All T-Birds, all season

Four teams have locked up playoff spots but Tumwater is the only team to clinch a league title, the other three have their chance on Friday. Four other teams have a chance at the playoffs and four others have been eliminated. Here is how it breaks down…

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Clinched playoff spots

1. Tumwater T-Birds (8-0, 4-0 2A EvCo)
Last week: #1 (No change)
Previous game: Tumwater 59, River Ridge 0
Next game: @ Black Hills (4-4) – Tumwater Stadium – Friday, 7:00 PM

Notes: Another absolutely dominating performance for Tumwater and all that they have left between them and a perfect regular season is Black Hills in the Pioneer Cup on Friday. They have clinched the 2A EvCo title no matter what happens thanks to their win over WF West two weeks ago.

2. Timberline Blazers (5-3, 4-1 3A Narrows)
Last week: #2 (No change)
Previous game: Timberline 34, North Thurston 7
Next game: @ Shelton (1-7) – Highclimbers Stadium – Friday, 7:00 PM

Notes: The Blazers clinched a playoff spot with their win over rival North Thurston and will likely wrap up the 3A Narrows League title with a win at Shelton this week. The Blazers have won four straight games after their early season swoon that saw them get spanked by Tumwater, make a ton of mistakes in a loss to Olympia and drop a hard fought game to Wilson.

3. Rochester Warriors (6-2, 4-1 1A Evergreen)
Last week: #4 (+1)
Previous game: Rochester 49, Stevenson 27
Next game: @ Tenino (4-4) – Tenino Stadium – Friday, 7:00 PM

Notes: Rochester easily beat Stevenson in a non-league game and will return to the 1A Evergreen with a rivalry game with the league title on the line. The Warriors could finish as low as third in the league with a loss to Tenino so there is a lot on the line in a game that hasn’t been this important since 1996.

4. Tenino Beavers (4-4, 4-1 1A Evergreen)
Last week: #5 (+1)
Previous game: Tenino 39, Hoquiam 32
Next game: vs. Rochester (6-2) – Tenino Stadium – Friday, 7:00 PM

Notes: Tenino is in thanks to their wins over Montesano and Hoquiam in the past two weeks and can win the 1A Evergreen if they beat Rochester and Monte can knock off Elma. They’ll take second with a win and an Elma win and could but will fall to third with a loss. Playing in Tenino is a big advantage for the Beavers.

Still alive for a playoff spot

5. Capital Cougars (3-5, 2-2 2A EvCo)
Last week: #3 (-2)
Previous game: WF West 42, Capital 28
Next game: @ River Ridge (3-5) – South Sound Stadium – Friday, 7:00 PM

Notes: The situation is simple for Capital, win and you’re in. If the Cougars lose and Black Hills pulls off the upset it will be the Wolves. If they lose and Tumwater beats Black Hills, Capital, Black Hills and River Ridge will be tied for third at 2-3 and each will have 1-1 records against each other. Not sure how the tiebreaker would be solved yet, though.

6. Olympia Bears (5-3, 3-2 4A Narrows)
Last week: #8 (+2)
Previous game: Olympia 28, Bellarmine 10
Next game: vs. Yelm (3-5) – Ingersoll Stadium – Friday, 7:00 PM

Notes: With their season on the line, Olympia came up HUGE with a dismantling of Bellarmine. The Bears have the most complicated playoff scenario and I can’t even begin to break it down to an easily understandable couple of lines so I will just refer you to The Olympian.

7. Black Hills (4-4, 2-2 2A EvCo)
Last week: #7 (No change)
Previous game: Black Hills 45, Centralia 20
Next game: vs. Tumwater (8-0) – Tumwater Stadium – Friday, 7:00 PM

Notes: No matter what happens in their game against Tumwater, they need one thing to happen: River Ridge needs to beat Capital. There is no other way for them to make the playoffs. With a loss and a River Ridge win, they would be in a three way tie for third at 2-3. If they pull the huge Pioneer Cup upset with a River Ridge win, they end up as the #3 seed outright.

8. River Ridge (4-4, 1-3 2A EvCo)
Last week: #9 (+1)
Previous game: Tumwater 59, River Ridge 0
Next game: vs. Capital (3-5) – South Sound Stadium – Friday, 7:00 PM

Notes: Even with just one win in conference, the Hawks still have some life. They need to beat Capital and hope Tumwater holds serve against Black Hills. The three would be tied at 2-3 with the tiebreaker yet to be determined.

Eliminated from playoff contention

9. North Thurston (4-4, 2-3 3A Narrows)
Last week: #6 (-3)
Previous game: Timberline 34, North Thurston 7
Next game: vs. Mount Tahoma (0-8) – South Sound Stadium – Thursday, 7:00 PM

Notes: With just three playoff spots this year in the 3A Narrows, the Rams are out, which is surprising considering that they looked like a smash mouth team that was an antidote to the speed of the rest of the 3A Narrows. But speed won out and the Rams are only ahead of hapless Shelton and Mount Tahoma.

10. Yelm Tornadoes (3-5, 1-4 4A Narrows)
Last week: #10 (No change)
Previous game: Gig Harbor 56, Yelm 14
Next game: @ Olympia (5-3) – Ingersoll Stadium – Friday, 7:00 PM

Notes: Yelm’s record is actually a bit deceptive: the three teams that they have beaten are just 2-22 combined (Highline 0-8, Stadium 1-7, Shelton 1-7).

11. Shelton Highclimbers (1-7, 1-4 3A Narrows)
Last week: #12 (+1)
Previous game: Shelton 42, Mount Tahoma 0
Next game: vs. Timberline (5-3) – Highclimber Stadium – Friday, 7:00 PM

Notes: Hey! The Highclimbers got the big win nearly doubling their season total for points with their 42-0 dismantling of Mount Tahoma. They can play spoiler against Timberline on Friday but that’s unlikely. They might get a second win when they take on Stadium in week 10.

12. Rainier Mountaineers (1-7, 0-6 1A Evergreen)
Last week: #11 (-1)
Previous game: Montesano 35, Rainier 6
Next game: vs. Seton Catholic (3-4) – Doc Harris Stadium, Camas – Friday, 7:00 PM

Notes: Seven straight losses for the Mountaineers means that they need a win over Seton Catholic on Friday to top their win total from 2012.