District Three Week 9 Power Rankings and Playoff Thoughts

Wow, is it really week 10 already? Boy, this football season has absolutely flown by. But here we are staring dead into the face of the last week of the regular season with district playoffs on the horizon. Before we get started, though, here are the District Three Class AAAA power rankings after nine weeks. Remember, the top 16 teams get into next week's district playoffs.

1. Wilson, 9-0 record, 144 average points, 1,300 total power points.
2. York, 9-0, 118, 1,070.
3. Bishop McDevitt, 8-1, 115, 1,040.
4. Cumberland Valley, 8-1, 113, 1,020.
5. Central York, 8-1, 108, 980.
6. Muhlenberg, 7-2, 100, 900.
7. Penn Manor, 7-2, 97, 880.
8. Central Dauphin, 7-2, 94, 850.
9. Dallastown, 7-2, 92, 830.
9. Governor Mifflin, 7-2, 92, 830.
9. Hempfield, 7-2, 92, 830.
12. Red Land, 6-3, 78, 710.
13. Elizabethtown, 6-3, 76, 690.
13. Warwick, 6-3, 76, 690.
15. Harrisburg, 5-4, 66, 600.
15. Manheim Township, 5-4, 66, 600.
17. Red Lion, 5-4, 64, 580.

So, as you can see, the Bears are currently locked into that No. 13 slot, meaning they would play Bishop McDevitt or Cumberland Valley in the first round if the rankings remained the same, and depending on how the tiebreaker with Warwick pans out. Red Lion is just on the outside looking in and needs a win and a loss by Township or Harrisburg to get in.

My take is that E-town will get in win or lose this week. However, getting in with a loss isn't as much of a guarantee, especially if Harrisburg, Township and Red Lion all win. That would mean it would come down to some Friday evening math to figure out who gets in and who doesn't. But a win by E-town seals up a district playoff berth. Again, though, they could still make it with a loss, but they might need a little bit of help, which is not something any team wants to rely on.

If E-town does get in, though, they are very likely looking at a road game on either Friday, Nov. 7 or Saturday, Nov. 8. Check back here over the weekend and as SOON as the brackets are released, I'll post them.

In fact, I've got lots of goodies for you today, so come back and check us out in a little bit.