Scio’s Dillion Robinson runs the ball during their game with Blanchet on Friday, Sept. 18, 2015, in Scio, Ore.
This is the final week of the regular season – well sort of in the case of Class 4A – so which teams have already clinched spots in the state playoffs and which ones still have a shot.
Greater Valley Conference
Clinched playoff spots: South Salem (7-0), Sprague (6-1), West Salem (5-2) and McNary (4-3) have clinched. Even if McNary loses to Sprague and Forest Grove (3-4) beats McMinnville, McNary won the head-to-head matchup.
On the verge: There are eight at-large berths for the 6A playoffs statewide, based on the OSAA’s power rankings, available to teams that did not automatically qualify for the playoffs based on conference play. Forest Grove is a virtual lock as the team is No. 24; North Salem is on the verge at 31, but plays 5A No. 5 Summit and that should help North Salem’s power ranking.
Mid-Willamette Conference
Tough one to call: About the only thing that’s likely is Central (4-2) should beat Woodburn (0-6) and clinch at least a share of the conference title and a playoff berth. The other two teams tied with Central for first place, South Albany and Crescent Valley, play teams tied for fourth in Corvallis and Lebanon respectively. Dallas plays at Silverton and both are 3-3 and in the four-way tie for fourth so which team loses is out of the playoffs. If there is a tie for a playoff spot the first criteria is head-to-head results, the second is the result against the highest ranked team in the league and if all else fails it goes to OSAA rankings to break the tie. In other words, it’s really complicated.
Class 4A
Play-in: Three teams from the Oregon West Conference – Cascade, Stayton and North Marion – play in Friday’s play-in round.
Friday’s high school football preview
West Valley League
Clear cut: This is pretty easy as Santiam Christian (5-0), Dayton (4-1) and Taft (4-2) have wrapped up the playoff spots.
PacWest Conference
Sort of clear cut: Scio (5-0), Blanchet Catholic (4-1) and Salem Academy (4-2) have clinched state playoff seeds. But one 3A team in the state gets an at-large berth into the playoffs and Colton (2-3) is No. 14 in the OSAA’s power rankings.
Tri-River
Not so clear cut: Two teams get automatic playoff berths. Kennedy (3-1) has clinched a share of the conference title, but if Regis (2-1) and Central Linn (2-1) win there is a three-way tie for the championship. Four 2A teams in the state based on the OSAA’s power rankings get state playoff berths so all three of those teams – No. 4 Kennedy, No. 1 Central Linn and No. 3 Regis – are pretty much guaranteed playoff berths. At No. 15 in the power rankings, Santiam still has a shot.
Class 1A Special District 3
A shot: Falls City is in a league so big it had to be broken in half. The Mountaineers (3-1) finished the league season tied with Triangle Lake and Siletz Valley for first place in the West half of the league and now Falls City play a league playoff game against North Douglas.
Class 1A Special District 4
League title: Perrydale (5-0) has clinched the league title and Sherman (5-1) and Dufur (3-2) have clinched playoff spots.