SECTION II – While the Section II football playoffs officially kick off Friday night with the Class C quarterfinals, playoffs are still a week away for the area’s other four classifications.
Week 8 of the regular season kicks off tonight with a number of matchups full of playoff implications in the two largest classifications.
Here’s a look at the playoff picture heading into Week 8 and what scenarios are in play as the regular season winds down:
CLASS AA
The top three seeds in the largest classification are set. Christian Brothers Academy is locked into the No. 1 seed and will look to finish an unbeaten regular season against a one-win Bethlehem squad. Similarly, Shenendehowa is guaranteed the No. 2 seed, and with head-to-head wins over Saratoga Springs and Guilderland, Shaker has the No. 3 seed set heading into its finale against winless Schenectady.
The No. 4 seed is still in play, as Saratoga Springs and Guilderland are currently tied at 3-3 in classification play, though Saratoga Springs has the inside edge by virtue of its 18-14 win over Guilderland earlier this year. The Blue Streaks will clinch a playoff spot with either a win over Colonie or a Guilderland loss to Shenendehowa. Guilderland needs to win and hope for a Saratoga Springs loss to leapfrog into the No. 4 seed.
CLASS A
Three of the four playoff teams have been determined, but only one team — Capital Division champion Averill Park — is locked into its seed.
The Grasso Division will be sorted out with the huge game between Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake and Niskayuna. Both teams enter unbeaten in division play, with the winner earning a division title and a home playoff game, while the loser gets the No. 2 seed and will visit Averill Park in the semis.
The Capital Division’s second playoff spot will be determined based on the results of the Amsterdam-La Salle and Troy-Columbia games. La Salle currently sits in second place and will lock up a playoff spot with a win over Amsterdam. If La Salle loses and Troy beats Columbia, the Cadets currently hold the most quarter points between themselves, Amsterdam and Troy and have a built-in advantage if it ends in a three-way tie. Amsterdam’s hopes rest in beating La Salle and having Columbia — a team whose division losses to Amsterdam, La Salle and Averill Park all came by eight or fewer points — knock off Troy.
CLASS B AND CLASS D
Both classifications have their playoff pictures locked in, so whatever happens in Week 8 won’t affect the semifinals.
In Class B, the semifinal matchups are set as No. 1 Glens Falls will host No. 4 Lansingburgh, and No. 2 Ravena-Coeymans-Selkirk will host No. 3 Gloversville in a rematch of last year’s Super Bowl. None of the playoff teams will face each other in the final week of the regular season.
In Class D, No. 1 Cambridge/Salem will host No. 4 Canajoharie/Fort Plain and No. 2 Chatham will host No. 3 Greenwich. This week’s games all feature Class D teams playing crossovers against Class C squads that missed out on the playoffs.
Categories: -Sports-, High School Sports, Sports
