This Friday night, there is a lot on the line for the top three teams in Class 1A District 5: West Branch, Wilton, and Alburnett. With all the talk of multiple champions and #1 seeds, let's clear it up by breaking down all of the possible scenarios that can take place this Friday and what each scenario results in for District 5 and the playoffs.

Before we begin, here is what we know:

• All three teams have qualified for the playoffs
• In week seven, Wilton beat Alburnett
• In week eight, West Branch beat Wilton
• In week nine, West Branch plays Alburnett
• In week nine, Wilton plays North Cedar
• West Branch leads the 13 point system by more than 26
• West Branch is guaranteed, at minimum, a share of the District 5 crown
• West Branch will host October 28th's first round playoff game

What's left to be determined? District 5 champion(s), playoff seeding, and where Alburnett and Wilton will play their first round playoff game.

Okay, let's dive into this.

Simple scenario: If West Branch beats Alburnett, nothing I type after this line matters because the Bears would be undefeated, alone at the top of the District 5 standings, and would have the #1 district seed heading into the playoffs. Wilton would be #2 and Alburnett would sit at #3.

Second scenario: If West Branch loses to Alburnett and Wilton beats North Cedar, there would be a three-way tie at the top of the District 5 standings as West Branch, Wilton, and Alburnett would all have one loss, all losing to/beating one another. All three teams would be district champions. But who gets the #1 seed? West Branch would due to the 13 point system (more on this below) coming into play since head-to-head match-ups cannot determine the seed. Wilton would have the #2 seed and Alburnett would sit at #3.

Third scenario: If West Branch loses to Alburnett and Wilton loses to North Cedar, Alburnett and West Branch would be co-champions of District 5, each with one loss. Who is the #1 seed then? That would be determined by a head-to-head match-up. In this scenario, Alburnett would be the #1 seed and West Branch would be #2, followed by Wilton at #3.

As I mentioned before-hand, no matter what happens this Friday, the Bears will, at minimum, share the District 5 title. They will also be back at the Little Rose Bowl this Wednesday night, October 28th, for the first round of the playoffs.

Go Bears!

PS: In the event you're curious...

The 13 Point Rule explained:

There is a system set up by the Iowa High School Athletic Association called the "13 Point Rule." Throughout the season, a team's score differential (in district games) is averaged together to generate a 13 point average. This 13 point average is in place to determine tie-breakers when records and head-to-head match-ups aren't enough.

Example: In week one, Team A beats Team B 35-28. Team A's differential is at +7, while Team B's is at -7. In week two, Team A beats Team C 49-0 and Team B beats Team D 21-7. After two weeks, averaging the score differentials results in Team A having differentials of +7 and +13 (even though they won by 49, 13 is the max), which averaged together is +10. Team B has differentials of -7 and +14, which averages +3.5.

So far this season, West Branch has maxed out the score differential average of +13, outscoring district opponents by a total of 169 points, which 65 of that counts (max 13 points per game). Alburnett has an average of +7.4, resulting in a total of 37 points. Wilton is at +6.6, with 33 total points.

So how does West Branch have the 13-point rule "won?" With their 65 total points, that is 28 more than Alburnett. If the Pirates beat the Bears this Friday, even if it's 124-0, the most points Alburnett could add to their total is 13, while the most West Branch could lose is 13. This would result in West Branch with 52 points and Alburnett with 50.