Zachary Lohn, MTN Reporter
February 10, 2021
With COVID still a very serious issue in Tennessee, the Tennessee Secondary Schools Athletic Association announced last month that every tournament game will be played by satellite. What this means is that the higher seed will host the matchup between the two teams. There will not be a neutral site for the Division 1 District 12 Class AA, so this year it is more important than ever to clinch the highest seed possible. The number one seed will not only clinch a first-round bye, but they will also be granted home-court throughout the whole tournament. Here are the clinching scenarios for each team:
Girls Basketball
Nolensville (7-2)
Clinched the number 1 seed. The Lady Knights have been granted home-court advantage throughout the District 12 AA tournament. Nolensville is looking to repeat as district champions.
Community (5-4)
2 Seed
CLINCH with WIN at Murfreesboro Central Magnet
3 Seed
CLINCH with loss at Murfreesboro Central Magnet AND Forrest loss against Giles County
4 Seed
CLINCH with LOSS at Murfreesboro Central Magnet
With their win on February 5 against Nolensville, the Viqueens clinched the tiebreaker over the Forrest Lady Rockets. All the Viqueens must do to clinch the last first-round bye is to win Friday night. With their loss earlier in the year to Murfreesboro Central, another loss on Friday night would mean that the Viqueens would lose the head-to-head tiebreaker to Murfreesboro Central Magnet.
Forrest (5-4)
2 Seed
CLINCH with win against Giles County AND a Murfreesboro Central Magnet win against Community
3 Seed
CLINCH with loss
The lady Rockets can climb all the way into the two seed, but they can also fall as far as the four seed. They do not own any tiebreakers with the teams that are right above and below in the standings. To gain that first-round bye, the Lady Rockets will have to win Friday and have the Viqueens lose. Forrest swept Central Magnet in the regular season, so they cannot go lower than the three seed.
Murfreesboro Central Magnet (4-5)
3 Seed
CLINCH with win against Community AND Forrest win against Giles County
4 Seed
CLINCH with loss OR win against Community AND Marshall County loss at Nolensville
5 Seed
Clinch with loss against Community AND Marshall County win at Nolensville
With a win on Friday, the Lady Tigers would have swept the Viqueens in the season series, so they would hold the tiebreaker over the Viqueens. After getting swept by Marshall County, with a loss and Friday and a Marshall County win, Murfreesboro Central Magnet would fall all the way to the five seed.
Marshall County (3-6)
4 Seed
CLINCH with win at Nolensville AND Murfreesboro Central Magnet loss against Community AND Giles County loss at Forrest
5 Seed
CLINCH with win at Nolensville AND Murfreesboro Central Magnet Win AND Giles County loss at Forrest OR win at Nolensville AND Giles County loss at Forrest
6 Seed
CLINCH with loss at Nolensville OR win at Nolensville AND Murfreesboro Central Magnet loss against Community AND Giles County win at Forrest
Marshall County still has a chance to host a first-round game with a win and losses by Central Magnet and Giles County. A fifth seed can be clinched with multiple scenarios. Marshall does not own the tiebreaker over Giles because of the strength of victories, but they do own the tiebreaker over Murfreesboro Central Magnet. So, a win on Friday accompanied with a loss by Giles County clinches the fifth seed. If Marshall and Giles win but Central Magnet loses, then Marshall will get the sixth seed because of their strength of victory.
Giles County (3-6)
5 Seed
CLINCH with a win at Forrest
6 Seed
CLINCH with a loss at Forrest AND Marshall County win at Forrest
Giles County cannot go any higher than five because they do not own the tiebreaker over Central Magnet. A win at Forrest clinches the five seed. They can fall into the sixth seed by losing on Friday and Marshall County winning.
There are a lot of clinching scenarios, so this Friday will be interesting to watch unfold. The only position solidified is the number one seed after Nolensville dominated the regular season.