Plenty of teams have clinched playoff spots, but only Badin (9-0) in Division III Region 12 and Clinton-Massie (9-0) in Division IV Region 16 have clinched a No. 1 seed in the Southwest regions.
Lots of teams have secured top four or top eight seeds, but just about every game played on Friday night will affect playoff seeding.
Here’s a look at six games that could significantly impact the top half of the seedings based on projections on joeeitel.com and fantastic50.net. Of course, it can only take a game or two to go an unexpected way to throw off a projection:
Division I Region 2
Centerville at Wayne: The Elks (8-1, 6-0) clinched the Greater Western Ohio Conference title last week when they beat Fairmont and Wayne (6-3, 4-2) lost to Springboro.
Centerville, currently No. 4, could climb as high as No. 1 but that would require No. 1 Olentangy (8-1) and No. 2 Olentangy Berlin (8-1) to lose in big upsets. Findlay (7-2) is No. 3 and a clear favorite, but the Elks will likely finish third with a victory.
If Wayne loses, it should only drop from No. 7 to No. 8 and still host a first-round game. If the Warriors upset the Elks, they could move up.
Division II Region 8
Northmont at Springfield: Springfield (4-5) has clinched a spot and will be on the road no matter what. Northmont (6-3) is currently No. 4 and would likely drop no more than one spot with a loss. But a win over a DI team could move them up, though that’s not guaranteed.
Division III Region 12
Xenia at Tippecanoe: If the No. 4 Red Devils (7-2) win as expected, they are expected to move up to No. 2 in this region loaded with good area teams. Xenia (5-4) has clinched a spot and is projected to be the No. 10 seed in Division II Region 8.
Division IV Region 16
Alter at Chaminade Julienne: Alter (6-3) is No. 7 and projected to win. If the Knights do beat the Division III Eagles (6-3), they will likely vault to No. 4. If the Knights lose, it could cost them a first-round home game.
CJ, currently No. 9 in Division III Region 12, most likely stays on the road with a loss. With a win they could climb, but nothing is guaranteed.
Division V Region 20
Valley View at Waynesville: Valley View (9-0) is No. 1 in the region and Waynesville is No. 2. The teams will finish 1-2 no matter the outcome.
For Waynesville to get the top seed, the Spartans must win and get some help.
Division VII Region 28
Coldwater at Marion Local: Both teams are 9-0 and have close wins over Division VI Versailles. This game is for the Midwest Athletic Conference title. If Marion Local wins, the top-ranked Flyers are expected to jump over Ansonia (9-0) from No. 2 to No. 1. If the Flyers lose, they probably stay at No. 2. Ansonia plays winless Mississinawa Valley.
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