Week 11 football playoff race update

With one week of games remaining in the regular season, the football playoff picture for each region has become clearer.

For those that may not be aware, the top four teams in each region advance to the playoffs. The first three rounds are essentially eight-team tournaments of the top four teams in adjacent regions. For the purposes of rural West Tennessee, Division I regions numbered as 7 and 8 match up with each other while 5 and 6 play each other two.

Region champions host the fourth-place team from the adjacent region in the first round, and third-place teams travel to runners-up. The teams who emerge from those eight-team playoffs are the semifinal teams. The winners from regions 7 and 8 in each class will play the winners from regions 4 and 5 the night after Thanksgiving.

If you’re confused, we’ll have the matchups for you on jacksonsun.com Friday night and in Saturday’s Crunch section.

Here’s a look at how the top four spots look for each region the Sun covers.

Region 6-1A

Wayne County (9-0, 6-0) is the region champion, and Collinwood (6-3, 3-3) has clinched fourth place.

Bruceton (6-3, 5-1) and Huntingdon (6-2, 5-1) are in the playoffs, and their meeting at Bruceton on Friday will determine second and third in the region.

For the purposes of looking ahead, we know Middle Tennessee Christian School (7-3, 5-3) is the fourth-place team in Region 5 and will travel to Wayne County next week.

Nashville Christian (7-2, 7-0), Gordonsville (6-3, 6-1) and Trousdale County (8-1, 6-1)are the top three with Nashville Christian and Trousdale County meeting this week. Nashville Christian will finish first or second, Gordonsville will finish second or third and Trousdale will be first or third based on that one game’s finish.

Region 7-1A

The top three spots in this region are decided. Dresden (9-0, 7-0) is the champion, Union City (9-1, 7-1) is the runner-up and Peabody (6-3, 5-2) is the third-place team.

Humboldt (5-4, 4-3) travels to Lake County (5-4, 4-3) on Thursday to determine fourth place, so the playoffs unofficially begin this week in Tiptonville.

Region 8-1A

All four teams in this region are going to the playoffs, but all four places have yet to be determined.

KIPP Academy (5-3, 2-0) and Middle College (6-3, 2-0) are the top two seeds, and they meet Friday. The winner will be the champion and will host the Lake County-Humboldt winner next week, and the loser will be runner-up and will host Peabody.

Middleton (1-7, 0-2) and Booker T. Washington (1-7, 0-2) will meet also to determine Nos. 3 and 4. The winner will be third and will travel to Union City next week, and loser will be fourth and will travel to Dresden.

Region 5-2A

This one is a little more complicated.

The winner of Riverside (5-4, 3-1) and Waverly (8-1, 4-0) this week will be the region champion. Riverside is assured finishing at least third.

Scotts Hill (6-3, 2-2) is assured of the playoffs and won’t finish higher than third in playoff seedings, and the winner of Lewis County (7-2, 2-2) and Hickman County (4-5, 1-3) is in the playoffs.

If Hickman County beats Lewis County, the loser of the Riverside-Waverly game is the region runner-up.

If Lewis County and Waverly win, that will create a three-way tie for second between Lewis County, Riverside and Scotts Hill. Lewis County would win that with more overall victories, and Riverside would get third place via head-to-head advantage over Scotts Hill.

If Riverside beats Waverly, Waverly will be second, Scotts Hill will be third and the Lewis County-Hickman County winner will be fourth.

Region 6-2A

Adamsville (9-0, 4-0) is the region champion. Jackson Christian (3-6, 3-1) and Trinity Christian (3-6, 3-1) are both in the playoffs, and their game this week will determine second and third places.

McKenzie (4-5, 1-3) has the advantage over Gibson County (4-5, 1-3) for the fourth spot in the playoffs. The only way Gibson County can get in is if the Pioneers beat Adamsville and McKenzie loses to Halls.

Region 6-3A

Fairview (9-0, 5-0), Harpeth (8-1, 4-1), Cheatham County (5-4, 3-2) and Camden (5-3, 3-2) are in the playoffs.

The winner of Fairview and Harpeth this week will determine the region champion.

Cheatham County owns the head-to-head advantage over Camden for third place. The only way Camden can finish third is if the Lions beat Stewart County this week and Cheatham County loses to East Hickman.

For the purposes of looking ahead, Stratford is the Region 5-3A champion, and Goodpasture is runner-up. Christ Presbyterian Academy is the third-place team, and East Nashville is the fourth-place team.

Region 7-3A

This one is a little simpler.

Liberty (7-2, 5-0) is the champion, and Dyersburg (8-2, 5-1) is the runner-up.

South Gibson (7-2, 3-2) and Milan (7-2, 3-2) will be the other two playoff teams, and their matchup this week will determine who finishes third and fourth.

Region 8-3A

We know the four teams in the playoffs.

Raleigh-Egypt (9-0, 5-0) is the champion, and Bolivar (7-2, 4-2) is the runner-up.

Covington (5-4, 3-2) has the inside track over Fayette-Ware (7-2, 3-2) for third place, but Fayette-Ware could claim third if it beats undefeated Raleigh-Egypt this week and Covington falls to winless Sheffield.

We know Raleigh-Egypt will host the Milan-South Gibson loser next week, and Bolivar will host the Milan-South Gibson winner.

Covington will avoid Liberty in the first round and travel to Dyersburg with a win over Sheffield or a Fayette-Ware loss to Raleigh-Egypt.

Region 7-4A

Haywood (8-1, 7-0) is the champion.

Lexington (7-2, 5-2), North Side (6-3, 5-2) and Hardin County (6-3, 5-2) are all guaranteed playoff spots. If all three win their games this week vs. non-playoff region teams (or if all three lose), they will be in a three-way tie for second.

Lexington has the advantage with more overall wins and would get the runner-up spot, and North Side would finish third since it beat Hardin County.

Lexington loses to Crockett County but the other two teams win, North Side is the runner-up, Hardin County is third and Lexington is fourth.

If any of those three teams lose and the other two win, that team will drop to fourth, and second place will be the one who won head to head between the other two.

From Region 8, we know Memphis East (8-1, 3-0) and Ridgeway (6-3, 3-0) will be the top two teams, and the winner of their game this week will be the champion.

Millington (2-7, 1-2) and Craigmont (1-8, 1-2) will be the other two teams, and their game this week will determine the third- and fourth-place finishes.

Haywood will host the Craigmont-Millington loser next week.

Division II-A West District 2

University School of Jackson (7-2, 2-0) and St. George’s (6-2, 2-0) are assured top-two finishes, and the winner of their game this week will be the district champion.

Fayette Academy (7-3, 2-2) is third, and Tipton-Rosemark (5-4, 0-3) is fourth.

Division II playoff matchups switch around each year, so the scenarios of which team travels where is different from the year before.

We know the top four teams in D-II-A West District 1 are Lausanne (9-0, 3-0), Harding Academy (7-1, 2-1), First Assembly Christian School (7-2, 2-1) and Evangelical Christian School (2-7, 1-2).

Lausanne plays FACS, and Harding plays ECS this week. So there are a number of scenarios that show no team’s place is solidified yet.

We know both West Tennessee district champions will host the fourth-place team from the other district next week, so Tipton-Rosemark will travel to the winner of the other West Tennessee district. The USJ-St. George’s winner will host the fourth-place team from the other West Tennessee district.

Fayette-Academy will travel to the runner-up from the East/Middle District 1, which will be Donelson Christian Academy (6-3, 2-1).

The USJ-St. George’s loser will host the No. 3 team from the East/Middle District 1, which will be Friendship Christian (5-4, 2-2).

Brandon Shields, 425-9751