Crestwood’s running back Jacob Jeckell and his Comets teammates will try to secure a District 2 Class 4A playoff berth on Friday.
Fred Adams file photo | For Times Leader
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There comes a time each year when the yearning for the old PIAA points system blossoms. It’s annually the final weekend of the high school football regular season.
The PIAA points system used to be the process of determining District 2 playoff berths. It was elementary math so simplistic in design that it took just a few seconds to calculate whether a team had a realistic chance of making the postseason and where its seeding would be.
Then in 2017, District 2 decided to join other PIAA districts by implementing the power rankings system. Gone was quick addition. Replacing it was a formula that had a five-page explanation on the District 2 website (piaad2.org).
But after eight years, the power rankings system can be eyeballed and fairly accurate assessments can be made minus the complicated math. So here is where all 12 Wyoming Valley Conference teams, plus independent Holy Redeemer, could end up based on what’s expected to happen Week 10.
Berwick (3-6): The Dawgs are currently in seventh in the D2-3A standings and have locked up a playoff spot.
They could climb to sixth or fall to eighth depending how they fare against Tunkhannock and how sixth-place Carbondale Area does against Old Forge. Best guess is they end up at Western Wayne for a quarterfinal game next Friday.
Crestwood (4-5): The Comets sit in fifth in the D2-4A standings and four teams make the playoffs.
Good news is Crestwood plays winless Wyoming Valley West while third-place Wallenpaupack (4-5) plays top seed Valley View (8-1) and sixth-place North Pocono (4-5) plays D2-3A top seed Scranton Prep (8-1).
Bad news is fourth-place Honesdale also plays a winless team in West Scranton.
The Comets will likely make the playoffs with a win as long as either Wallenpaupack or North Pocono doesn’t pull off an upset.
Dallas (6-3): The Mountaineers have locked up the second seed in the D2-4A playoffs. Their opponent in the semifinals could be any of four teams, although Crestwood or Honesdale appear the probable adversary.
Hanover Area (1-8): The Hawkeyes are ninth in the race for eight D2-3A playoff berths. That spot will go to either them or Tunkhannock (3-6).
Tunkhannock has a big lead for the position, but there must be some mathematically possible concoction where Hanover Area could jump the Tigers. Otherwise, Tunkhannock would have been marked as clinched in the standings.
Hazleton Area (5-4): The Cougars are second in the D2/4-6A standings and all four teams make the postseason.
Hazleton Area has a very tough road game against D2-5A top seed Abington Heights (5-4). A win means a home playoff game. A loss and the Cougars are most likely on the road.
Holy Redeemer (0-9): The Royals are eliminated in the D2-2A playoff race and conclude their season Friday against winless Midd-West.
Lake-Lehman (6-3): The Black Knights are fifth in the D2-3A standings and will probably stay there even if they upset Dallas (6-3) in the Old Shoe Game.
A road trip to Mid Valley for a D2-3A quarterfinal game seems in the cards.
Nanticoke Area (1-8): The Trojans are eliminated from D2-4A contention and conclude their season Friday at home against rival Hanover Area.
Pittston Area (2-7): The Patriots are locked in the third-place position in D2-5A and will be on the road next week against either Abington Heights or Delaware Valley.
Tunkhannock (3-6): Although the Tigers have a sizable lead over Hanover Area for the eighth and final D2-3A playoff berth, they aren’t listed as clinched.
There must be some mathematical acrobatics where Hanover Area could take the spot, but it doesn’t appear realistic. A quarterfinal matchup with top-seeded Scranton Prep is all but certain.
Wilkes-Barre Area (5-4): The Wolfpack are atop the D2/4-6A standings. All four teams make the playoffs and all four have occupied every slot throughout the season.
Simple solution — win at Williamsport on Friday and WBA probably has home field advantage throughout.
Wyoming Area (8-1): The Warriors are third in the D2-3A standings and will probably stay there.
There is a slight chance to moving to second, but it’s comfortable saying they will host either Berwick or Carbondale Area in the quarterfinals.
Wyoming Valley West (0-9): Either the Spartans or winless West Scranton will be the final D2-5A playoff spot.
Obviously, both are underdogs Friday, so if both lose it might come down to bean counting. It will be very close under that scenario, although the Spartans should come out on top.
EASTERN CONFERENCE UPDATE
The Eastern Conference was once the brass ring of the postseason until the PIAA mandated in 1994 that the only way to the state playoffs was through district tournaments.
Still, the Eastern Conference offers an extra game for teams unable to secure a district playoff berth. It will hold championship games in Class A/2A, Class 3A, Class 4A and Class 5A/6A.
Crestwood and North Pocono are leaders for spots in the Class 4A title game, but both could still make the District 2 playoffs. Old Forge has a place in the Class A/2A championship game, but the Blue Devils have an opportunity to make the D2/11-A playoffs.
WINNING WITH 11
How about this from the other side of the state.
Westinghouse defeated Perry Traditional Academy 68-0 last Friday with only 11 players dressed for the game.
According to Mike White of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the rest of the team was suspended for leaving the bench area during a scuffle a week earlier against University Prep.
Westinghouse often used just 10 players on defense against Perry and at one point only used nine because of an injury.