Nothing certain yet for zone playoffs

James Yodice

Monday, Feb. 10, 1997 | 11:59 a.m.

Everyone get out pencil and paper and let's try to figure this out together.

It'll take some explaining, but it is possible to break down the possibilities for this, the final week of the regular high school basketball season.

Beginning with the boys' Sunrise Division, Las Vegas, Valley and Basic are assured of spots in the Southern AAAA Zone tournament Feb. 18-22 at Durango High, although their final seeds could change depending on what transpires over the next four days.

The Wildcats are 11-1 in league, the Vikings 10-2 and the Wolves 9-3. Basic beat top-ranked Valley 62-58 on Friday night in that division's biggest game of the weekend. The fourth and final position could be determined Tuesday night when fourth-place Green Valley (6-6) entertains fifth-place Rancho (5-7). If the Gators win, they are the fourth seed.

A Rancho win ties it with Green Valley at 6-7 and definitely complicates things, although the Gators have a scheduling advantage. Friday night in regular season finales, Rancho has a tough road game at Valley while Green Valley hosts Vo-Tech (2-10 in league).

In the boys' Sunset Division, Bishop Gorman's 78-72 win at Durango on Friday night locked up the top seed in that league for the Gaels (11-1). The Trailblazers fell into a second-place tie with Cheyenne (at 8-4) when Cimarron-Memorial knocked off Durango 82-71 Saturday night.

Cimarron and Western are 7-5, Clark 6-6. Key games on Tuesday night have Clark at Durango (a Clark loss all but finishes the Chargers) and Cimarron at Western.

If Durango beats Clark, then the Cimarron-Western winner can clinch a postseason berth with a victory on Friday night. On Friday, Western is at Durango and Cimarron plays host to Clark.

A Clark win over Durango, on the other hand, could potentially create major tiebreaking headaches, none of which are explained easily without a master's degree in calculus. It is possible (however unlikely) that Durango, Cimarron, Western, Clark and even Cheyenne -- if the Desert Shields were to be upset Tuesday night by Silverado -- could finish 8-6 in the division.

Head-to-head records among deadlocked teams is the first tiebreaker.

Moving on to the girls' Sunrise Division, Basic (11-1) and Eldorado (10-2) already are into the zone tournament. Las Vegas is 7-4, Chaparral and Green Valley 7-5 headed into the final week.

The Cowgirls' road unquestionably is the bumpiest. They have games this week with both Eldorado and Las Vegas. Vegas plays Chaparral, Rancho and Basic. Green Valley has the edge here, because the Gators play struggling Rancho and winless Vo-Tech.

Finally, in the girls' Sunset Division, Bishop Gorman (10-2) and Western (8-4) are through to the zone tournament. Silverado, Cheyenne and Durango are 6-6, Clark 5-7.

More will be known after Tuesday night. Durango is at Clark and Cheyenne visits Silverado. Also watch out for surging Bonanza, which at 4-8 is not yet out of the picture, although the Bengals need several minor miracles to reach the playoffs.