It may feel like the season just started, but the prep hoops regular season comes to a close this week.
So ready or not, the postseason starts next week.
Here’s how the playoff picture looks for the local squads:
Spanish Springs boys
The Cougars are in. The question just becomes where will they finish?
After Friday’s loss at McQueen, Spanish Springs will likely need to win out and hope Reno beats the Lancers on Friday to back into the No. 2 seed and earn a home playoff game.
If the Cougs finish third, they will open the playoffs at Bishop Manogue. If the Cougs finish second, they will either host Galena or Douglas.
Spanish Springs girls
The Spanish Springs girls will miss the playoffs for a second straight year.
Following Friday’s loss at McQueen, they fell four games out of fourth place with just two games left this week.
Reed boys
The Raiders are now in a good position to sneak into the High Desert League’s final playoff spot.
After beating North Valleys on Friday night, the Raiders opened up a one-game lead over the Panthers for fourth.
Reed has two tough games this week (at Reno, vs. Spanish Springs) while North Valleys goes to Spanish Springs tonight then wraps up the season on Friday at home against Hug.
If the Raiders drop both games this week and the Panthers go 1-1, Reed will still get in thanks to an early-season win over Damonte Ranch.
If that is the case, Reed will get “rewarded” by going to currently undefeated Carson in the quarterfinals.
Reed girls
The Reed girls are also in a battle with North Valleys for playoff positioning.
The two squads are tied at 8-6 for third place in the HDL, however, North Valleys owns the tiebreaker because it swept Reed this year.
The schedule isn’t doing the Raiders, who need to pick a game up on the Panthers, any favors.
If Reed splits its final two contests (at Reno, vs. Spanish Springs) it will need North Valleys to lose to both fifth-place Spanish Springs and last-place Hug.
The fourth-place finisher will have to open the playoffs at undefeated Bishop Manogue while the third-place finisher will go to Damonte Ranch (10-4).
Sparks boys
It’s going to get interesting.
Sparks (5-8) comes into the week a half game ahead of Spring Creek (5-9) for the sixth and final playoff spot in the DI-A North.
The Railroaders have a winnable game tonight at home against Dayton but close with tough games at fourth-place Fernley on Friday and second-place Lowry on Saturday.
The Spartans host third-place South Tahoe on Friday and eighth-place Dayton on Saturday.
It is very reasonable to believe both teams finish 6-10. They split the regular-season series as well.
If that is the case, Sparks and Spring Creek would actually have to go to the third tiebreaker, the team that won the last meeting. The Spartans beat the Railroaders 61-51 in their second meeting on Jan. 29 so they would get the playoff berth.
Sparks girls
The Railroaders are feeling good about themselves (and they should) after picking up their first win of the season on Saturday at South Tahoe, 40-35.
But picking up the first win of the season with a week left rarely results in a playoff berth. This case is no different.
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