The winter sports season is nearing its final weeks, and it’s time to start thinking about the state 3A playoffs for Polk County teams.
For boys and girls basketball, all North Carolina High School Athletic Association teams have a MaxPreps RPI number. That is calculated based on a formula where winning percentage counts 40 percent, opponents’ winning percentage counts 40 percent and opponents’ opponents’ winning percentage counts 20 percent.
The top 48 3A teams in RPI qualify for the playoffs. Teams are then divided into 24-team East and West brackets, based on longitude, and seeded 1-24 based on RPI. The top eight teams in each bracket receive a first-round bye.
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For the dual team wrestling playoffs, the process is a bit different. Teams qualify and are seeded based on the RankWrestlers formula, which is described like this: “Dual team rankings measure how strong a wrestling team is based on the individual rankings of their wrestlers. We take the average of the team’s top 11 wrestlers and adjust based on head-to-head dual meet results.”
Only 32 teams qualify for the 3A wrestling playoffs. Once the 32 teams are picked, they’ll be split into 16 East team and 16 West teams, then seeded 1-16. The playoffs are, at present, scheduled to be seeded on Thursday and begin with the first two rounds on Saturday. How weather affects that remains to be seen.
Here’s our look at where Polk County teams are based on the RPI and RankWrestlers data available as of Sunday afternoon.
BOYS BASKETBALL
Polk County is currently the 48th-ranked team in the 3A ratings, making the Wolverines the final qualifier at present for the state playoffs.
Polk would earn the 24th seed in the 3A West bracket and would travel to ninth-seeded Lincolnton for its first-round game.
A postseason trip would be a welcome accomplishment for the program – a Wolverine boys squad last advanced to postseason play in the 2014-15 season and last won a playoff game in 2010.
GIRLS BASKETBALL
Polk County is currently the ninth seed among all 3A teams. That would earn the Wolverines the fifth seed in the 3A West bracket.
With a five seed, Polk County would earn a first-round bye, then would begin play in the second round against the winner of No. 12 West Wilkes vs. No. 21 Trinty.
East Surry, Surry Central, Hendersonville and North Stanly currently hold the top four seeds in the 3A West bracket.
WRESTLING
Polk County currently holds the third spot in the RankWrestlers 3A dual team rankings. It looks like that would be enough to give the Wolverines the No. 2 seed in the 3A West field.
Lincolnton currently holds the top spot in the 3A West ratings. The Wolves have lost just once this season, that a 39-29 setback to Polk County on Dec. 10.
With the No. 2 seed, Polk County would face Shelby in the opening round, then would meet the winner of No. 7 East Surry vs. No. 10 East Rutherford in the second round.
Mount Airy and West Wilkes are currently the third and fourth seeds in the 3A West field.
