by Tracy McCue, Sumner Newscow — With one week left in the high school football season, six of the seven Sumner County teams can still find a way to make the playoffs, three teams are vying  for a district crown and two Sumner County teams are in real trouble going into week #9.

It’s crunch time, and here is a synopsis of each Sumner County team going into the final week of the season.

Class 4A

Wellington – Ulysses, away. Friday, 7 p.m.

The Crusaders are in real trouble.

Mulvane has clinched the district title. For Wellington to make the playoffs, it would have to beat Ulysses by 15 points and hope Winfield loses badly to Mulvane.

With the number of injuries and just the fact the Crusaders are playing out west, this isn’t a likely scenario.

Class 3A

Conway Springs – Chaparral, away, Thursday, 7 p.m.

The Cardinals could wrap up the district championship with a victory Thursday in Chaparral. If Conway Springs loses, then that sets up a host of possibilities ranging from a district championship to being eliminated from the playoffs.

If Conway Springs loses, the Cardinals can:

•Win the district championship provided it loses 4 points or less to Chaparral and Garden Plain beats Cheney by 10 points or less.

•Qualify for the playoffs if Garden Plain loses to Cheney. If both Chaparral and Garden Plain win then it will go off point differential to break the three-way tie with the top point getter winning the championship, and the next becoming district runner-up.

Belle Plaine – Wichita Independent, home, Thursday, 7 p.m.

The Dragons are talking playoffs for the first time in years.

If Belle Plaine beats Wichita Independent and Douglass loses to Bluestem, then the Dragons are district champions.

If Belle Plaine wins and Douglass wins then there will be several three-way tie-breaking scenarios in which the Dragons hope to have the top or second to the top point differentials.

If Belle Plaine loses, then the Dragons are out, unless Douglass loses then it would be a three-way tie-breaking scenario for the final district spot.

Oxford – Central-Burden, home, Thursday, 7 p.m.

Oxford won its first eight-man district championship in its history with a trouncing of Flinthills last weekend. Now, no matter what it does with Central-Burden this Thursday, the Wildcats will host a playoff game on Tuesday.

Look for the Wildcats to host either Sedan or West Elk, unless Sedan topples St. Paul which would put that district into a three-way tie breaking scenario that the author of this article isn’t going to try to explain.

Argonia-Attica  – South-Central, home, Thursday, 7 p.m.

This one is for the district title. Nothing else matters. Both South-Central and A&A have clinched a berth after breezing through district.

Co-head coach Luke Greenwood said A&A has a couple of junior varsity guys who are out but the team for the most part is at full strength.

“I think which ever team comes out ready to play and executes their game plan will be favored to win,” Greenwood said.

Caldwell – Hutchinson Central Christian, away, Thursday, 7 p.m.

Caldwell has a great opportunity to get into the playoffs. However, the team has lost six of its starters for this Thursday’s game due to a disciplinary issue that occurred last weekend.

So Caldwell will not be playing at full strength. This couldn’t have come at a worse time for the Bluejay program which is fighting for the second playoff spot. Hartford clinched the district crown with victories over Caldwell and HCC. The winner of Caldwell-HCC will be district runner-up, while the other one will stay home.

South Haven has been eliminated and will host Norwich in the final game of the season.

p class=”p1″>Follow us on Facebook.

Follow us on Twitter.