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Region 12
#5 Dayton Belmont (7-2) at #4 St. Marys (9-1)
#7 Trotwood-Madison (8-2) at #2 Wapakoneta (9-1)
Region 14
#7 Bellevue (7-3) at #2 O-G (9-1)
My thoughts:
This looks familiar…Belmont and T-M playing two WBL teams in the SW Division III region, and O-G makes the playoffs in Division IV. The difference is the region numbers have changed, and it’s St. Marys in the playoffs instead of Celina. O-G hosts after traveling last year, Wapak hosts again, and St. Marys hosts as well.
Tough luck for Wapak, with Dunbar’s forfeits changing the opponent to T-M. Tough to see Wapak winning this game considering it was dominated last year against T-M in the regional final, and probably isn’t as good of a team as last year.
Looks like Belmont plays a bunch of inner city schools, I think Wapak handled it last year with relative ease, so I would expect St. Marys to do the same as long as it doesn’t play badly. #1 seed Franklin or else WBL punching bag Tippecanoe are waiting in the 2nd round. Wapak/T-M are on the other side of the bracket.
O-G gets Bellevue, who seems like a mixed bag come tournament time. Sometimes it bows out weakly, sometimes it plays some good football. Not sure what to expect in this one. If the Titans can advance, the next game would be against either last year’s playoff victim, undefeated Indian Lake, or 7-3 River Valley.
Final computer ranks:
#2 (region 12) – Wapak (9-1)
#2 (region 14) – O-G (9-1)
#4 (region 12) – St. Marys (9-1)
#13 (region 14) – Kenton (5-5)
#16 (region 10) – Elida (6-4)
#17 (region 12) – Celina (5-5)
#20 (region 14) – Bath (3-7)
#24 (region 10) – Defiance (3-7)
#26 (region 10) – Shawnee (1-9)
#26 (region 14) – Van Wert (0-10)
Wapak is making its 9th playoff appearance, with a 6-8 record.
St. Marys is making its 16th playoff appearance, with a 20-12 record.
O-G is making its 13th playoff appearance, with a 12-12 record.
Final AP ranks:
Two WBL finished the season ranked this year, with Wapak 8th and St. Marys 9th in Division III. Interesting that St. Marys won head to head but is ranked lower. I’m a little surprised that O-G didn’t break the 12-point barrier to be listed, with a 9-1 record. I think O-G was in the top 10 a few weeks ago. Wapak has now finished a season ranked for the 5th time, breaking a tie with Bath and Defiance, for the 4th most among WBL schools. St. Marys is first of course, with its 13th time being ranked.
Wow, this is the first time since 1998 that 3 WBL teams have finished in the top 4 in computer points. So that means it never happened in the current expanded era of the playoffs until now. Oddly enough, it also happened in 1997 and 1996. Not since 1994 have 2 WBL teams finished in the top 2 of a region in the same year. 1992 was the only other year that happened. This is also the first time 3 WBL teams have hosted a playoff game in the same season, it happened 2 times in 3 other years – 2014, 2002, and 2001.
It’s been 8 years since St. Marys was in the playoffs, which is actually the longest amount of consecutive years that St. Marys has not been in the playoffs since they started in 1972, if you can believe that. Previously, St. Marys went 7 years at most between appearances, in the early 80s and late 90s. Just 3 years ago, the Riders were coming off 20+ straight losses.
This is Wapak’s 4th straight appearance and 5 in the last 6 years. The 4 straight is maybe surprisingly only the 4th longest streak in the WBL, as O-G has 8 and St. Marys two streaks of 5, that are longer than Wapak’s.
This is only O-G’s 2nd actual streak of playoff appearances with 2 in a row, but 8 in a row is a long streak. In the last 20 seasons, O-G has been in the playoffs 13 times, and 10 times in the last 11 years. Amazingly, O-G is the 6th WBL school Bellevue has faced in the playoffs. Bellevue ties Columbus Watterson in most different WBL schools played in the playoffs.
Combined 2016 record of WBL opponents: 22-7 (75.9%)
Combined playoff record of WBL opponents: 44-27 (62.0%)
Contest final results:
Last week: 17 people made picks, the lowest all year. One person who had picked all year didn’t last week, leaving just 14 who picked every week, after starting with 20 in week 1. The 14 people is the lowest since 14 in 2003, by the way. 26 people total made picks in at least 1 week, which is the 2nd lowest ever, and lowest since 18 back in 2002 when the contest was on that old WBL message board. Two people made picks in week 1 but never after that.
There were a good combination of picks but no one got them all right, only the 3rd week all season with no perfect picks and the first time since week 4. The consensus went 3-2 with Celina and St. Marys the losses, and there were 2 unanimous picks. The most common record was 3-2, with 11 people, while the other 6 went 4-1.
Wapak 17-0 over Van Wert
Elida 17-0 over Bath
Defiance 12-5 over Shawnee
St. Marys 12-5 over O-G (loss)
Celina 11-6 over Kenton (loss)
After 2 weeks leading alone, and being at least tied for 1st every week since week 2, a 3-2 week by me allowed Stallionaires to tie for 1st with a 48-7 record. ridercpa was also one game back but went 3-2 as well.
The 48-7 record is one game better than last year and the best since 2013 when BHS_Wildcats went 50-5. 48-7 also ties the 3rd best winning record as there was one 49-6 winner too.
This is the 2nd title for both winners, tying 3 others. Waterloowonder has 4, and BHS_Wildcats 3.
After two wins and a sole 2nd place finish, BHS_Wildcats finished in the top 3 for the 4th straight year.
Altogether, I was in 1st place for 9 weeks, Maltese Falcon 5, BHS_Wildcats and Stallionaires 2, and PHSfan_1023, ridercpa, 2Legit2Quit, and The Guilty Bystander 1 each.
2015: BHS_Wildcats, waterloowonder (47-8)
2014: bigred55 (47-8)
2013: BHS_Wildcats (50-5)
2012: Needmorecowbell, Stallionaires, Timefly’s, waterloowonder (48-7)
2011: Bengal WhoDey (48-7)
2010: waterloowonder (46-9)
2009: D-Town Bulldogs, kftball45 (45-10)
2008: blitzman, childz_play, eddiepittinger, limafbnut, player89 (46-9)
2007: doug, kbcats, sm37 (45-10)
2006: riderdad (46-9)
2005: ballfan and titanman (44-11)
2004: Ohio Baller (44-11)
2003: Tincup (48-7)
2002: wildcat41 and Tincup (38-17)
2001: wildcat41 and BlueDog96 (49-6)
Overall:
26 people made picks in at least one week, which is down 8 from last year.
Most perfect weeks: 6 – Teddy Malone. Six people finished with 5.
Most in a row: 5 – several people.
Most losing records: 1 week (7 people)
There were no winless weeks, and only one 1-4 week.
After 2 years of the overall winner having the highest percentage, Nitro Special (90% - 27-3 record) finished with a better percentage than the 55-game best record of 48-7 (87.3%). Charliesheen also finished at 88% (22-3).
55 games: (14)
48-7 87.3% Stallionaires
48-7 87.3% Teddy Malone
47-8 85.5% BHS_Wildcats
47-8 85.5% Maltese Falcon
47-8 85.5% ridercpa
46-9 83.6% Chilidog
46-9 83.6% Tincup
44-11 80.0% The Guilty Bystander
44-11 80.0% waterloowonder
44-11 80.0% youthcoach
43-12 78.2% 2Legit2Quit
43-12 78.2% Block E
43-12 78.2% Shooter1
41-14 74.5% DC/MS
The rest: (12)
40-10 80.0% PHSfan_1023
38-7 84.4% TiGgEr3
37-8 82.2% Stafford
36-9 80.0% GrandLake
27-3 90.0% Nitro Special
22-3 88.0% charliesheen
21-4 84.0% RWB 71
15-10 60.0% ADog
10-5 66.7% redskin rowdy
7-3 70.0% wishbone
7-3 70.0% mr 5wide
4-1 80.0% bigsportsman
Edited by Teddy Malone, 01 November 2016 - 09:05 PM.
