FOOTBALL FRIDAY: Uniontown vs. Marais des Cygnes -- Tonight's clash key in playoff hunt

Just three weeks into district play and tonight's game between Marais des Cygnes Valley and Uniontown will be one which goes a long way toward determining which teams advance to the Eight-Man Division I playoffs out of District 1 and where they will be playing their Bi-District playoff game.

The Eagles and Trojans are both 2-0 in the district and 4-2 overall. Marais des Cygnes made the first move in playoff shuffling when it handed Waverly (1-1 district, 5-1 overall) its first loss last week. The Eagles play at Waverly in the final game of the regular season on Oct. 30.

A win over the Trojans will give Uniontown control over its playoff fate. If they then beat Pleasanton next week and Waverly in the finale and the Eagles will win the district. A loss to Waverly would create a three-way tie --as long as the Bulldogs beat St. Paul this week and Marmaton Valley next week. Those two teams are a combined 3-9.

If MdCV wins, the Trojans take control and would go on to win the district as long as they take care of business in the next two weeks against St. Paul and Pleasanton, which also combine for a 3-9 record. Then that Uniontown-Waverly game will be for the second and final playoff berth from the district.

So then Friday's game is a chance for Uniontown to make a charge toward securing its first playoff berth since 2009, when it was in Class 2-1A.

MdCV's losses are to Lebo and Hartford, each of which are 2-4. Uniontown's losses have come against Chetopa and Madison/Hamilton, which have one loss between them.

Tonight's game kicks off at 7 p.m.