Endless Possibilities
By Sheldon Shealer
Here's a Class-by-Class look at the playoffs:
Class 4A
In: Gaithersburg, Watkins Mill, Patterson, Eleanor Roosevelt, Severna Park, Suitland
Almost: Lake Clifton
Likely: Westminster
Have a Chance: Old Mill, Northwestern-PG, Magruder, Parkdale, North County, Churchill
Notes: Four games featuring teams currently among the top 11 will have major implications. If the favored teams win, it could allow No. 13 Westminster to move into the top eight. ... No. 10 Magruder must beat No. 2 Watkins Mill to get it. No. 8 Old Mill must defeat No. 5 Severna Park to advance. No. 9 Northwestern-PG must defeat No. 6 Suitland to qualify. ... North County will advance if the favored teams win and the Knights earn all possible bonus points. ... Gaithersburg will win the West region with a victory. ... Patterson is a virtual lock for the North region title. ... Either Roosevelt or Suitland will be the South champ. ... Either Severna Park or Old Mill will be the East champ.
Class 3A
In: Seneca Valley, Annapolis, Milford Mill, Thomas Stone
Almost: Westlake, Randallstown
Likely: Fallston, Damascus
Have a Chance: Wilde Lake
Notes: In the least complicated picture, only nine teams remain alive in the Class 3A race. ... Seneca Valley is the West champ. Annapolis is the East champ. ... The North champ will go to the Milford Mill-Randallstown winner, the South title goes to the Westlake-Thomas Stone winner. ... Fallston will make the program's first playoff appearance with a win this week. ... Wilde Lake must win and have either Damascus lose to Wheaton or Fallston lose to North Harford (8-1) in order to make it back to the playoffs.
Class 2A
In: Edmondson, Urbana, Hereford
Almost: Middletown/Walkersville winner
Likely: Middletown, Queen Anne's, Howard, Dunbar, Fairmont Heights/Potomac winner
Have a Chance: Northwest, Wicomico, Linganore
Notes: The Middletown-Walkersville game Friday sets the stage. A Middletown win locks up a playoff spot for the Knights, leaving only two at-large spots (between Linganore, Dunbar, a P.G. County school and Northwest) and two region titles (Queen Anne's/Wicomico or Howard/Fairmont Heights/Potomac). ... A Walkersville win shakes up the entire picture. ... Edmondson is the likely North region champ while Urbana should be the West champ. Queen Anne's will win the East title with a victory over Kent County. Howard holds a slim lead over Fairmont Heights and Potomac for the South title. ... Linganore must win to get in. A Dunbar victory, coupled with a Linganore loss, will allow the Poets make their sixth playoff appearance in seven years. ... Northwest, in its second year of varsity play, could sneak in with losses by Linganore and Fairmont Heights. ... Eighteen teams in the Class are 7-2 or better. ... North Harford (8-1) and Towson (7-1) have almost no shot at making the playoffs, even with wins this week.
Class 1A
In: Bohemia Manor, Northern Garrett, Forestville, Pikesville.
Almost: Brunswick.
Likely: Hickey, Snow Hill, Cambridge-S.D.
Have a Chance: Williamsport, Glenelg, Elkton
Notes: Bohemia Manor (East) and Northern Garrett (West) have locked up region titles. ... Pikesville must win to win the North region or a Hickey victory will do the trick. ... Forestville has the inside track on the South title, but a loss this week could result in Brunswick stealing the region. ... Brunswick could get in as an at-large team even with a loss. ... Glenelg and Snow Hill wins would secure their spots. ... Williamsport, currently ninth, needs losses by two top eight teams, coupled with a win, to make their first tournament appearance. ... Cambridge-S.D. could leapfrog its way into the playoffs with a victory and a loss by Glenelg or Snow Hill. ... In order to make the playoffs, Elkton needs three of the five teams ahead of them to lose.
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TAKE NOTE
The official playoff pairings will be announced Sunday morning, but the playoff picture on this web site will be updated Friday and Saturday nights.
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DID YOU NOTICE?
There is a remote possibility that four Frederick County schools could qualify for the Class 2A football state playoffs. Only twice have four teams from one county qualified for the playoffs in the same classification. In 1992, Prince Georgeís County sent four teams to the 4A playoffs, a feat duplicated by Montgomery County last year.