Monday Mailbag: September 23, 2019

SCOTT TRUXELL/independent sports editor

This week’s Monday Mailbag includes questions about Van Wert football, and OHSAA football playoff qualifiers and computer rankings.

Q: After two straight losses, what’s next for Van Wert? Name withheld upon request

A: Ottawa-Glandorf is next, and it’ll be homecoming Friday night at Eggerss Stadium.

In reality, with two league losses, the Western Buckeye League title is probably out of reach for Van Wert (2-2, 0-2 WBL), but a second consecutive playoff berth remains a possibility.

In that respect, Friday’s game is an important game. A win would keep the Cougars solidly in the postseason race, but a loss would leave little room for error during the final five weeks.

Q: Why can’t the (Van Wert) Cougars beat Wapak or St. Marys? Name withheld upon request

A: In fairness, a lot of opponents have a hard time beating those two.

They both feature hard, physical running games and solid defenses and it’s hard to matchup with them. In some respects, it’s old school football and it seems to work for them in the Western Buckeye League.

It probably doesn’t help that the Cougars keep having to play them in back-to-back weeks.

Q: Are there any teams that have never qualified for the football playoffs in Ohio? Name withheld upon request

A: Yes, and while I don’t have the list, I believe the number is over 50.

Q: When will the first computer rankings come out for football? Name withheld upon request

A: The first OHSAA computer points standings will be released tomorrow, Tuesday, then each Tuesday until Sunday, November 3, when playoff pairings are announced.

You can always check joeeitel.com late Friday night until the official OHSAA rankings are released on Tuesday. For the most part, Eitel’s rankings are accurate. Another interesting site to check is fantastic50.net. That’s a treasure trove of information, including playoff probabilities, seeding probabilities, weekly statewide predictions and more.

If you have a question for the next Monday Mailbag, email it to sports@thevwindependent.com.