Polk in wait-and-see mode for playoff berth after loss to Brevard

And now Polk County must sit and wait to see if 2A state playoff berth is forthcoming.

The Wolverines dropped a 61-26 decision Friday to Brevard in a game played to determine the third-place team in the Mountain Foothills 7 Conference. That will now be Brevard (11-15) thanks to Friday’s win.

That’s hugely important for 2A playoff purposes. A team cannot qualify for a wild-card berth into the playoffs ahead of a team it trails in its conference. That means that Polk County (13-12) can only earn a playoff berth if Brevard qualifies.

Entering Friday, Brevard ranked 33rd among 2A West teams in RPI, the measure used to award wild-card berths and seed teams. That would leave the Blue Devils as the first team out of the 2A West bracket and would also prevent Polk County from qualifying even though the Wolverines are currenetly 27th in RPI.

But if Brevard moves into the top 32 when the final RPI is released on Saturday, that would give the Blue Devils a playoff berth and would also allow Polk County to qualify. The Wolverines can be seeded higher than Brevard if both teams advance, but cannot qualify ahead of them.

The North Carolina High School Athletic Association will release playoff brackets for all classes on Saturday.