A Playoff update after Friday's games

So the updated Vermont high school football QPRs are out. What do they mean? What's left to be decide? Here's a look at what's still up for grabs:

Divison I

There's just one game left, St. Johnsbury vs. Lyndon tomorrow, and it's a big one. A win would give St. Johnsbury 9 points and put them in the playoffs as the seventh seed, 1 point ahead of both Mt. Anthony and Essex.

I specifically asked Middlebury Sean Farrell, the Middlebury athletic director who handles the QPRs for the Vermont Interscholastic Football League, and he told me head-to-head is the first tiebreaker after overall QPR. That means Mt. Anthony's Week 2 win over Essex puts the Patriots in the playoffs for sure, and leaves the Hornets needing Lyndon to pull the upset tomorrow to get to the quarterfinals.

The one other thing that's still to be decided is the fifth seed. Colchester has it now, but CVU would pick up two points if St. J wins tomorrow, which would leave the Lakers and Redhawks tied. CVU owns the head-to-head win there and would take the higher spot if the Hilltoppers prevail.

So as I see it the quarterfinal matchups will be:
1. Rutland vs. 8. Mt. Anthony or Essex
2. Middlebury vs. 7. St. Johnsbury or Mt. Anthony
3. Hartford vs. 6. Colchester or CVU
4. Brattleboro vs. 5. CVU or Colchester.

Assuming all teams opt to play next week, the consolation matchups should be BFA at Essex or St. Johnsbury and South Burlington at Rice.

Division II 

Burlington's latest last-gasp win at Fair Haven pretty much locks the Seahorses into the #3 seed, especially with winless North Country on the schedule next week.

The Seahorses' win was also a boost for Milton as it eliminated the possibility of a three-way tie for third, but the Yellowjackets aren't a sure thing yet. If Fair Haven can knock off Bellows Falls next week, the Slaters will finish 2 or 4 points ahead of Milton and steal the last spot, regardless of what the Yellowjackets do against Mt. Abraham.

Division III

There's still a lot to be decided tomorrow as the Mill River-Otter Valley and Windsor-Woodstock games will decide the first five positions. But the playoff field is set, after Fairfax's win over Winooski and U-32's win over Spaulding.

Oxbow wrapped up the sixth seed with its win over Springfield, and that dropped the Cosmos into a tie with Fairfax for seventh and eighth. If MSJ beats Poultney tomorrow, Springfield moves back in front. If Poultney wins, the Bullets and Cosmos should go to a coin toss as the teams didn't play and they had the same results vs. their common opponents.

So here are the playoff matchups as I see them:
1. Otter Valley or U-32 vs. 8. Fairfax or Springfield
2. U-32 or Mill River vs. 7. Fairfax or Springfield
3. Otter Valley, Woodstock or Windsor vs. 6. Oxbow
4 vs. 5. Some combination of Woodstock, Windsor and Mill River