Friday Night Lights Extra: Ponies locked in a tight playoff race

It hasn't been this tight of a race in the Central A in several years, and with that, the season is on the line for the Havre High Blue Pony football team.

Several different things can happen tonight, but the general idea is that the playoffs are on the line. Not only do the Ponies have a chance to either make the postseason or be eliminated, but they also have a chance to be a No. 3 seed, or even reclaim their divisional title tonight in Livingston.

"We have had a couple of really good days of practice and the kids understand what is on the line," Havre High head coach Jason Christenson said. "We want to make the playoffs and we told the kids, lets just win this game and we won't have to worry about anything. We will control our own destiny, so let's just take care of this game."

Livingston is leading the way with a 3-0 conference record, followed by Belgrade at 2-1, Havre at 2-1, Lewistown at 1-2, and Browning at 0-4. But facing Livingston tonight, the Ponies can control their won destiny.

Either way you look at it, if the Ponies win tonight, then they are in the postseason. But if the Ponies beat the Rangers and the Golden Eagles also beat the Panthers, then the Ponies will be the outright conference champions. But if the Ponies lose to the Rangers, and the Eagles beat the Panthers still, the Ponies would grab the No. 3 spot, and still make the playoffs.

And in the final scenario, the Ponies could miss the postseason all together. If the Ponies lose to the Rangers, and the Eagles beat the Panthers by more than five points, the Ponies' season is over.

But like coach Christenson said, they don't want to have to worry about the different scenarios, and what ifs. So if the Ponies can manage a win over the No. 1 Rangers, then either way, the Ponies season will stretch into the state playoffs.