Key games will help clear up playoff picture

Starting with an editorial note ... I have used the OSAA power rankings as a reference point on occasion this season, but will no longer. I can't figure out how they get the results they do. It's like there is no human element in their system and that doesn't work for me. That ingredient defines high school football (all these sports actually) and to discount that is a flawed plan.
 
Four games this Friday will decide the top seeds from their respective leagues. Starting with West Linn at Lake Oswego, a nod to the Three Rivers League as it has eclipsed the Metro as the top 6A conference in the Portland area with three teams in the Top-10. The No. 2-ranked Lakers are undefeated and looking for their seventh straight league title at the expense of the No. 6 Lions (using the AP polls), who are perennially in this position and tired of being second. The Lions will try to dictate the game with a larger line and run game. The Lakers have speed in the run and pass and depth on defense will be tested this week.
 
KATU's Game of the Week crew, led by Captain Craig Birnbach, will visit the Gladstone at LaSalle showdown for the 4A TriValley title. These two bitter rivals need no extra incentives on the field, so when they have something to play for, it's a battle to the last whistle (it's always fun to watch this game). Both top-rated squads are 3-0 in league and the home team usually has an edge, so watch for the winners as they go live with Craig to do some cheering on the Blitz.
 
Back to 6A and another bitter rivalry between district schools -- Barlow at Gresham, a game that is usually standing-room-only with fans three deep surrounding the entire stadium. This season, the winner will be in the driver's seat for the No. 2 spot in the Mt. Hood League. The matchup features the Gophers -- with the run and defense -- meeting the Bruins -- with the passing, spread offense. Not much has changed here and the scoreboard may break a light or two.
 
The third deciding game is in the Metro. The all-run league this year is due to a lack of quarterbacks and matches Southridge, the one team with a possible passing game, at Jesuit, the highest ranked two-loss team in the stat. For good reason, even with injuries, Jesuit's offensive line beat everyone else's most of the time and will look to do it again this week against the Skyhawks, who look to make some noise when the state tournament hits.
 
Grant and Lincoln, the two remaining PIL Class 6A schools meet at Walsh Field to decide their Special District title. Both teams were competitve in the preseason and have post-season dreams. The Cardinals have refined their game as the weeks passed by and now have a mix of run/pass that is successful while the Generals have as many top-flight athletes as any program operating today. The winner gets more home games, which is always a key in November.
 
The Class 5A Mid-Willamette is loaded with ranked teams and they all meet this week to begin the winnowing process for top seed as Lebanon (6-0) meets Corvallis (5-1) in a collision of two high scoring groups. A Lebanon loss would create a three-way tie for first with a few weeks remaining. In a matchup of teams with identical 5-1 records, Silverton plays West Albany, a game of evenly matched teams on paper.
 
Three games that look one-sided merit some attention because they all feature teams that score points (some more than others) but Newberg at Tigard, Central Catholic at Reynolds and Glencoe against Century will be entertaining games to watch and with injuries becoming more common.
 
A showdown in Salem should shake out the front runners in the Central Valley Conference. Absent for the most part from the rankings this year, the top three of North Salem and West Salem with Sprague all play this week with an eye on the prize -- the top seed. The winner of the North vs West game will be tied with Sprague as the regular season starts to wind down.
 
The best game on the board in Southwest Washington is Skyview at Columbia River, where the Chieftains need a win against the Skyhawks to keep their playoff door open for November.
 
A total of 13 games on the docket make the High School Blitz the fastest 25 minutes in sports. Be there at 11:35 after the news and drink in the sights and sounds of an American pastime -- football.