South Hadley football coach Ray Ferro is well seasoned in dealing with short weeks to prepare for a postseason matchup.

With six trips to the playoffs and four Super Bowl berths, the Tigers' leader has had to prepare for 10 games with only three or four days to get his team ready.

"The best way we've found is to (familiarize) our players with the ability of the opponent," Ferro said. "Do they have size? What is their strong point? Do they have any weaknesses? Hopefully they get it and they can adapt to that."

Those things are far more important than scouting the opposition's Xs and Os, according to Ferro.

"Those things could change. They know we have a scouting report," he said. "I don't put an emphasis on what their defense is and what their offense is. We put more on what type of athletes they have. Are they quick? Are they strong? Do they have good size? Do they execute with good technique?"

In preparing for today's Western Massachusetts Division 2 semifinal matchup against No. 1 Hoosac Valley (10-0) at Westfield State College at 5 p.m., the coach of the No. 4 Tigers (6-5) admits to being impressed with what he's seen.

"They compare very well with most of the teams we've played all year long," Ferro said. "If they were in the Suburban league, I think they would have done very well."

If the Tigers pull off the upset, it would almost certainly be in part because they did, in fact, play in the Suburban League this year along with non-league games against Division 1 Longmeadow (9-2) and Westfield (4-7) from the AA Conference.

"Playing against good teams helps you prepare for teams like this," Ferro said. "The Suburban League was very, very competitive this season. Chicopee and West Springfield (No. 2 and No. 3 in the Division 1 field) were both very good teams and all the team we played this year were tough. The competition we faced all year long was good, stiff competition."

The Tigers are led by running backs Sean Mulveyhill (84 carries, 688 yards, seven touchdowns) and Sean Bouthiller (115 carries, 606 yards, 12 touchdowns) and quarterback Jason Bourque (59-for-125, 840 yards, 10 touchdowns, three interceptions).

Hoosac, meanwhile, dominated Berkshire County from start to finish this season. The Cheshire-based team won its first county championship since 1992 on the back of an outstanding defense.

The Hurricanes have posted six shutouts on the season, including a 23-0 win over No. 3 Wahconah (8-2) in the Berkshire championship game on Nov. 21. It was the third straight year that Hoosac faced the Warriors for the league title.

The Hurricanes have won their 10 games by a combined score of 331-32 and have scored more than 30 points in all eight games this season that were not against Wahconah.

The matchup in the trenches will be key, as Hoosac boasts a big offensive line led by senior captain Ben Alibozek.

The Tigers, meanwhile, are without three starting linemen - Troy Johnson, one of the region's top defensive players, along with Matt Bosowicz, an anchor at tackle, and Sam Pouliot, a key guard.

Injuries have been one reason the normally dominant South Hadley program struggled to stay above .500 this season.

"Confidence I don't think is ever our problem," Ferro said. "Illness, the flu throughout the year and obviously injuries (hurt), but not coming mentally and emotionally ready to play were more of the reason that we lost those games.

"Our kids learned that just because we are South Hadley doesn't mean we can show up and we're automatically the winner," he added. "We had to lose to learn that, and it was a lesson well learned."

Ferro attributed the postseason-clinching 24-22 win over Chicopee Comp on Thanksgiving to the growth of his team because of its earlier losses.

"We knew we didn't want to suffer that agony again," he said. "We played good football Thursday morning."

Ferro added, "Now we have to play our best game of the year. We have to execute and we have to limit our penalties. We have to tackle and we have to play smart. If we do all of that to our abilities, I think both teams have a good chance. We definitely have a chance to win and they have a chance to win, too."

Jim Pignatiello can be reached at jpignatiello@gazettenet.com. Get high school updates delivered directly to your Facebook newsfeed at www.gazettenet.com/gazette.hs.