RIPPLE/Forbush High's Michael Scott glides in for a layup in the final moments of last week's loss to Starmount. The Falcons and Rams could play against each other again in next week's conference tournament.
Sports Editor
elusk@elkintribune.com
Forbush beat Starmount in boys basketball last week, but the battle between the Falcons and Rams is far from over.
In these final days of the regular season, the two Yadkin rivals find themselves locked in a fierce showdown for the third and final state playoff spot granted to 2A teams from the Mountain Valley 1A/2A Conference. Ashe County and Wilkes Central have already locked up the first two.
Coming out of Tuesday night’s action, Forbush (9-5 MVAC, 13-9 overall) held a half-game lead over Starmount (9-6, 9-11) in the league standings. The Falcons have conference games left against Alleghany (either Wednesday or Thursday depending on the weather in Sparta) and Wilkes Central (Friday). The Rams will finish their MVAC schedule on Saturday at Alleghany.
Obviously, things could tip either way, depending on how these three games shake out.
Forbush, which split with Starmount in the regular season, controls its own destiny and would lock up the No. 3 spot by one game if it wins out.
If the teams end up tied at the end, though, Starmount likely would earn the third playoff spot based on its wins over the highest seeded teams in the conference, Ashe County and North Wilkes. Forbush was swept by both the Huskies and Vikings.
But even then, things won’t be completely settled. Next week’s conference tournament could shake things up again.
The No. 4 seed, be it Starmount or Forbush, could bump the No. 3 out of the playoffs if it can manage to win the whole tournament. Considering how even the MVAC has been this winter, that scenario is not out of the realm of possibility.
“If it plays out a certain way, there is a possibility we could play each other in the first round of the conference tournament,” Starmount coach Jeffrey Hague said. “It ought to be interesting.”
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