Friday NightLights: A big Northern C weekend ahead

In a football season that has been anything but normal, in the Northern C of 8-Man, it's still been eerily like business as usual in one way.

The league is still really, really good.

There are just two weeks left before the MHSA playoffs begin, which means this weekend in the Northern C is a big one because of seeding games for the upcoming playoffs.

Fort Benton, ranked No. 1 in the state, has already taken the top spot in the Northern C, but tonight, the Longhorns will play at Shelby for a chance at the No. 1 seed from the Northern C in the upcoming playoffs. The Coyotes are 4-1 this season and will likely have a play-off berth locked up, but a win over the top-ranked Longhorns would also give Shelby a home game in the first round of the playoffs.

Chinook, at 4-2, still has playoff hopes, too, but, those rest on a trip to Belt tonight. The Sugarbeeters are tied with Simms in the B standings, but the Tigers have the tiebreaker over the Sugarbeeters, having beat them head-to-head earlier this season. Still, if Chinook can win in Belt tonight, it will be huge for its chances of making a second straight playoff appearance. Simms meanwhile, will host Cascade tonight. At 4-2, the Badgers are in third place in the A standings, and like Chinook, need to win out to get into the postseason.

Those four games are the Northern C crossover games with playoff implications tonight, but Choteau will also visit Chester-Joplin-Inverness tonight, while Great Falls Central has a bye. Rocky Boy was scheduled to play at Hays-Lodge Pole Saturday, but that game has been canceled due to COVID-19.

Making the playoffs isn't something the Big Sandy Pioneers have to worry about.

Last week, with a big win over Power-Dutton-Brady, the No 1 Pioneers locked up their fourth straight Six-Man North title.

As expected, Big Sandy has been utterly dominant this season, averaging more than 50 points per game. The Pioneers have also been the Six-Man semifinals two years in a row, and this season, they hope to go much further.

The Six-Man North is pretty much settled at this point as well. PDB is firmly in second place, while Sunburst and Valier are both .500. The Refiners are 2-2 on the season, and the Panthers are 3-3 with just one full week left in the regular season.

The playoffs will begin Oct. 23. In the Six-Man bracket, the top three teams from the North Division will get in. Big Sandy will host the fourth seed from the East, while PDB will play the third seed from the Central. The undecided third seed from the North will travel to the top seed from the West. The Six-Man title game will be played Nov. 13.

The 8-Man begin Oct. 30, where five teams from the Northern C will get in. The top seed will host the No. 4 from the west, while the No. 5 from the Northern C travels to the top seed from the East. The No. 2 from the North hosts the No. 3 from the West, while the No. 3 from the North visits the No. 2 from the West. The Class C title game is scheduled for Nov. 21.