Last Chance!!!

Week 12 took some interesting twists and set up a Week 13 with considerably less drama than in recent years. We know 5/6 of the playoff field, with only two teams competing for the last spot.

Here's what we do know:

-The much-anticipated Boys of Summer/Syn City matchup in Week 13 is meaningless. Even if they beat them week, Syn City cannot catch the Boys of Fall for the Westwood Division title/#1 playoff seed/first round post-season bye. Though their records could be tied with a Syn City victory, the first tie-breaker goes to division record, where the Boys of Fall have an insurmountable 2-game lead with one game left. This means the Boys of Fall have clinched the top seed, leaving Syn City to the #4 seed.

-Syn City's Wild Card game will be a rematch of this weekend's loss to the L.A. Ninjas. With the win, the Ninjas clinch the #5 seed. Syn City won their earlier matchup this year.

-The L.A. Ninjas' 50-point beat-down of Syn City this week was a bit stunning. It not only crushed Synrod's divisional title hopes, but also put a halt to his 10-game winning streak, which is the longest single-season win streak in AldenLeague history (1 better than the Boys of Fall's 9-game streak earlier this season). Syn City finishes 2nd behind CheektoWojo's all-time run of 15 games in a row.

-Both teams have clinched their divisions, but it remains to be settled who will get the coveted first-round bye between Crittenden Division Champions The Skyns, and Sandridge Division Champion The Risen. Both teams have identical records, but Evans needs to hope for a Hoskyns loss because he's not going to catch The Skyns in points for the first tie-breaker (Hoskyns currently leads by 116). The team who doesn't clinch the first-round bye will be facing the #6 seed team, which has yet to be determined.

-With their win in Week 12, Fireseed takes the lead in the race for the final playoff spot, with a one-game and 31-point advantage over Andy's Red Hots, who lost to CheektoWojo. To make it, the Red Hots need a win, a Fireseed loss, and to overcome that point differential. Andy is playing the Sandridge Division champions The Risen, who Andy beat back in Week 1. Fireseed is playing the Crittenden Champs, The Skyns.

Everyone else? Shit out of luck for this season, I'm afraid. But don't give up yet - the Loser's Bracket in the post-season is wide open, with first-round bye slots to be had. The better you do, the better your draft pick next season.

Here's a team-by-team rundown of the details:

1. Boys of Fall (11-1, 5-0)

Clinched the Westwood Division title, the #1 seed in the playoffs, and a first-round bye in the postseason.

2. The Skyns (7-5, 4-1)

Realistically clinched the Crittenden Division title and a playoff berth (due to unlikelihood of Fireseed 217 points in the third tie-breaker).

Can clinch the #2 seed in the post-season and a first-round bye with a win, or a loss by The Risen (due to unlikelihood of The Risen catching The Skyns in points for the 1^st tiebreaker – The Skyns currently leads by 116 points).

3. The Risen (7-5, 3-2)

Has clinched the Sandridge Division title and a playoff berth.

Can clinch the #2 seed in the post-season and a first-round bye in the playoffs with a win plus The Skyns losing to Fireseed.

4. Syn City (10-2, 3-2)

Has clinched a playoff berth, and has clinched the #4 seed in the post-season.

Is eliminated from contention for the Westwood Division due to their being unable to catch the Boys of Fall in Divisional Record, which is the first tie-breaker.

Will face the L.A. Ninjas in the playoffs’ first round.

5. L. A. Ninjas (8-4, 2-3)

Has clinched a playoff berth, and has clinched the #5 seed in the post-season.

Is eliminated from Westwood Division title contention.

Will face Syn City in the playoffs’ first round.

6. Fireseed (6-6, 3-2)

Can clinch a playoff berth and #6 seed in the post-season with ONE of the following:

A. win this week vs. The Skyns

B. loss by Andy’s Red Hots to The Risen

C. Maintaining 30.73-point lead over Andy’s Red Hots

Is eliminated from Crittenden Division title contention due to unlikelihood of passing The Skyns in points in the third tie-breaker (currently trailing by 217).

7. Andy’s Red Hots (5-7, 3-2)

Can earn a playoff berth and the #6 playoff seed with ALL of the following:

A. Win vs. The Risen

B. Fireseed loss to The Skyns

C. Catching Fireseed in points (currently trailing by 30.73 points)

Is eliminated from Sandridge Division title contention.

8. Stigs (4-8, 3-2)