Fl Insures Itself Time For Tiebreaker

Football

Allowing for the possibility of a four-team tie for first place in the Frontier League, a pair of games will be played tonight.

The Pullman at Clarkston and West Valley at Cheney games have been moved from regularly scheduled Friday dates in the event a Kansas tiebreaker is needed to determine the league’s two playoff teams. In the Kansas tiebreaker, both offenses begin on the opposition’s 20-yard line.

Pullman holds the key to the ease in which those teams are decided.

If the league-leading Greyhounds win tonight the issue is moot. Pullman (4-1) and East Valley (4-2), which has completed league, are in.

If Clarkston and West Valley win, the playoff teams would be Clarkston and Pullman.

But if Clarkston and Cheney win, a four-way first-place deadlock will be resolved in a tiebreaker Saturday at 7 p.m. at West Valley.

The double-elimination format calls for up to three attempts by each team from the 25-yard line and a fourth from the 10 until a winner is determined.

AAA (four to state)

Only two things are certain in the Greater Spokane League - Mead (7-0 in league) is champ and Shadle Park (5-2) also is in the playoffs.

The GSL could end quietly tonight if Gonzaga Prep (5-2) beats Lewis and Clark (4-3) in the 7:30 game at Albi. That would put Prep and Central Valley (5-3) also into the playoffs, with CV fourth. Shadle Park would then have to beat North Central on Friday to be second, otherwise Prep is second. Shadle Park has the tiebreaker on Prep because of a 10-7 win in the season opener.

However, an LC win over Prep (that doesn’t go into overtime) puts the Tigers, Prep and CV into a tie for the final two playoff spots. The three teams would flip a coin for the right to advance because the teams would all be 1-1 head-to-head.

What, no multiple-team, on-the-field tiebreaker? No, because there isn’t enough time with the new expanded playoffs starting Tuesday.

OK, if LC wins in OT, LC is out because a formula awards fewer points for OT wins than for those in regulation.

If LC wins and Shadle Park loses, making for a four-way tie, the head-to-head can be used. LC and Shadle would be 2-1 and G-Prep and CV would be 1-2. LC gets second because of a win over Shadle, which is third. G-Prep is fourth because of a win over CV.

So, who do they play?

The Big Nine is much easier. Kamiakin, runner-up in the state playoffs last year, has the top seed, with Walla Walla second. Those two would play host GSL teams on Tuesday. Richland is coming to Spokane to play the No. 2 GSL team at CV. Mead’s opponent is the winner of Friday’s PascoMoses Lake game.

All Tuesday playoff games begin at 6 p.m.

Northeast A (two to state)

Key games: Colfax (5-1 in league) at Chewelah (6-0); Lakeside (5-1) at Deer Park (1-5).

Possibilities: If Chewelah wins, it’s No. 1 to state and Lakeside No. 2. If Colfax wins and Lakeside loses, Colfax is No. 1 and Chewelah No. 2. If Colfax and Lakeside win, a three-way tie for first will be broken at 3 p.m. Monday at Medical Lake.

Northeast B-11 (three to playoffs)

Key games: Ritzville (4-2) at Republic (6-0); Reardan (4-2) at Liberty (4-2).

Possibilities: Republic is already No. 1 and Davenport (5-1) No. 2. If Republic wins, the Reardan/Liberty winner is No. 3. If Ritzville and Reardan win, Reardan’s No. 3. If Ritzville and Liberty win, Ritzville’s No. 3.

Southeast B-11 (two to playoffs)

Key game: Garfield-Palouse (3-1) at Asotin (3-1).

Possibilities: DeSales (4-0) already is No. 1. The Gar-Pal/Asotin winner is No. 2.

Northeast B-8 (three to state)

Key games: Cusick (3-2) at Columbia (2-3); Pateros (3-2) at Odessa (5-0).

Scenarios: Odessa is already No. 1 and Inchelium (4-1) No. 2. Cusick will be No. 3 unless it loses and Pateros wins.

Southeast B-8 (three to state)

Key games: LaCrosse-Washtucna (1-3) at Rosalia (2-2); Touchet (4-0) at Colton (4-0).

Possibilities: The Touchet/Colton outcome will decide Nos. 1 and 2. If Rosalia wins, it’s No. 3. If L-W wins, it ties Rosalia and idle St. John-Endicott (2-3) for third. The teams would have a tiebreaker at 1 p.m. Monday at Oakesdale.

Quick kicks

Newport High School renamed its football field Don Ellersick Field before the Grizzlies’ game last week. Ellersick played at Washington State after he graduated from Newport in 1956 and later played for the Los Angeles Rams, Minnesota Vikings and Green Bay Packers. He died in a car accident on June 13. His son Jeff is the Newport athletic director. … The Washington State Coaches Association Wednesday named Republic’s Don Beazizo as Seattle Seahawks high school coach of the week. Beazizo will receive a $500 check from the National Football League for his school’s football program.

, DataTimes