With just one week remaining in the regular season, Frontier Regional School is the only local football team currently in position to punch a postseason berth.
The latest Walker Ratings were released by the Western Massachusetts Football Committee, and Frontier, buoyed by its big 34-8 win over Easthampton High School on Friday night, is in good shape to partake in the Division VII playoffs with just one game left on the docket.
Frontier (6-1) sits in second place in the D-VII rankings, behind just Wahconah Regional High School (7-0). The Warriors are in first place with a 123.94 rating, while the Red Hawks sit second with a rating of 104.88.
South Hadley High School’s late march in the regular-season has the Tigers (4-3) in third place entering this week at 94.54, while Monument Mountain Regional High School (4-2) is the fourth and final team currently in the four-team playoff at 88.72.
Monument Mountain’s grasp on the final playoff spot in D-VII is tenuous, however, as Palmer High School (5-2) is less than a point behind in fifth place with a rating of 87.91.
Frontier closes out its regular-season with a home game Friday night against Intercounty League North foe Athol High School. While the Red Raiders sit just 2-5 overall and 1-4 in the IL North, they will most certainly present a difficult matchup for a Red Hawk team that can clinch at least a share of the league crown with a win. Athol just knocked off Greenfield High School in a convincing 41-14 fashion, and the Raiders would love nothing more than to play spoiler.
While a Frontier win would most assuredly get it into the postseason, the rest of the playoff field in Division VII could be interesting depending on Friday night’s outcomes. South Hadley hosts Chicopee High School (3-4), another school looking to climb back into the discussion, while Palmer hosts Mohawk Trail Regional High School (3-4). Wahconah travels to play a very difficult opponent in West Springfield High School (6-1), though a loss doesn’t seem likely to alter the playoff fate for the Warriors, which should be a top seed regardless.
In Division VIII, Greenfield High School (3-3, 93.90) and Pioneer Valley Regional School (5-2, 77.09) are currently on the outside looking in as the fifth and sixth ranked teams, respectively. Greenfield entertains Belchertown High School (1-6) Friday night while Pioneer is all done with regular-season games and has little chance of climbing into the top four.
Hoosac Valley High School (7-0, 123.34) holds a sizable lead for the top seed in the D-VIII field, ahead of current No. 2 seed Mount Greylock Regional High School (6-1, 103.99). Ware High School (7-0) is third at 101.41, just ahead of fourth-place Lee High School (6-1, 100.27).
Lee travels to Monument Mountain Friday night for what should be a very interesting matchup, as both teams are seeded fourth in their respective divisions and could fall out with a loss. Ware closes out its regular-season slate against Smith Vocational & Agricultural High School (3-4).
A Greenfield win coupled with a Lee loss could set up a tight finish for the fourth seed in D-VIII.
The final playoff brackets will be determined at the schedule meeting for the Western Mass. Football Committee, slated for Sunday morning at 9 a.m. at Smith Voke.