Thunder Playoffs: Win And We're In
June 9, 2008 - Intense Football League (Intense)
Frisco Thunder News Release
FRISCO, Tex. (June 9, 2008) -- All you're going to hear from Frisco Thunder head coach Troy Esprit regarding the Intense Football League playoff situation is that if the Thunder takes cares of its own business, everything else will take care of itself.
He's right. It's just not as much fun.
Upset victories by cellar dwellars San Angelo and Fairbanks have jumbled up the race for the final four playoff spots as the IFL enters the final month of the regular season.. Heck, the Stampede Express and the Grizzlies -- both 2-9 - remained mathematically alive for a playoff spot on the virtue of San Angelo's 75-72 victory over Odessa and a 33-27 victory by the Grizzlies over Alaska.
Two Monday night games -- Louisiana at Katy and Corpus Christi at CenTex -- could muddy things even further.
In the meantime, Esprit's sound bite will be focusing on the Thunder's game with the Wild Thursday night in Anchorage.
``The focus is on getting to Alaska and beating Alaska,'' Esprit said. ``We have absolutely no control of what other teams are doing. We want to win Thursday night and, after that, we'll focus on San Angelo [on June 28].''
Idle last week, Frisco remains in fourth place in the IFL with a 6-6 record, 1 1/2 games behind third-place CenTex (7-4) and slightly ahead of a logjam that includes Odessa (5-7), Katy (4-6) and Alaska (4-7). Odessa's loss kept the Ruff Riders in fifth place.
The two losses did give Frisco slightly more cushion when it comes to making the six-team postseason.
Since if and buts aren't soup and nuts, the Thunder's playoff situation can be descibed this simply: One Thunder win combined with one loss by either Odessa, Alaska or Katy if they lose to Louisiana Monday night puts Frisco in the playoffs.
All four game of next weekend's IFL games will have some effect on who's playing in July.
``Now that's great,'' Esprit said. ``That's why you work hard all season ... to put yourself in a situation where you can win a championship.''
The team-by-team breakdown:
1) Louisiana Swashbucklers (10-0). Clinched playoff berth and can officially clinch first-round bye Monday night at Katy. It would take a collapse rivaling the 2007 New York Mets for the defending IFL champs to slip to a worse-case scenario of third place. Regular-season finale with Corpus Christi will determine home-field advantage for Intense Bowl IV.
2) Corpus Christi Hammerheads (9-1). Clinched playoff berth and can officially clinch first-round bye Monday night at CenTex. Also can do no worse than third.
3) CenTex Barracudas (7-4). Clinched playoff berth thanks to Odessa and Alaska losses � Barracudas hold tiebreakers with both teams. Ends season with two games against Corpus Christi and one with Louisiana. Could slip down to sixth place, but there's still a remote possibility to move into top seeds if Louisiana and Corpus Christi both self-destruct.
4) Frisco Thunder (6-6). One win combined with one loss by either Odessa, Alaska or Katy if it loses to Louisiana and the Thunder's in. Can move up to third seed if CenTex drops final three games.
5) Odessa Roughnecks (5-7). Regular season finale with Katy will be huge. Can move up to fourth thanks to season sweep of Frisco.
6) Katy Ruff Riders (4-6). Next two games are Louisiana and Corpus Christi, but still has a mathematical shot at third seed.
7) Alaska Wild (4-7). Next two games are Frisco and Louisiana. Would need to win out for a shot at the fourth seed. Does hold tiebreaker over Odessa.
8-9) Fairbanks (2-9) and San Angelo Stampede Express (2-9) These two teams meet Saturday. Winner of that game needs to win its next two games and for Katy and Alaska to lose out for a chance at the final spot. Fairbanks would hold tiebreaker advantage over Odessa if the Roughnecks lose out.
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