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We’re in the home stretch as most teams have now exhausted their scheduled open dates after fall break. Let’s get to it:
Trending up
Father Ryan. The Irish hit the top-five poll in Division II-AAA this week and for good reason. At 4-2 with three consecutive wins, including two over Ensworth and Baylor, Father Ryan has found its legs and appears to be headed toward a playoff spot. They’re not totally in yet, so beating Knoxville Catholic will be the fastest way to ensure they get in. But they’ve certainly exceeded expectations at this point in the season.
Northeast. The Eagles clinched a top-two finish in Region 7-5A with their win at Northwest last week. It also earned them a first-round bye in the playoffs, as Region 8-5A only has two teams competing. Now, they get to prepare for their region championship showdown with Henry County on Oct. 23. They’ll need to win it to guarantee a home playoff game, however, as they might have to go on the road in the second round should they finish second in the region.
Summit. Hard to call a team with a 7-1 record one trending up, but the Spartans are heading in that direction due to Keaten Wade’s return last week. He’s missed every game since his Week 1 injury, yet Summit has been more than capable of holding down the fort until he came back. Good timing, too — they’ve got Shelbyville this week and they’ll win the region title with a victory.
Trending down
Clarksville Academy. The Cougars just shut down for the next two games with COVID-19 cases, wiping out a key matchup with Columbia Academy. Currently sitting seventh in the West Region of Division II-A, the Cougars need another win to have a shot at the playoffs. Their lone remaining chance to get it? USJ in Week 11. Even then, a win would not guarantee that Clarksville Academy could get into the top six.
White House. The Blue Devils appeared poised to jump into a playoff position prior to last week’s Rotary Cup showdown with White House Heritage, but their 48-27 loss puts them in a pickle when it comes to getting into the postseason party. With unbeaten Creek Wood next up for White House, if they don’t somehow snag that victory, their season will almost surely come down to their Week 11 game at home against Greenbrier. Their only path to the playoffs in that situation is by getting the fourth seed, and that means beating the Bobcats. If they beat Creek Wood, however, all bets are off.
MBA. The Big Red will have to go back to the drawing board after a second-consecutive close loss. Although it wasn’t a region game, losing to your biggest rival in Brentwood Academy stings just as much, if not more. With Baylor and Christian Brothers in the next two weeks, things don’t get any easier. If MBA drops the Christian Brothers game, they can likely kiss their chance at a home playoff game goodbye. Oh, and they haven’t won since letting the Titans’ skill players use their field. They might not want that tradeoff again.
