50/50 chance is better than zero
Basketball season is very much different from football season.
There are many more games played during basketball season, and due to the nature of the beast, basketball is more conducive to upsets occurring.
Take for example the 2013 Franklin County Basketball Tournament.
The Red Bay boys varsity team came in as a No. 4 seed, went 3-0, and won the final game of the tournament, which also completed a sweep by the school.
The Phil Campbell boys varsity team was undefeated in region play before the tournament, and games played at the event count for final records but not for area play.
Phil Campbell fell to the Colbert Heights Wildcats Tuesday night, forcing them to become Red Bay’s biggest fans Thursday night.
If Red Bay managed to defeat Colbert Heights, then Phil Campbell would clinch the No. 1 seed and hosting opportunity for the 2A Area 16 tournament.
Despite a stunning match up and a triple overtime effort, the Tigers were unable to defeat the Wildcats. This leaves Phil Campbell and Colbert Heights tied in area play, so neither team has the No. 1 seed or hosting rights for the area tournament.
Yet.
In the event of a tie, a coin flip will decide the No. 1 seed and area tourney host between the two teams.
No ifs, ands or buts.
A flip of the coin and a call by one of the two head coaches in question will decide who is in the driver’s seat for 2A Area 16 instead of the final records.
I must admit I do not know yet when and where this coin flip will be, but I plan on being there at any rate.
Oh, and that’s not all, ladies and gentlemen.
A coin flip deciding an area tournament host and No. 1 seed wasn’t enough of an oddity to satisfy fate.
We have TWO coin flips to decide area tournament hosts and NO. 1 seeds in Franklin County this season.
The Belgreen and Phillips boys varsity teams are in the exact same boat.
Belgreen defeated Phillips when they played in Belgreen and vice versa.
A coin flip and a call by a head coach will also decide the host and No. 1 for the 1A Area 15 tournament.
This reminds me of the coin flip/playoff scenario in the movie “Friday Night Lights,” but at least this time a third team does not stand to be left out of the mix. Hopefully both PCHS and BHS can host, but that remains to be seen.
