Last-minute jockeying for playoff position

By Sheldon Shealer

Every year the playoff race comes down to the wire. A bonus point here, a bonus point there.

This season is no different as we enter Week 10. The following is a class-by-class look at the playoff possibilities, without going into an elaborate assessment of each team still in the running. Remember, it only takes one upset or surprise result to alter the entire seeding in any classification. In all cases, the prediction is made by assuming the team with the better record will emerge victorious this week -- same for the bonus point games, as well.

Class 4A

REGIONS: The only regional title that is secured is the North by Patterson.

WHO'S IN: Roosevelt, Bowie, Meade, Broadneck, Patterson. WHO'S CLOSE: Damascus, Old Mill, Gaithersburg. WHO NEEDS HELP: Largo, Westminster, Woodlawn.

OUTLOOK: The West region title will come down to Damascus and Gaithersburg, and will be a close call. If both teams win, Gaithersburg slides a point ahead of Damascus, but then there's the issue of bonus points that makes this too close to call. Damascus seems to be in position to earn enough bonus points to hold off Gaithersburg. The South champ will be Roosevelt with a victory. If Roosevelt loses, then Bowie is the region champ. The East champ will be Meade with a victory. Otherwise, it could be Broadneck.

PREDICTION: 1. Roosevelt (S), 2. Meade (E), 3. Patterson (N), 4. Damascus/Gaithersburg (W), 5. Bowie, 6. Broadneck, 7. Old Mill, 8. Gaithersburg.

Class 3A

REGIONS: Seneca Valley is the West region champion, sending Urbana on the road for the first time in school playoff history. Patuxent (South) and Randallstown (North) have wrapped up region titles.

WHO'S IN: Seneca Valley, Urbana, Patuxent, Gwynn Park, Randallstown. WHO'S CLOSE: Richard Montgomery, Annapolis. WHO NEEDS HELP: Calvert, Westlake, Milford Mill, Douglass-PG.

OUTLOOK: It will take only one mild upset to throw these predictions out the window. Patuxent and Gwynn Park will likely come down to bonus points collected this week for the Nos. 2 and 3 seeds. Westlake could vault over Calvert for the final playoff spot with a win over Thomas Stone. Of course, a Milford Mill victory over Randallstown will not cost Randallstown the region title, but could put the Millers into the playoffs ahead of both SMAC schools.

PREDICTION: 1. Seneca Valley (W), 2. Patuxent (S), 3. Gwynn Park (E), 4. Randallstown (N), 5. Urbana, 6. Richard Montgomery, 7. Annapolis, 8. Westlake.

Class 2A

REGIONS: No region title has been decided, although Potomac is the south is very safe.

WHO'S IN: City College, Hereford, Joppatowne, Glenelg. WHO'S CLOSE: Wicomico, Middletown, Potomac, Eastern Tech. WHO NEEDS HELP: Easton, Wheaton, Polytechnic.

OUTLOOK: Amazingly, the top six point-earners in the 2A playoffs could all be undefeated -- a state first. The top eight teams are all favored to win this week, and if that's the case, there should be no movement from the current seedings. However, Poly could make things interesting with a win over City College.

PREDICTION: 1. City College (N), 2. Joppatowne (E), 3. Glenelg (W), 4. Potomac (S), 5. Hereford, 6. Wicomico, 7. Middletown, 8. Eastern Tech.

Class 1A

REGIONS: Forest Park has won the South, regardless of the outcome with Dunbar. Elkton has claimed the North title.

WHO'S IN: Forest Park, Allegany, Elkton, Boonsboro. WHO'S CLOSE: Snow Hill, Dunbar, Southern Garrett. WHO NEEDS HELP: Rising Sun, Oakland Mills, Beall, Cambridge-S.D., Brunswick, North East-Cecil.

OUTLOOK: If Dunbar defeats Forest Park, which is possible, the top four seeds will be shuffled, likely leaving Allegany has No. 1. Also, if Dunbar wins, it means no 1A team will be better than 8-2.

PREDICTION: 1. Forest Park (S), 2. Allegany (W), 3. Elkton (N), 4. Snow Hill (E), 5. Boonsboro, 6. Southern Garrett, 7. Oakland Mills, 8. Rising Sun.

TOP PERFORMANCES

Matthew Thomas, Kennedy, rushed for 303 yards in the team's 47-21 victory over Poolesville. What makes the performance even more noteworthy, Thomas had rushed for only 354 yards the entire season leading up to last week's breakthrough outing.

Dennis Hardy, Easton. Hardy scored for six touchdowns in Easton's 52-28 victory over Kent County.

IN CASE YOU WHERE WONDERING

It is possible, although unlikely, that Westlake could go 9-0 vs. MPSSAA schools this year, yet not make the playoffs. The Wolverines currently are rated No. 9 in the Class 3A points standings. With a win and the right bonus points, they should leap over league rival Calvert (which they did not play this year) and into playoff position. However, Milford Mill, currently No. 10, with a win over Randallstown, could make it a mad dash for the No. 8 seed. Westlake opened the season with a loss to Georgetown Prep and since has won eight straight games.

STREAK BUSTERS

MSD lost to Fairfield (Pa.), 14-8, ending an eight-game win streak. ... Wootton ended a six-game onfield losing streak with a 7-6 victory over Einstein. In the middle of that run, Wootton was awarded a forfeit victory. Churchill, which had to forfeit a pair of victories, got its first official win this season with an 18-6 decision over Springbrook.

AROUND THE STATE (Week 9 Notes)

School officials at Maryland School for the Deaf have been informed that the 8-1 squad has been declared deaf school national champions by one organization. There are two deaf school national polls, the other should be released soon. MSD went 4-0 against deaf schools and 8-1 overall. ... Urbana goes for consecutive win No. 47 this week as it faces Linganore. The victory would match Howard's early 1970s run for consecutive victories by an MPSSAA member. The state record is 54 set pre-WWII by City College, six years before the MPSSAA was formed and nearly 50 years before City joined.

LOOKING AHEAD

No. 2t Georgetown Prep at No. 8 Bullis, Friday. Bullis is back in the IAC and Friday's showdown has quite a bit on the line. Both teams are currently in the Top 10, and the winner finishes the season undefeated. This game features three of the state's top underclass backs -- Georgetown Prep's Marcus Mason and Bullis' Tanard Jackson and Rashad Woodard.

Thomas Stone at No. 23 Westlake, Friday. Westlake's hope of a playoff berth must start with a victory Friday over a Stone team that has been a surprise at 6-3.

No. 17 Gilman at No. 6 McDonogh, Saturday. Gilman can dent McDonogh's run for a second straight Baltimore area No. 1 ranking. McDonogh finished No. 1 in Baltimore last year after upsetting the Greyhounds in the season finale. A win this week will cap a second straight undefeated season. Gilman, following an upset loss to Loyola two weeks ago, is looking to grab a share of the MIAA A Conference crown.