Mid-Season Look at 5A Playoffs
Having reached the midpoint of the regular season, many 5A teams are batting for not only league titles but postseason berths as well. Only 16 teams qualify for the playoffs in 5A: three from the Intermountain Conference, four from the…
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Continue ReadingHaving reached the midpoint of the regular season, many 5A teams are batting for not only league titles but postseason berths as well. Only 16 teams qualify for the playoffs in 5A: three from the Intermountain Conference, four from the other three leagues, and one at-large bid based on OSAA ranking.
Here’s a look at each league and their current postseason contenders (number of projected bids in parentheses):
NOC (4)
Wilsonville (7-0) should be a lock for the playoffs in first place, while Parkrose (5-2) and Milwaukie (5-2), two teams battling for second, should also expect to play postseason ball. Both La Salle (4-3) and Putnam (3-4) have the chance to play themselves into the final spot, with a key head to head matchup on the twelfth of this month. As of now, it seems unlikely that the NOC will produce an at-large berth.
MWL (4)
Churchill (9-0) and Crater (8-1) have separated themselves as the class of the league. Meanwhile, Willamette (6-3), Springfield (5-3), and Thurston (5-4) will duke it out for the final two automatic bids. If the chips fall correctly, the MWL could very easily send a fifth squad to the playoffs, but as it stands, no team ranks highly enough. Noth Eugene (3-6) and Ashland (3-6) could theoretically cause some mayhem in their last seven league games, but the top five teams should remain the likeliest contenders.
MWC (5)
Silverton (9-0) is an absolute lock for the postseason, while both West Albany (7-2) and South Albany (7-2) should also expect to finish in the top four. Corvallis (5-4) and Crescent Valley (5-4) will compete for the fourth spot, but because each currently holds a higher OSAA ranking than any other league’s fifth representative, both are projected to be playoff teams as of now (one automatic, one at-large).
IMC (3)
The automatic berths appear to be Pendleton (3-1), Crook County (3-1), and Redmond’s (3-1) to lose. The bottom three teams each sit at 1-3 in league play, giving the top three a likely path to the postseason. Because the bottom half of the IMC has been collectively unimpressive, an at-large bid appears to be all but impossible.