Heritage High School Football Playoff Possibilities

Football sponsored by The Original steakhouse

By: Dan Sousa

(Nov. 4, 2007) – Despite Friday’s 33-15 loss at Park View, the Heritage High School has hopes of claiming the school’s first ever football playoff bid. The Pride need to win Friday against rival Loudoun County in the regular season finale and then they need wins by Brentsville against Handley and North Hagerstown MD against its rival South Hagerstown MD.

Heritage and James Wood are fighting for the final two Region II Division 4 football playoff spots.

The team with the higher VHSL football rating points will get the playoff spot. Currently, going into the final week of the season, James Wood has 232 points and Heritage has 205.

James Wood has a bye in this final week and most of its opponents this season are also finished. James Wood will pick up at least two rider points this week (points earned in victories by teams played this year, two for a team beaten and one by a team lost to) when Brenstville plays Handley, giving James Wood 234. The only other points that James Wood can earn is if Clarke County defeates Madison County.

So James Wood will finish with either 234 or 236.

Heritage, with a win over Loudoun County, could pick up 24 points (20 for defeating a AA team and four rider points from LC’s two wins this season), raising its total to 229. Heritage will also pick up five more rider points from the winner of the three other Dulles games Friday — two points from the Potomac Falls-Dominion winner, two points from the Briar Woods-Freedom winner and one point from the Broad Run-Park View winner — raising its total to 234. The Pride can also pick up two extra points each if Brentsville defeats Handley and if North Hagerstown MD defeates South Hagerstown MD.

So Heritage, with a win over Loudoun County will finish with either 234 or 236 or 238.

In the case of a tie, James Wood advances as they hold the tiebreaker based on a better winning percentage (8-2 record vs. 7-3 for Heritage).

So … if Heritage wins, here are the possibilities:

If Clarke County wins, both Brentsville and North Hagerstown MD must win for Heritage to advance.

If Clakre County loses, then if either Brentsville or North Hagerstown MD wins, then Heritage advances.

To make matters even more interesting … the Brentsville-Handley game in Winchester will be held Saturday. There is a good chance that James Wood and Heritage could be tied going into that game. If that is the case, there are sure to be a lot of interested “third parties” watching that contest and rooting for either Handley (James Wood supporters) or Brentsville (Heritage supporters).