” Arms said. “The kids have taken it seriously, have worked real hard and we’ve made it. We’re happy.”

The lower seeded teams in the 16-squad field had the option of picking to play on Friday night or Saturday afternoon.

Parkersburg Catholic chose Friday night and Arms is glad.

“We’re used to playing on Friday nights,” Arms said. “Down through the years Friday night has been high school football night. We’re glad to play on Friday.”