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| PHOTO BY LIZ CONDO - THE NEWS & OBSERVER |
In the following capsules (this post and others to follow and already submitted), we'll briefly hit on the 4A conferences around the area and talk playoff implications for this evening's games.
Greater Neuse River
Similar to the CAP-8 where Leesville Road and Wake Forest-Rolesville are both at 4-0 and appear to be steamrolling to a show-down to end the year, the Garner Trojans and Southeast Raleigh Bulldogs are also at 4-0 and will come face-to-face next Friday night in a match-up that should decide conference supremacy in the Greater Neuse River conference. Four of their conference colleagues sit at 2-2 in conference and are battling for the third place slot, but if upsets occur, then it's possible for one of those four to scratch their way just a bit higher.
Garner will face one of the 2-2 contingent this evening in Knightdale, a team that has shown glimpses of moving in the right direction throughout this year and should be an interesting match-up for the Trojans. Although the Knights are in position to solidify a third place finish, what is just as important is getting to four or five wins on the season. The Knights are sitting at 3-4 overall and 3-3 reportable so they'll need at least one more win in their final three (Garner, Harnett Central, Clayton) to get to a qualifying at-large berth win total. For the Knights, even with a loss tonight, they play HC and Clayton, two of the other teams also sitting at 2-2 in conference play - definitely a good place to be in their quest to reach an auto bid.
Southeast Raleigh battles an East Wake team that unless some significant upsets occur will find it tough to get into the conference battle, but with a 2-6 overall mark (unknown at the moment their reportable mark) they'll need at the minimum two more wins to get to 4 wins if all of their current wins were non-endowment game wins or all three if one of them was an endowment game victory (they defeated WFR and ECH).
The marquee game of the evening has to be Harnett Central and West Johnston! Both teams are sitting at 2-2 in conference and, while Harnett Central is 5-2 reportable and W. Johnston is 4-3 reportable. A win for either team keeps pace with the front-runners and puts a step between them and the other 2-2 teams. It also gives them another reportable win that if they don't eventually snag an automatic bid will be huge in making the playoffs as an at-large team. In HC's case, a win tonight, even with losses against Knightdale and Garner to close out the year would probably get them in the playoffs as they'd be sitting in the six win at-large tier which has up to this point always seen every team make the playoffs. W. Johnston probably needs this game a bit more, if only to get to five reportable wins. They'll close with Clayton and East Wake.
Clayton is the final 2-2 squad and they'll take on winless SSS. Smithfield Selma's only chance of making the playoffs is to win out and get to 3-4 in conference and hope that upsets occur ahead of them that places them in a tie for third. As for Clayton, after playing SSS, they'll close with West Johnston and Knightdale, two of the current 2-2 squads that should still be fighting for that third place finish and wins from an at-large berth perspective. Tonight's game for Clayton is big as they are currently at 3-5 reportable and need at least one win and possibly two wins, depending on their endowment game (?) to get to that four win plateau if they can't manage a third place automatic bid.
Garner will face one of the 2-2 contingent this evening in Knightdale, a team that has shown glimpses of moving in the right direction throughout this year and should be an interesting match-up for the Trojans. Although the Knights are in position to solidify a third place finish, what is just as important is getting to four or five wins on the season. The Knights are sitting at 3-4 overall and 3-3 reportable so they'll need at least one more win in their final three (Garner, Harnett Central, Clayton) to get to a qualifying at-large berth win total. For the Knights, even with a loss tonight, they play HC and Clayton, two of the other teams also sitting at 2-2 in conference play - definitely a good place to be in their quest to reach an auto bid.
Southeast Raleigh battles an East Wake team that unless some significant upsets occur will find it tough to get into the conference battle, but with a 2-6 overall mark (unknown at the moment their reportable mark) they'll need at the minimum two more wins to get to 4 wins if all of their current wins were non-endowment game wins or all three if one of them was an endowment game victory (they defeated WFR and ECH).
The marquee game of the evening has to be Harnett Central and West Johnston! Both teams are sitting at 2-2 in conference and, while Harnett Central is 5-2 reportable and W. Johnston is 4-3 reportable. A win for either team keeps pace with the front-runners and puts a step between them and the other 2-2 teams. It also gives them another reportable win that if they don't eventually snag an automatic bid will be huge in making the playoffs as an at-large team. In HC's case, a win tonight, even with losses against Knightdale and Garner to close out the year would probably get them in the playoffs as they'd be sitting in the six win at-large tier which has up to this point always seen every team make the playoffs. W. Johnston probably needs this game a bit more, if only to get to five reportable wins. They'll close with Clayton and East Wake.
Clayton is the final 2-2 squad and they'll take on winless SSS. Smithfield Selma's only chance of making the playoffs is to win out and get to 3-4 in conference and hope that upsets occur ahead of them that places them in a tie for third. As for Clayton, after playing SSS, they'll close with West Johnston and Knightdale, two of the current 2-2 squads that should still be fighting for that third place finish and wins from an at-large berth perspective. Tonight's game for Clayton is big as they are currently at 3-5 reportable and need at least one win and possibly two wins, depending on their endowment game (?) to get to that four win plateau if they can't manage a third place automatic bid.
Odds and Ends
Tonight is a Playoff Night in the PAC-6 [Link to Article]
Playoff Update - Only 94 Remain [Link to Article]
the Work Week Quarterback (WWQB) - Thoughts and Notes [Link to Article]
Talking Playoffs and Conference Winning Percentages [Link to Article]
When Does 4 Wins Not Equal 4 Wins? [Link to Article]
Multiple Endowments, Oh My! [Link to Article]
Photographs courtesy of newsobserver.com (The News & Observer)
Tonight is a Playoff Night in the PAC-6 [Link to Article]
Playoff Update - Only 94 Remain [Link to Article]
the Work Week Quarterback (WWQB) - Thoughts and Notes [Link to Article]
Talking Playoffs and Conference Winning Percentages [Link to Article]
When Does 4 Wins Not Equal 4 Wins? [Link to Article]
Multiple Endowments, Oh My! [Link to Article]
Photographs courtesy of newsobserver.com (The News & Observer)
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