Like it or not — the Pats are on the bubble.

The Pinecrest football team (4-6, 1-3) goes into tonight’s regular-season finale at Hoke County (6-4, 1-3) needing a win to qualify for the state 4-AA playoffs. Already in, the Bucks will be looking to improve their seeding in the 4-A division of postseason play and snap a three-game losing streak in the Southeastern Conference.

“If we win, we keep playing,” Patriot coach Chris Metzger said on Wednesday. “If we don’t, we’re collecting equipment.”

Red zone failures in last week’s bid to upset Richmond Senior, and several weeks before in a loss to Lumberton, are the difference between the Patriots jockeying for a more favorable playoff seeding and merely fighting for survival.

Not only have the Bucks lost three in a row since handing Richmond its only loss four weeks ago, they have dropped three consecutive games to the Patriots, including last year’s 28-21 thriller at Pinecrest.

The Bucs’ Detrez Newsome gained 306 yards on 45 carries in that one. With quarterback David Walrath, one of the heroes of the win over Richmond, questionable for tonight’s game because of an injury, Newsome’s number is likely to be called many times.

And it will be a shocker if the 5-foot-9 junior gets a hand on any of the Patriot kickoffs.

“In my 19 years, he’s as good as we’ve seen,” Metzger said. “They’ve got a ton of weapons and this is a huge game for them.”

Patriot quarterback Travis Scales has rushed for over 100 yards five times this season and passed for over 100 in four of the last five contests as conference teams have surrendered yardage on the ground more grudgingly. Although fourth-quarter misplays by Patriot receivers were costly in the 12-7 loss to Richmond, the almost all-new receiving corps from a year ago has exceeded expectations overall.

Joe White has 22 catches for 346 yards and two touchdowns.

Steven Kennedy, who scored the winning touchdown two weeks ago against Purnell Swett, is one of the deep threats with 13 receptions for 263 yards and three scores.

Traivon Williams has 15 catches for 215 yards and a touchdown. Tight end Mike Johnson is the only experienced receiver in the group that also includes junior Justin Ray.

“Coming in, coach Metzger told me there wasn’t an experienced wide receiver,” first-year receivers coach Barry Merritt said recently. “I feel like I’ve been blessed with some of the most coachable players I’ve ever seen. They listen, they’re attentive and they absorb everything. They knew the task at hand and have really stepped up to the plate.”

White and Kennedy were defensive players in their first three years in the football program. Williams played linebacker as a freshman, but didn’t go out for football the next two years.

Metzger echoes the remarks of his assistant coach.

“It’s amazing the transformation these kids have made,” he said. “I think part of their success has been because we’ve been able to run the ball — mixing it up. We’re definitely going to have to do that Friday night.”

The Patriots are trying to make it to the playoffs for the third time in the last four years. Just a few miles away in Rockingham, undefeated Scotland High and Richmond Senior will be playing for the Southeastern Conference title.