Wolcott football had some of its Thanksgiving morning pressure alleviated last night.
The Eagles clinched a Class M state playoff berth by virtue of Waterford’s loss to New London.
Wolcott (7-2) still has to play at Holy Cross (3-6) on Thanksgiving, but a spot in the postseason is no longer on the line. The only question now is who will the Eagles be playing in the quarterfinal round on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving.
As of this morning, Wolcott is ranked sixth in Class M, which would put it on the road at third-ranked Killingly, a run-happy team from the Eastern Connecticut Conference.
Based on the max points a team can have, Wolcott could end up fifth. Bunnell, currently fifth, plays city rival Stratford. If it comes down to a tiebreaker, the Eagles would garner the No. 5 seed. Wolcott would also be fifth with a Bunnell loss.
Wolcott’s opponent is not set in stone. The Eagles could play either Killingly or Hillhouse, depending on how things shake out next week. Hillhouse, 8-1, plays 5-4 city rival Wilbur Cross Thanksgiving morning. Killingly faces 2-7 Quinebaug Valley that same morning. Depending on the outcome of those games and points, No. 3 Killingly and No. 4 Hillhouse could change spots.
Of course, all of the above would be moot if Wolcott loses to Holy Cross. That could drop the Eagles to No. 7. Wolcott still needs to take care of business against Holy Cross.
The playoffs aren’t set until the Friday after Thanksgiving, when the CIAC makes them official. What is set is Wolcott will be in the playoffs after missing out in 2015.
