Photo credit: | Batavia’s Best
| Friday, October 12, 2018 | BataviasBest.org
We are now just one week away from the 2018 Section V Playoffs, as Week 7 of the regular season is upon us with several local teams still vying for postseason positioning. With Section V’s new ‘Power Seeding’ system it’s extremely difficult to forecast the various scenarios which possibly await those still fighting for a spot in the top-eight of their respective classification, but I’ve done my best to provide you with a good look at which teams have the best chance to punch their ticket this weekend, and win a title next month.
CLASS B
Batavia (vs Bath), Livonia (vs Hornell), Wayne (vs Newark), HF-L (vs U Prep), and University Prep (vs HF-L) have all but clinched their spot in the Class B Playoffs, but where each team will be seeded remains to be seen. Out of that group I believe U Prep will be the only team who loses this week, likely leaving the other four as the top-four seeds heading into round one.
That leaves Hornell (vs Livonia), Monroe (vs Web. Thomas), Newark (vs Wayne), and Geneva (vs Waterloo) as the four teams who will be hoping for a chance at one of the final three playoff spots. Three of those teams are underdogs heading into their Week 7 matchup, as Hornell, Newark, and Geneva will each face a tall task in defeating their opponent this weekend. Even Monroe could be up against it in Week 7, as they face a Webster Thomas team who plays AA schools all year, and could very well be better than their 2-4 record indicates.
There is potential for a lot of craziness in Class B, but in the end, I believe Batavia, Livonia, Wayne, and HF-L will be the group which advances to the semifinal round – with Batavia being a huge favorite to win it all.
CLASS C
In Class C, Penn Yan (vs Midlakes), Letchworth/Warsaw (vs Avon), East Rochester/Gananda (vs Pal-Mac), Attica (vs Geneseo), Mynderse (no game), and Wayland-Cohocton (vs Le Roy) all hold favorable playoff position as we approach the final week of the regular season. However, Mynderse doesn’t have a game scheduled this week which could make things tricky for them after Week 7 is complete.
Of this group I believe the current top-four seeds stand out above the rest, as Penn Yan, LetSaw, ER/G, and Attica should – at least in my mind – be the four teams left standing after the first round of sectional play. With that being said, Way-Coh is an intriguing team that could change my mind with an impressive performance vs Le Roy tonight.
Behind the current top-six teams is a list of 3-3 squads who will be fighting for what will likely be two available playoff spots. As Waterloo (vs Geneva), Dansville (vs Dundee), Le Roy (vs Way-Coh), and Bishop Kearney/Rochester Prep (vs Leadership Academy) all have a chance to force their way in if they are to win this week. Of the four, I believe Waterloo and Bishop Kearney have the best chance to win this weekend, but I don’t believe either will play a role in deciding the Class C champ.
Unlike Class B, there is no runaway favorite to win the title in Class C, as it’s realistic that any of my aforementioned top-four teams, and maybe even Way-Coh, could walk away with the ‘Block’.
CLASS D
Alexander (vs Perry) is the top-candidate to take home the 2018 title, but first they have to get past Perry/Mt. Morris (vs Alexander) tonight if they hope to lock up the top-seed going into the postseason. Canisteo-Greenwood (vs Cuba), and Notre Dame (vs Bolivar-Richburg) round out the list of what I believe are the top-four contenders in Class D, but I expect whoever rounds out the top-four at week’s end to be chasing the Trojans over the next few weeks.
In the short term, it will get interesting near the bottom of the standings, where five 3-3 teams and two 2-4 teams are in the running to fill four empty playoff spots. Lyons (vs Clyde), York/Pavilion (vs Pembroke), Geneseo (vs Attica), Dundee (vs Dansville), Red Jacket (vs South Seneca), are all jockeying for position at 3-3, while Pembroke (vs York), and Clyde-Savannah (vs Lyons) are hoping for a miracle at 2-4.
Once again, I’m expecting the current top-four teams to make the semifinals, but I see more room for fluctuation in Class D than either of the classifications above. If they are to win this week, York/Pavilion, Dundee, and even Red Jacket could make things difficult on Perry, Canisteo, and Notre Dame in sectionals. However, I can’t imagine anybody knocking off Alexander.
If I’ve made a mistake in any way please don’t hesitate to email me at [email protected]
