District Playoff Matches Taking Shape as Football Season Winds Down

District football in Missouri used to be so easy to understand.

For the last several years, football teams were put in four- or five-team districts and the last few weeks of the regular season became a de-facto playoff. Everyone played every district school once and the teams with the two best records in district play would advance to the playoffs.

That will all change this year.

Friday night is Week 9 of the football season and the end of the regular season--a departure from the 10-game regular seasons of years past. The change means that the old Week 10 will actually be District Playoff round one.

In an effort to have every regular season game count, the format for districts was altered. A complex point system was created to make sure every game played weiged into the playoff seeding.

How does this impact St. Peters teams?

Class 5, District 3

Where things stand: Thanks to unbalanced third district, if the playoffs started today, Parkway Central would be the beneficiary of a first-round bye. Everything else would fall into place based on seeding. Zumwalt East would host Parkway West, Holt would host Zumwalt North and Zumwalt South would host Parkway North.

If only it were that simple.

New this year, like everything else, is a seed challenge system. From MSHSAA:

If two teams have played Head to Head and their seeds are consecutive they may appeal the seed to the district chairman.  A vote will occur between the district schools for that seeded positions in question only.  The two schools in the appeal cannot vote.  The remaining 6 schools will vote; it will take 4 votes to change the seed.  This process must take place by noon on Saturday.  In classes where only 7 teams are seeded it will take 3 votes to change the seed. If an appeal is granted and a switch is made in the seedings another appeal cannot be made with the new seedings.

East and Holt, the current two and three seeds, played in Week 7 with Holt winning 35-13. After eight weeks, the two teams are separated by just 0.18 points in the standings. If Holt doesn't pass Zumwalt East in Week 9, they could challenge for the second seed.

Class 6, District 3

Where things stand: After eight weeks, Francis Howell leads the way in Class 6, District 3. If the playoffs started today, Howell would play rival Howell Central next Friday. The Vikings beat the Spartans 55-17 in Week 7.

In other games, Hickman would play Timberland, Jefferson City would face Troy, and Rock Bridge would play Zumwalt West.

Class 2, District 6

Where things stand: If the regular season ended this week, the Lutheran Cougars would travel to take on South Callaway.