It’s a dated movie reference for the Magnolia football players themselves, but there’s a little bit of simplicity to accomplishing a playoff berth Friday night. But there also could be some mathematics involved if things don’t go their way. There’s really no need to call for Good Will Hunting, the movie character mathematical genius MIT janitor played by Matt Damon in 1997. The tiebreakers take a second to absorb.
The simple part is not so simple once the ball is snapped. But it’s the most clear path for the Bulldogs. If Magnolia beats Klein starting at 7 p.m. Friday night, it makes the playoffs. The numbers work in the Bulldogs’ favor, no matter what.
If the Bulldogs lose to the Bearkats, then they will have needed a Klein Oak loss 24 hours earlier (Thursday against Tomball Memorial) for tiebreaker scenarios to kick in.
“It certainly makes it interesting for everybody,” Magnolia head coach Craig Martin said. “It keeps it interesting throughout the whole year. When us coaches get together, we spend an inordinate amount of time on tiebreakers and making sure that we have tiebreakers in there and that everybody understands the tiebreakers.”
Entering Week 11, Magnolia (5-4, 4-3) is tied for fourth place in District 15-6A with Klein Oak (5-4, 4-3). Klein Collins (5-5, 5-3) has control of third place at the moment and are on a bye this week. Tomball Memorial (4-5, 3-4) and Klein (5-4, 3-4) are tied for sixth and still have an outside chance as well. Klein Cain (8-1, 6-1) and Tomball (8-1, 6-1) have already clinched the the top-two playoff spots.
A Magnolia win and a Klein Oak win would create a three-way tie (with Klein Collins) of teams that went 1-1 against each other for the final two playoff spots. Since the three teams have all played each other already, nothing changes with these point differential tiebreaker numbers. Magnolia tops the three teams at plus-15. Klein Oaks’ point differential of even would eliminate Klein Collins and its minus-15. Magnolia is plus-15 because it beat Klein Oak 60-21 (a maximum of plus-18 points is awarded in a blowout) and lost to Klein Collins 31-28 (minus-3).
If Magnolia and Klein Oak both lose, it gives third place automatically to Klein Collins and creates a four-way tie for fourth. Head-to-head between the four tied teams would eliminate Klein Oak in this scenario as the Panthers would be 0-3 against those teams. Magnolia (2-0), Tomball Memorial (2-1) and Klein (2-0) would use the same point differential method to break the tie between the three schools. Coming into the week between the three schools, Magnolia is plus-5 (it beat Tomball Memorial 38-33 and the Klein game will be played Friday), Tomball Memorial is established at plus-4 and Klein is minus-9 with the Magnolia result pending.
Got that all straight?
Bulldogs faithful and the team are hoping for the clear path method and a win over Klein.
The players know what’s at stake and the program as a whole has treated the past two weeks like they are the playoffs anyways. Magnolia knew after losing to Tomball Oct. 25 that it would need to win out to claim a top-four spot.
“We’re trying not to put too much pressure on them in that regard,” Martin said. “But it’s what we’ve talked about since Tomball. Hey, congratulations, you’re in the playoffs. But you’re in the playoffs two weeks earlier than most people are. If you win, you get to keep playing, and if you don’t win, you don’t get to keep playing. That’s the reality.”
To dive into this week’s opponent in Klein, one will notice that the Bearkats’ offense has been really strong as of late. Despite a 2-2 record over the past four games, Klein is averaging 43.5 points per game. It lost 49-40 to Tomball Memorial last week.
“They’re another good football team that’s had some ups and downs for sure,” Martin said. “They’re a very explosive offense. They’re averaging 40-plus points per game. Their defense has certainly given up some points, but there are some really good offenses in this district that stress you in a lot of different ways.”
Martin is hoping the Bulldogs are up to the task, especially after a solid finish last week to the Magnolia Bowl where it scored 24 points in the second half for a 27-14 win over rival Magnolia West.
“We go into it (against Klein) knowing that we’re going to have to play offensively, too, to match scores when scores happen,” Martin said. “Certainly, our defense knows they’re going to have to play very, very well. If nothing else, take away what they want to do and, if anything, make them prove they can do something other than what they’ve had the most success with.”
Magnolia is looking to make the playoffs for the second consecutive year and eighth time in the past 10 seasons. It would be a huge positive to make the playoffs in its first season at the Class 6A level.
“The district is what we thought it was,” Martin said, as he channeled his inner Dennis Green and the Arizona Cardinals coach’s infamous postgame press conference in 2006 after losing to the Chicago Bears. “It’s a tough, competitive district where there’s a lot of parity in the teams, and it really boils down to who plays better that week. Everybody is good, even down to the very bottom.”
The message to the Bulldogs is this opportunity is in their hands.
“You have to win,” Martin said. “Nobody in the district will give it to you. I think that’s the thing that you get out of all of this.”
Seen here from last week’s game against Magnolia West are Magnolia offensive lineman Delesk Zelaya (71), John Hallmark (72) and Anthony Wells (56). (Noah Mabry/SportCast Media)
