Bernie Dolan, executive director of the West Virginia Secondary School Activities Commission, announced on Friday Game Night that the Top 16 from each class will initially qualify for the playoffs regardless of what color a particular school's county is on the Saturday color warning map put out by the West Virginia Department of Education.

 

Up until Friday night, the plan was that any school that finished in the Top 16 in any of the three classes that showed up red or orange on Saturday's map would be bumped out and the brackets would be backfilled starting with the No. 17 team and proceeding down.

 

Under that scenario, as many as eight of Class AAA's Top 16 were looking at being eliminated because of their color on Saturday afternoon.

 

There are still a couple of caveat's though. An orange or red school's first-round game must be scheduled for Sunday, Nov. 15. Each of those schools would then have until the Nov. 14 WVDE map to get down to gold, yellow or green. If they remain red or orange on the Nov. 14 map, they would then have to forfeit. If a first-round matchup involves two schools in that situation, they would both forfeit. 

 

Giving the new scenario, Bridgeport will finish the regular season, following Friday's 42-7 victory against Morgantown, as the No. 5 team in Class AAA and will be at home to face No. 12 Washington in the opening round.

 

Dates, times and locations for all playoff games are still not expected to be finalized until the playoff meeting Sunday in Parkersburg.

 

Stay tuned to Connect-Bridgeport for more updated information about the Indians and the postseason field for the rest of the state.