Week 10 Games With Huge Playoff Implications – Class 3A
With only one week left in the regular season, the playoff race is all but decided for a few teams/districts. For most teams, however, their seeding could be affected in a huge way, positive or negative, by the results of…
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Continue ReadingWith only one week left in the regular season, the playoff race is all but decided for a few teams/districts. For most teams, however, their seeding could be affected in a huge way, positive or negative, by the results of this week’s games. Many districts are up for grabs, and in a year like this where the playoffs have been expanded and seeding determination has changed due to COVID scheduling issues, finishing high in your district may be more important than ever. There are games not listed here that may have some smaller implications on playoffs, but these are the top few in 3A that could shake up the brackets in a big way. Some of these scenarios have a lot of moving parts and are somewhat complex, try your best to stick with me and I’ll do my best to explain everything.
Disclaimers:
- All rankings next to teams are based on their district ranking coming into this week
- Records by each team are based on district play only unless specified otherwise.
- Some districts are doing coaches polls (Coaches Rankings) for playoff seeding, some are using a modified version of the normal district standings (Modified Criteria), and a few are determining playoff seedings manually (Manual), meaning it is business as usual with district points
Class 3A
District 1 (Coaches Rankings)
#2 Anadarko (3-1) vs #3 Kingfisher (3-1)
The top 3 spots in this district are locked in as of this week, but the order of those 3 teams are not. #1 Heritage Hall (5-0) isn’t likely to give up that top spot as they play #6 Mount St Mary (0-2) and they have already defeated Anadarko and Kingfisher convincingly, but the winner of this matchup will take the 2nd spot in the district and take some serious momentum into the play-in round of the playoffs that will start next week.
District 2 (Manual)
#2 Sulphur (5-1) @ #3 Lone Grove (5-1)
3A-2 and 3A-3 are 2 of only 7 districts out of 40+ in the entire state to not have any district games canceled due to Covid-19 complications, so their standings and seeding determinants for playoffs are the same as any normal season. With that being said, this district is likely locked in at the top with Kingston dominating the district and only needing a win over 1-5 Dickson to secure the title. But this game, similar to District 1, will decide numbers 2 and 3 as both teams only have one district loss, both to Kingston.
District 3 (Manual)
#1 Stigler (5-0) vs #2 Lincoln Christian (5-0)
This is arguably the biggest game in the state this week as there are only 4 undefeated teams in 3A and 2 of them are in the same district and play this Friday night for a district title. Both teams come into this matchup red hot, only allowing 10 points per game combined on defense while scoring nearly 48 points per game combined. This game will be strength on strength on both sides of the ball for both teams, but something has to give as one of them has to lose on Friday night. Who will come out as district champs?
District 4 (Modified Criteria)
#2 Vinita (4-0) @ #3 Verdigris (4-1)
This district has not been as lucky as 2 and 3 have, so a few key games have been canceled, including Vinita vs Holland Hall, who is currently in first place in the district as they lead Vinita in average marginal points by less than 2. Due to this odd tie-breaker, to win the district title, Vinita will have to win with a margin of victory that is at least 8 points higher than Holland Hall’s if they win against 2-3 Inola. However, if Verdigris wins, they will move up to 2nd in the district, Holland Hall will win outright, and Vinita will finish 3rd.