As we draw to the Final two weeks of the season the AA playoff picture starts to clear up.
The Oilers:
The Oilers will lock up first place with a win or a Snow Devil loss. They will show off Saturday with the Idaho Mustangs and finish up at home against the Vipers. Neither of these games will be a cake walk but I expect the Oilers to finish strong.
The Snow Devils:
The Snow Devils can lock up first place with 2 losses from the Oilers but are more likely to seal up the second seed with an Oiler win over the Mustangs and a win over the Diggers on Saturday. They face a battered Diggers in Idaho this Saturday but don't count them out just yet they are struggling for there own playoff hopes
The Idaho Mustangs:
Its still possible for the Mustangs to wrap up the Number one seed but they will need some help from the Vipers. With an Oiler loss to the Vipers and a strong finish to there season SOS will give them the edge over both the Oilers and the Snow Devils. Provided they win there final two games against them. That will split both there series and allow the Mustangs to take the number one seed. Subsequently they will lock up the number 3 seed with a win or a Viper loss.
Davis Vipers:
The Vipers can climb as high as the number 2 seed by virtue of SOS schedule if they can knock off the Guardians and Oilers. That combined with a two losses by the Mustangs and one loss by the Snow Devils. They are set to clinch the number 4 seed with a Warrior loss and two victories. This week shouldn't pose to much of a problem for them as they face the battered and beleagured Guardians but they finish against the Oilers on the Oil fields of Uintah.
The Elko Warriors:
The Warriors are poised to attend there first playoff games in the teams short history. Still in the running to clench a home game with both a strong finish over the Lancers and Diggers and an Oiler or Guardian victory over the Vipers. With both of these scenarios coming into focus for the Warriors will allow them to seal up the number 4 seed and host a playoff game. They will seal up a garunteed play off spot with a win over the Lancers or Diggers, or a loss by the Diggers.
The Idaho Lancers:
The Lancers will seal there playoff spot with either a victory or a Digger loss.
The Mini-Cassia Diggers:
The Diggers are in still in the hunt. If the lancers or Warriors lose there final two games then the Diggers may just be able to grab the number 6 seed for the playoffs provided they can beat the Snow Devils on saturday. But one loss to either the Devils or the Warriors will eliminate them from playoff contention.
The Gem State Guardians
The Guardians playoff hopes are over, however they are now in a posistion to play spoiler for the Vipers and Lancers.
(All of these predictions are subject to be tweaked by SOS but they are pretty close to accurate as they sit now.)
I think the playoff teams are set with the current top six although some shake ups in the current order are most likely in store. The Snowdevils score abundantly and have one of the best defenses if the whole league. Whether or not they win out will most likely depend on how much the Mustangs have to play for, and subsequently how well they travel, in week 10. But I believe they seal up their playoff fate when then knock the Oilers off this weekend in Holt Arena and just await their home playoff game in week 1 of the post season. The vipers will win out making a strong push for a home playoff game and travel strong to Uintah which is only about 3 1/2 hrs away and, if Sherwood plays, the hand the Oilers a shocking home defeat to be the surprise of the week at seasons end. The only real coin flip starts to happen when the Lancers play the Warriors. Elko won the first matchup but it most certainly a new Lancers team since their first bye week. They will both win in week 10 vs the Diggers & Guardians so whoever wins that game has a huge leg up. In the end these are my predictions:
