Five weeks and 27 games later, there are still five squads battling for only three postseason berths.
Temple will take on College Station A&M Consolidated at 6:30 p.m. today at Wildcat Gym and Belton will battle Bryan at 7 at Tiger Gym in a pair of 13-5A finales.
“This is basically for the playoffs,” Temple coach Bruce Etheridge said. “It is a must-win situation for us.”
The aforementioned showdowns and Waco’s game at Copperas Cove tonight have major playoff ramifications.
Heading into the final round of league play, Belton (22-9, 6-3) and Consolidated (22-9, 6-3) are tied for the lead and Temple (24-9, 5-4), Bryan (18-11, 5-4) and Waco (19-10, 5-4) are bunched together in third. Cove (7-23, 0-9) was long ago eliminated from postseason contention.
The possible outcomes for the playoff chase are numerous and include a two-way tie for third place, a three-way tie for second, and even a five-way tie for first.
If indeed there are more teams at the top than there are playoff slots, a district playoff tournament would be conducted to determine which squads advance. All districts must certify their playoff qualifiers by midnight Saturday.
According to Etheridge, the coaches of 13-5A’s potential playoff teams will meet at Temple tonight after their respective games to discuss how they’ll handle breaking multiple ties and/or staging a play-in tournament.
“There are a number of options,” Etheridge said. “I’ve never heard of a five-team tie for first place . . . there’s not a precedent that I know of.”
But even with the multiple scenarios available, there are two teams that control their own destiny — Belton and Consolidated, a fact that Belton coach Ed Braeuer is sure to stress to his players.
“We shouldn’t worry about what anybody else is doing because if we take care of our business, then we know for sure that we’re in,” said Braeuer, whose team can clinch at least a share of the district title with a win over defending champion Bryan.
“I think every team has hopes of winning a district championship, and now we can do that by winning one game.”
A win over the Vikings — who beat visiting Belton 82-71 in overtime Jan. 30 — not only would guarantee the Tigers at least a piece of the crown but also the league’s No. 1 seed and the first-round bye that comes with it.
Even if Consolidated wins at Temple to earn a share of the title, Belton would advance as the top seed because of its two-game sweep of Consol.
