SHIPPENVILLE – With the District 9 Class A playoffs expanding to eight teams this season, the playoff race should go down to the final couple of weeks. But four District 9 teams could wrap-up playoff berths in Week Six.

Coudersport, Curwensville, Clarion and Clarion-Limestone can clinch playoff berths with wins this week.

The winner of the Clarion-Clarion-Limestone game will clinch a playoff spot, while the loser will also get in if Elk County Catholic beats Johnsonburg. Coudersport and Curwensville will also clinch spots if they win their games and ECC beats Johnsonburg.

Curwensville is at Ridgway, Coudersport is at Smethport and Clarion is at Clarion-Limestone. All four teams are 5-0 heading into Week Six and if they would win could finish with no more than three regular-season losses. A Johnsonburg loss to ECC would leave the Rams with four losses and would mean that no more than eight Class A teams in District 9 could finish with fewer than four loses allowing Coudersport with a win and Curwensville with a win to clinch a playoff berth. The winner of the Clarion-C-L game will be no matter what because both teams will have the highest District 9 Power Rating scores of any teams tied with three loses. The loser will also get in with a Johnsonburg loss because the loser would have the highest Power Rating of any of the remaining teams that could finish with four loses.

If the playoffs were to start after Week Five, Clarion, Clarion-Limestone, Coudersport, Curwensville, Otto-Eldred (3-2), Port Allegany (3-2), ECC (3-2) and Smethport (3-2) would qualify.

Johnsonburg (2-3) is one game back of a playoff berth, while Keystone and Ridgway, both 1-4, are two games back with four to play.