Published: October 20, 2008 09:41 am      

Clinton’s hopes could rest on tiebreakers

CLINTON — Many football fans across Iowa are crunching numbers heading into the final week of the regular season, trying to figure out if their favorite high school is in or out when it comes to the postseason. Lee Camp isn’t among them.

Camp, the head coach at Clinton High, said he had tried not to pay attention to the point standings for one reason.

“I don’t want to be in the dark, but all season I’ve preached to the kids that they don’t want to look ahead,” he said. “I want to be on two wins going into the playoffs. I have to practice what I preach. ... And it is confusing.”

That’s for sure.

An expanded playoff format has doubled the number of teams that will qualify for the postseason in each class. In all classes but 4A, the top four teams in each district will advance. But it’s a little more complicated in the Class 4A because 16 teams qualify from the eastern part of the state, 16 from the other side. In the east, the 10 Mississippi Athletic Conference schools, including Clinton, are battling with the 14 Mississippi Valley Conference schools for the 16 spots.

Heading into the final week, the dividing line between qualifying and not qualifying is simple: Four wins you’re in, three you’re not. That’s good news for Clinton, which is one of the six 4-4 teams. The other good news is the River Kings could guaranteed a postseason game before they even step on the field Firday against North Scott.

As long as Dubuque Hempstead (4-4) beats Waterloo West (3-5) on Thursday night, it keeps things simple — every team in the east with four or more wins will play in the sub-state round of the playoffs.

If West wins, however, the picture becomes muddled because there would be 17 teams with four or more wins and at least two 4-5 teams (West and Hempstead).

One 4-4 team, Cedar Rapids Jefferson, is in good position because it will have at least 335 points. But it is possible that Hempstead, West, Dubuque Wahlert, Clinton, Davenport Assumption and Muscatine each could finish 4-5 with 325 points — the latter four all play teams with winning records this week. In addition, some of the teams can earn additional points if other teams finish 5-4 instead of 4-5.

“It’s amazing,” Camp said.

That’s why Camp appears to have the right approach.

“We’re trying to focus on North Scott and getting things put together that way,” he said. “Then, it’s never in doubt.”