As of last night there were seven different scenarios that could play out in the WesCo North, five of which include the Oak Harbor football team either making the district playoffs or having a tiebreaker game to get into the playoffs.
Because the end of the Oak Harbor- Marysville-Pilchuck game was past the Whidbey News-Times Friday deadline, exact situations were unavailable for Saturday’s paper.
The Wildcats, however, had opportunities to get into the playoffs regardless if they won or lost to the Tomahawks.
Winning last night’s game, however, would make things a lot easier.
“We’ve got more options if we win and we’re definitely in a playoff situation then,” OHHS coach Dave Ward said Thursday.
Three scenarios would equal automatic district bids for the Wildcats. If Oak Harbor defeated Marysville and Snohomish lost to Stanwood, Oak Harbor earns an automatic number-two seed. If OHHS wins and Arlington loses, the Wildcats get a number-three district seed. If Oak Harbor won and both Snohomish and Arlington lost, the Wildcats are assured an automatic second seed.
OHHS can also get into districts via a “Kansas City Tiebreaker.” The tiebreakers are essentially overtime periods where each team gets the ball at the opponent’s 30 yard-line with a chance to score. Teams go back and forth until one is unable to score.
The Kansas City scenario would play out if Oak Harbor won and Arlington and Snohomish won. This would result in a five-team tie for first place between Oak Harbor, Marysville-Pilchuck, Arlington, Snohomish and Stanwood — something virtually unheard of.
“That would really, really be something,” OHHS athletic director Bob Smithson said.
If this happened teams will meet at Mount Vernon High School at 6 p.m., Monday, Nov. 1. Oak Harbor would receive a round-one bye because of a coin flip won at the beginning of the season and face the winner of Marysville and Arlington.
The winner of Oak Harbor-Marysville/Arlington would get the third district seed. Snohomish and Stanwood would battle for first and second.
A three-team tiebreaker for third place would occur at the same time and place between Oak Harbor, Arlington and Snohomish if they all lost Friday night.
A full report of the playoff picture will be in Wednesday’s edition of the Whidbey News-Times.
