West Frankfort will not make the playoffs, Benton has a very slim chance of getting in

by Steve Dunford 

I was holding the antenna out the window to pick up WFRX in the last few minutes of the game tonight.  I was heartbroken.  I might get ran out of West Frankfort for saying this, I am,  heartbroken for whom the late Bruce A. Fasol used to refer to as, the team six miles to the north.”

The Redbirds picked up playoff points from Nashville, A-J, and Herrin, which has them at 33.  It was known they had to pick up a win to get in.

The Rangers are sitting at 36 points.  They picked up three points as well from Carterville, Herrin, and AJ.  They needed a lot of help.  I was looking good in the “early returns.”   Murphy was hanging around with DuQuoin.  Harrisburg was beating Carbondale, and the Redbirds lost a heart-breaker.

Of all places, it was looking possible that both Benton and WF might get a point from Pinckneyville.  The Panthers were tied with Carlyle at halftime.

One win between Pinckneyville and Sparta really hurt both the Redbirds and the Rangers getting at large bids at 5-4.

I will be writing two stories in the morning.  I will be writing a season in review for the Redbirds, as well as the C-Z-R Bearcats.

I will also be writing an extensive breakdown for what could take place around 8:00 p.m. when the playoff parings are announced.  I will mainly focus on Class 3A.  There is one team that is for sure alive, the S-V-W-W Red Devils, who suffered their first loss tonight to the Fairfield Mules.

For what was supposed to be a rebuilding year in West Frankfort, the Redbirds were 15 seconds away from making the playoffs.  Even though the results were not what we wanted tonight, it is a great day to be a Redbird.