BOECK: A look at the Section VI Football Playoff Picture heading into Week 7

Photo by Shawn Turri

Now that there are only two weeks left in the regular season players, coaches and fans alike are taking a closer look at the standings to figure out what it will take for their team to get a spot in the postseason.

Lucky for you all I get insomnia at this time of the year and spend my late nights doing some math, writing chicken scratch and making word documents to come up with a look at the Section VI Playoff Picture.

CLASS AA

(All seven teams in AA get into the Playoffs – No. 1 seed gets first-round bye)

The top of the class is pretty straightforward.

If Bennett beats Jamestown this week, THEN No. 1 Bennett, No. 2 Lancaster; OP/Jamestown in Week 8 to decide No. 3 and 4 seeds. (Barring Niagara Falls beating Orchard Park this week).

If Frontier beats Hutch-Tech this week, THEN No. 5 Frontier, No. 6 Niagara Falls, No. 7 Hutch-Tech.

CLASS A

(Two Divisions, Top 4 from each division get into playoffs)

Class A1

West Seneca West has caused a bit of chaos with its win over McKinley this past week.

That means the Macks now have a divisional loss and Williamsville North, Lockport and West Seneca West all sit behind them with two losses. Clarence is undefeated – but has nothing in the bag. The first through fifth seeds are very much up for grabs. And since most teams have two divisional games left, there’s too many scenarios for me to run through.

I can say that Clarence controls its own destiny. They finish the season with Kenmore West and McKinley. The Red Devils win those games and they get the No. 1 seed.

Class A2

This division will likely come down to two games with the first being in Week 7 and the other in Week 8.

This week, Williamsville East hosts Hamburg with winner getting the No. 4 seed and final playoff spot from Class A2. (The Flames would still need Starpoint to beat North Tonawanda.)

Next week, Grand Island hosts Starpoint to likely determine the top seed. Sweet Home has finished divisional play with a 4-1 record, their lone loss to Starpoint.

If GI beats Starpoint THEN; 1. Sweet Home, 2. Grand Island, 3. Starpoint

If Starpoint beats GI THEN; 1. Starpoint, 2. Sweet Home, 3. Grand Island

(In both scenarios, Starpoint beats NT)

CLASS B

(Three Divisions; Division winners No. 1-3 seeds, 2nd place No. 4-6 seeds, 3rd place 7-9 seeds; 9th place misses playoffs)

Class B1

Pioneer’s win over Williamsville South ended the Billies’ playoffs hopes while keeping theirs very much alive. The Panthers can clinch a spot in the post season with a win over Amherst this week.

However, Health Sciences controls its own destiny to win the division and guarantee a first-round home game. They have Kenmore East and South Park left.

South Park needs to take care of business this week against Cheektowaga to keep their playoffs hope alive (a win by 20 points or more to be safe). The Sparks then have the aforementioned Week 8 meeting with Health Sciences. A win creates a 3-way tie with Health Sciences and Pioneer for first place in the division; a loss, but in a tight game, they are in the running for the No. 7-8 seeds.

Class B2

Since Burgard forfeited the rest of its’ season, Maryvale has won the Class B2 division. Iroquois defeated Lake Shore this past week and has clinched second place in the division and a No. 4-6 seed.

Lake Shore has clinched third place – but will want to get a win (preferably by a large margin) – as they are in a three-team race for No. 7-8 seeds.

Class B3

Lackawanna can clinch the division this week with a win over Olean. But more importantly they control their own destiny to the No. 1 seed if they continue to win their games by 20 points or more.

Depew can clinch second place in the division with a win over WNY Maritime-Tapestry.

Alden/Springville this week will determine third place.

Since the divisions have an uneven number of teams; the following criteria will be used to determine seedings between teams from across divisions;

· Fewest Losses in League Play

· Point differential Average: Total points earned (20 point max) divided by league games played

· Fewest points allowed average in league play.

No. 1-3

As already mentioned, Lackawanna controls its’ own destiny to the No. 1 seed if they continue to win their games by 20 points or more. Maryvale would then get the No. 2 seed.

Here’s why: Like Lackawanna, Maryvale has no losses. So, then we got to Point differential average (take the number for the team under “+/- (adj)” on the far right side of the standings page) and divide it by the number of league games played. Maryvale’s Point differential Average is 17.3. Luckily for the Flyers, each team in B1 has a loss so that winner is stuck with No. 3.

No. 4-6

It’s too close to call with so much being up the air in Class B1. But if Pioneer and Depew get second place in their divisions – we’ll likely see No. 4 Pioneer, No. 5 Iroquois, No. 6 Depew.

No. 7-9

Ask me next week.

CLASS C

(Two Divisions, Top 4 from each division get into playoffs)

C North

Medina at Newfane on Thursday (to be broadcasted on WNYAthletics.com) – winner gets the division; loser gets second place.

Akron hosts Eden-North Collins on Friday. Winner gets third place. If Akron loses, they will take on Roy-Hart/Barker next week to determine fourth place.

C South

It will be a dramatic race to the finish with Salamanca and Southwestern at 4-0 and Portville right behind at 4-1.

Salamanca hosts Southwestern this week and travels to Portville next week. Portville fell to Southwestern in Week 2 by a score of 3-0. That close margin of defeat will bode well for the Panthers if the teams end up in a three-way tie for first place.

Falconer clinches fourth place with a win over Chautauqua Lake/Westfield/Brocton this week.

CLASS D

(6 Team division. Top two seeds receive a bye in 1st Round)

CSP travels to Ellicottville to take on the Titans in Week 8 in a game likely to decide which team gets the top seed (if the Wolfpack beat Gowanda this week).

Wilson clinches No. 3 seed with win or Gowanda loss.

Cattaraugus Little Valley has clinched No. 6 seed.