Area teams vying for playoff spots going into week 10

We're down to the final 48 minutes of the high school football regular season.

And coming into the week 10 games, area teams are still jockeying for playoff position. And believe us when we say it's going to be a wild finish for some teams.

Now some teams have already punched their ticket into postseason play. Division 5 teams such as Ironton and Wheelersburg have already clinched a top 4 finish. But teams such as Coal Grove, Portsmouth and Valley should make the playoffs, but a win could clinch a spot.

In Division 6, Rock Hill has clinched a playoff spot and Portsmouth West is hanging onto a spot in the top 12.

For Division 7, the only team that has clinched a top 4 finish is Eastern Pike. For Symmes Valley, they have clinched at least a home game and Notre Dame will make the postseason as well. The only other team that is vying for a spot is South Gallia, who controls their own destiny on Saturday night.

But when you take a deeper dive into the playoff scenarios and potential matchups, it gets even more interesting.

First let's take a look at Region 19.

It's common knowledge that Ironton and Wheelersburg will be the top two finishers in the region. But there's still the question of where they finish.

It's possible that Ironton could take the top spot in the region with a win, despite a win by Wheelersburg on Friday.

First and foremost, the Tigers need a win over Portsmouth. Then as long as Liberty Christian, Jackson - and either Fairland or Gallia Academy win on Friday night - the Tigers should get the second level points needed to jump over Wheelersburg.

Portsmouth's playoff berth is a very difficult one on Friday, as they face rival Ironton. A win would guarantee Trojans a playoff spot as the No. 7 seed.

For Coal Grove, their path is much more straight-forward. A win over Rock Hill would put them at the No. 8 seed and a possible first round matchup with the 9th seed, which could be Zane Trace. A Portsmouth win would bump them down a spot. Now a loss to Rock Hill could cause the Hornets to fall out of the playoffs.

So, there's plenty still at stake on Route 93 on Friday.

For Valley, they've all but clinched a playoff spot. They just have to win on Friday against Minford. They will likely finish 7th unless Portsmouth wins, bumping them down a spot.

Over in Region 24, the Redmen have a pretty firm hold on a top 8 finish and should earn a home game for next week regardless of the outcome on Friday. They would face the No. 10 seed, which could potentially be Huntington.

But a win could vault Rock Hill into that No. 4 spot, giving them a bye and a home game in round two.

As for Portsmouth West, they're in the same boat as Portsmouth. They'll be a heavy underdog against Wheelersburg. But there's a strong possibility the Senators could wind up the 8th seed and get a home playoff game even with a loss. They would get the No. 9 seed and potentially face Summit Country Day at the Rock.

Over in Region 27, the Symmes Valley Vikings are a lock for a home game in the playoffs, but they can finish as the No. 3 seed and get the bye with a win over South Gallia. A loss wouldn't really hurt the Vikings, as they'd fall to fourth.

For South Gallia, it might be all or nothing this Friday. They are guaranteed 3.5 points on the 2nd level because Southern and Eastern play each other. But other than that, they'll get no help from their opponents they defeated this season.

This means they most likely have to win against the Vikings to punch their ticket to the postseason. And ironically enough, the Rebels could finish as the 5th seed, earning a home game and potentially a rematch with Symmes Valley in the second round of the playoffs.

And lastly in Region 28, the Eastern Pike Eagles are a lock at the No. 2 spot and will be watching everyone play next week.

Notre Dame will most likely win against East on Friday and should finish as the No. 6 seed in the region. They would be at home for the first round against the 11th seed, which could potentially be Manchester.