A couple of teams solidified playoff spots after last week. Others have been relegated to long-shot status, either because of the remaining schedule or needing lots of help or both.
Week 9 is not the end of the regular season, but the postseason picture should become much clearer once the dust settles from this weekend’s games.
Colonel Crawford (5-3, 3-2 N10) at Seneca East (7-1, 4-1 N10)
Seneca East sits atop Division VI, Region 22 with two weeks left and the Tigers control their own destiny according to playoff guru Joe Eitel.
The only blemish on Seneca East’s ledger is a 31-24 loss to Mohawk in Week 5, which could end up costing it a share of the Northern 10 Athletic Conference title. A win Friday would likely clinch a playoff spot, perhaps even at home.
Colonel Crawford, which survived two weeks without starting quarterback Zye Shipman — including last week’s 21-0 win at Bucyrus — needs to win out to have any chance at the playoffs.
The Eagles are currently 16th in Division VI, Region 22, which means they would need to jump over eight teams in two weeks to slip into the postseason. That is no small task and would require some help from other teams. However, the opponents are No. 1 (Seneca East) and No. 8 Carey in Week 10, so it is certainly not impossible.
The first thing necessary for the CC defense would be to find a way to at least slow down Blaine Swartzmiller, who leads the N10 in rushing and scoring.
Mohawk (10-0, 8-0) at Wynford (5-3, 3-2)
Wynford has not been in a position like this in football in recent memory. The Royals face a must-win game in Week 9 or their postseason hopes are dashed.
That may sound strange in that Wynford is currently in the sixth spot of Division VI, Region 22. However, with a loss to the Warriors on Friday, the Royals would probably not get enough points out of beating Bucyrus in Week 10 to sneak into the postseason.
In the meantime, the Mohawk juggernaut rolls on. The Warriors not only occupy the No. 1 position in Division VI, Region 26, they are also No. 1 in the Associated Press DVII poll.
Warriors’ coach Brent Konkle leans heavily on his defense, which leads the N10 and has surrendered a stingy 81 points in eight games. That’s bad news for the Royals who are fifth in the league in total offense.
Mohawk has already clinched a playoff spot but could clinch a home game in Week 11 with a win over Wynford.
Bucyrus (2-6, 1-4) at Upper Sandusky (3-5, 1-4)
Upper Sandusky got off to a 2-0 start to the season, but the Rams have fallen on hard times since, winning just one of its last six contests.
The Rams have been hampered by injuries, including the loss of quarterback Levi Malone, who was leading the N10 in passing when he went down. The low point came in last week’s 63-6 crushing by Seneca East.
Bucyrus has played better over recent weeks though the wins haven’t come yet to show it. The Redmen have played all the top teams in the league close in the first half, but let the games get away in the second half.
In last week’s 21-0 loss to Colonel Crawford, Bucyrus trailed 14-0 at intermission, giving up only seven more in the second half. The offense showed signs of breaking out, but mistakes and penalties cost the Redmen scoring opportunities.
If Bucyrus can find a way to get the ball to their playmakers in space, it could be a breakout week for the Redmen.
Buckeye Central (0-8, 0-5) at Carey (5-3, 3-2)
Buckeye Central will not wake up from its nightmare season this week. The Bucks are last in the N10 in offense, having scored just 46 points and are also last in defense.
That combination will play to Carey’s pursuit of a playoff spot. The Blue Devils are No. 8 in Division VI, Region 22 and while the points gained from a win over BC will be minimal, they can hold place until their Week 10 showdown with Colonel Crawford.
Ontario (3-5, 1-4 MOAC) at Galion (4-4, 1-4 MOAC)
Galion has lost four of its last five games, including last week’s 49-35 loss in a shootout with North Union, and yet the Tigers sit in the 14th spot of Division IV, Region 14 with flickering playoff hopes.
Of course, to vault over six teams to get into the top eight, Galion must win out and get help. The Tigers face an Ontario team that started the season 3-1 but is currently on a four-game losing streak.
Galion quarterback Elias Middleton continues to lead the MOAC in passing with 1150 yards and is third in rushing with 698. Isaiah Alsip leads the loop in receiving yards with 663.
On the other side, the Warriors are just two spots behind the Tigers at No. 16 in the region and are still mathematically alive for the playoffs, so motivation shouldn’t be a factor for either team.
Crestline (3-5) at Ashtabula St. John (6-2)
In a rare regular-season rematch from two weeks ago, Crestline travels to Ashtabula on Saturday.
The Bulldogs dominated St. John the first time, 52-0, piling up over 600 yards of offense. The Heralds rebounded with a 35-20 win over Edgewood last week.
If Crestline can repeat the feat of two weeks ago, the Bulldogs give themselves a chance at a break-even season and are even still alive mathematically in the playoff race. They are currently No. 15 in Division VII, Region 26.