Area teams seek home playoff game
Published 5:03 am Thursday, October 28, 2010
As usual, everyone knows what they have to do going into the final week of the regular season.
Now, if it will just get done.
Three teams — Ironton, Coal Grove and Symmes Valley — are poised to qualify for the Ohio High School Athletic Association postseason playoffs but where they finish or who they will play is yet to be determined.
Ironton (7-2) has locked up a home game in Region 15 of Division IV and can secure the No. 1 seed with a win over Portsmouth.
If Ironton gets the number seed, the Fighting Tigers appear to have a first round home game against Albany Alexander.
It also appears Heath will finished second followed by Columbus Hartley. Portsmouth West is fourth now but must beat Wheelersburg to stay in the top four. Amanda Clearcreek is fifth and ready to move up. The two teams would still play each other at 4 and 5, but home field is at stake.
Coshocton figures to be sixth followed by Sparta Highlands. In the playoff pairings, one plays eight, two plays seven, three plays six and four meets five. The second round has the 1-8 winner against the 4-5 winner while the 2-7 and 3-6 winners meet.
Coal Grove (8-1) currently sits No. 3 in Region 19 of Division V and still has a chance for a home game with a win over Chesapeake. A big deciding factor for the Hornets is Wheelersburg and Portsmouth West. If the Pirates win, they could leap frog into third or fourth place.
However, a Hornets’ loss would more than likely drop them behind West Lafayette Ridgewood, Nelsonville-York and Lucasville Valley unless the Indians lose to Minford.
Oak Hill should end up as the No. 1 seed with Fredericktown second. Woodsfield Monroe is third but could tumble all the way to eighth place if the other teams if all of the other top eight teams win.
Symmes Valley (8-1) is fifth this week in Region 23 of Division VI but could move up to fourth place ahead of Malvern with some help. The Vikings will looking for River Valley and/or Northwest to get wins this week.
Bridgeport leads the region and has clinched a home game. Shadyside, Newark Catholic, and Malvern all follow and have clinch playoff berths. Behind the Vikings are Salineville Southern, Fairfield Christian and Trimble.
Strasburg Franklin is ninth and could replace Trimble in the eighth spot with a win. However, Strasburg plays Garaway who is 6-3 and would be considered a slight favorite.