Heading to overtime

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November 2, 2009

Calvary, Central, Veritas meeting in three-team playoff series

By Jamie Wachter / executive sports editor The Meridian Star Mon Nov 02, 2009, 11:55 PM CST

The MAIS 8-Man Division 1 title race has gone to overtime.

After Calvary Christian, Central Academy and Veritas finished in a three-way tie atop the division standings and tiebreakers couldn't break the knot, the original plan was for a coin flip Monday morning in Jackson.

Instead, though, the three squads will get one last chance to settle it on the field today at 5 p.m. at Bailey Stadium in Decatur. The Cougars, Vikings and Lions will meet for a playoff series that follows overtime format — each team gets possession at the opponent's 10 until the tie is broken. If the three teams split the overtime periods, the winners will be decided by points during the playoff.

Calvary and Veritas start the playoff in the first game at 5 p.m. The Cougars and Vikings play second and Central meets the Lions in the third game.

"The MAIS gave as an alternative, gave us an option," Calvary coach Kirby Newell said. "None of us wanted to flip a coin, so this is what we're going to do.

"The MAIS has endorsed this and this is a first. It has never happened before in football in Mississippi, to what they told me, that an overtime procedure playoff like this. It's setting a precedent."

The three coaches weren't alone in wanting to avoid the coin flip, Newell said.

"The kids were positive," he added. "They were positive because everybody was scared to death of losing on the flip of a coin.

"They are ready to go. They are eager."

Calvary, the defending state champion, lost its lone game this year Sept. 21 at Central, 42-20. The 8-1 Cougars downed Veritas 64-28 on Sept. 25, while the Lions (6-3) beat the Vikings 68-26 on Oct. 23. Central (6-2) and Calvary also both registered non-division wins against Veritas. The Vikings won 32-18 on Sept. 11, while Calvary grabbed a 48-34 win at Veritas on Oct. 2.

Central has handed Calvary its last two losses, also winning 36-28 last season.

"Playing on a short field, to me, is a lot better than flipping a coin," Newell said. "It's still going to be a disadvantage to us, with these two big teams, but the bottom line is none of the three of us, wanted to flip a coin and have one of us go back and tell the kids that they lost on a game of chance."

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