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Panthers, Chiefs
play tonight for a playoff spot
By MONROE ROARK
mroark@TheCitizenNews.com
How big is tonight’s Starr’s
Mill-McIntosh game?
Sure, it’s a local rivalry, but there’s far more to it this
time around. Simply put, there is one playoff spot on the line, and both
teams have a shot at it.
Newnan (5-0 in region play) and Lovejoy (4-0) sit atop Region 4-AAAAA.
They play each other tonight. East Coweta, 4-1 going into last night’s
game at Carver-Columbus, is in third place. Barring upsets of mammoth
proportions, those three are headed for postseason play.
Gunning for the fourth spot are a bunch of teams — led by McIntosh
at 2-3. Riverdale is 1-3, followed by Carver, Starr’s Mill and Fayette
County at 1-4. Should the Chiefs beat Starr’s Mill tonight, the only
way they miss the playoffs is if they lose to Lovejoy and Riverdale wins
its final three games, including one against Lovejoy (ranked in the state’s
top 5) Nov. 8.
Also, if the Chiefs win tonight and end up in a three-way tie with Riverdale
and Starr’s Mill at 3-4, which is a possibility, McIntosh would likely
win the tiebreaker because they would have beaten both of those teams.
Coming off a 1-9 season in 2002 and opening this year at 1-5, that would
be quite a turnaround.
But because of the logjam of teams with similar records, virtually everyone
in the region still has a mathematical chance. Starr’s Mill closes
out its regular season Nov. 7 at home against Fayette County, who hosts
Riverdale tonight. Riverdale also plays Carver Oct. 31, while East Coweta
and Newnan square off Nov. 7.
One more thing: Should McIntosh make the playoffs, they will have three
weeks to get ready. They have not had a bye week since the season started
in late August.
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