The new playoff system used by the TSSAA was designed for two reasons. The first reason was to keep teams closer to home and encourage natural rivalries.
The second was to try to give more good teams a chance to make the playoffs.
And thanks to that new system, Sweetwater finds itself in the middle of that playoff talk.
Friday night gave us the perfect example of why it's way to early to give up on the playoffs for any team.

The Wildcats went from winless to playoff contenders in a matter of 12:18 and those playoff chances boil down to just one game - Oct. 16 at McMinn Central.
So how does a team do this?
It's simple really.
You beat the teams that matter.

The Chargers sit at 2-1 in District 5-AA with Sweetwater being the only district game left.
The Wildcats have two more district contests. The first is the matchup with the Chargers, followed by a regular-season ending showdown with Sequoyah on Oct. 29.
The Chiefs can still have their say in the playoff race with wins over Polk County and Sweetwater.
As always, making the playoffs isn't always a matter of finishing 8-2 or 7-3.
It's winning games and earning tiebreakers.

A win over Central would do that for Sweetwater.
Wins over Sweetwater and Polk would do it for Sequoyah.
And keep in mind that an automatic berth is probably the only way the Chiefs can still make the playoffs.

That requires them to finish first or second overall in the district.
And though the scenarios seem unlikely to most, there's a reason they exist.
It's because, in theory, those things can still happen.
As for Tellico Plains, the formula for making the playoffs is equally as simple.
The Bears beat Rockwood a couple of weeks ago and must now keep pace with the Tigers in the standing to earn the automatic berth in Class 2A.

Tellico got a mulligan on Friday night due to Rockwood's loss to Grace, but the Bears need to take control of their destiny.
The Bears finish the season with the weakest teams in District 3-A, Greenback and Midway, but don't think for a minute those teams will just lay down.

The turnaround accomplished by the Bears so far this season has been nothing short of amazing.
But without a trip to the playoffs, it would feel empty.
The Bears missed a golden opportunity to make it nearly impossible to miss the playoffs with Friday night's loss, but they still are in control in the 2A playoff race.
One thing to keep in mind is that Tellico is not only fighting for a spot in the playoffs, but a potential top-two seed in a playoff quadrant.

While making the playoffs should be the primary goal, being seeded first or second is a huge benefit as the top two seeds from each quadrant receive a first-round bye.
This football season has been full of twists and turns.
We've seen narrow wins and narrow losses.
There have been big wins and big losses.
But as the weather starts to feel more and more like it should for football season, Monroe County fans find themselves in a situation that's very familiar - a playoff race late in the season.