When it comes to playoff eligibility and seeding, the non-district schedule in Mississippi high school football carries no weight.
The majority of states across the country have different systems in place, whether it be a point system that takes strength of schedule and margin of victory into consideration or a committee selects at-large teams that didn’t win their district while taking similar variables into consideration.
Where I played high school football in Louisiana, only the district champion received an automatic playoff berth. The remainder of teams were chosen by a points system that took the aforementioned variables into account. For example, a win over a team in a higher class with a good record carries more weight that a win over a team in a lower class with a bad record.
Whereas in Mississippi, according to rule 7.13.2 in the MHSAA Handbook, the top four teams in each district advance to the playoffs, which is based on district record.
Therefore, the first three weeks of the season so far mean nothing when it comes to the ultimate goal of reaching the playoffs, but that doesn’t mean a lot wasn’t on the line during what coaches like to call “preseason.”
The trio of Columbia, East Marion and West Marion compete each year for the Marion County Football Championship. The three schools square off against each other annually to determine the winner. In most years, there is a definitive winner as one of the teams typically goes 2-0.
That could ultimately be the case this year if Columbia beats West Marion in a Thursday night matchup Oct. 19, on its home field. However, if West Marion were to beat Columbia, each of the three teams would be tied at 1-1.
In Week 2, Columbia imposed its will on East Marion in a 47-24 victory in which the Wildcats ran for more than 430 yards and six touchdowns. Last Friday night, however, East Marion bounced back with an 18-14 win over West Marion, its first since 2014.
If all three teams finish 1-1 following the October showdown between West Marion and Columbia, the Marion County Football Championship would then be decided by margin of victory. Since East Marion’s win over West Marion came by only four points with its loss to Columbia being by 23, the Eagles are essentially eliminated.
For Columbia, all it needs to do is win. West Marion, on the other hand, needs to beat the Wildcats by at least 24 points to capture the crown. While it is possible for the Trojans to claim the crown for the fourth consecutive year, if they win by 23 points or less, Columbia takes the title.
