Some folks seem to think I put too much emphasis on numbers, and I will admit I find it very interesting to compare things from year to year…..month to month….even, week to week. But my thoughts are these……how do we know where we are if we can’t remember where we’ve been?
So, with that said, let’s compare the 16 teams that made the playoffs last year with those same 16 teams this year. After the first four games in 2015, the 16 teams that ended up in the playoffs in all three classes had a total of 37 losses! This year, those same 16 teams, after the first four games, have a total of 62 losses. Easy to say, with those numbers, we are going to see some new faces in the playoffs this year. If you break down those numbers by class, it is the Class AAA teams that seen to be struggling the most. Last year after the first four games, the 16 playoff teams had a total of 18 losses; this year, they have 25. Ironically, this is the class that can afford a worse record this season because there are only 29 teams vying for 16 playoff spots. The rate this season is going, we are certainly looking at a number of 5-5 teams in the playoff field and maybe, dare I say it, even 4-6 teams! In Class AA, the numbers from 2015 showed 10 losses after the first four games, compared to 17 losses this season. In Class A, last year the top 16 teams had only 9 losses, this year those same 16 teams have 20! As we enter the midway point of the season for a lot of teams this week, it is time to get real serious for a lot of teams that still have playoff hopes!
Here are some great games to watch this weekend:
Class AAA: Martinsburg (4-0) at Morgantown (4-0)
Huntington (4-0) at Capital (3-1)
University (4-0) at Fairmont Senior (4-0) AA
CLASS AA: Bridgeport (4-0) at Lincoln (3-1)
Lewis County (3-1) at Grafton (3-1)
Roane County (3-1) at Braxton County (2-1)
CLASS A: South Harrison (3-0) at Moorefield (4-0)
Tolsia (2-1) at Tug Valley (3-1)
Fayetteville (4-0) at Oak Hill (0-3) AA
Check out the game in your area and don’t forget to also check out GAMENIGHT this Friday night from 9:30p to Midnight on the MetroNews Radio Network and at wvmetronews.com. We will have all the scores of all the games – talk to you then!