According to Tom Hanks, there is no crying in baseball.
According to the Prairie Football Conference, there is math in football.
The PFC regular season wrapped up with a wild Week 8 that left three teams tied for second place and forced the league to break out the calculators to determine the playoff matchups.
The Regina Thunder finished the regular season 7-1 and captured first place despite a 46-30 loss to the Calgary Colts on Sunday. The Thunder substituted liberally, giving younger players a chance to gain valuable experience heading into the playoffs. Calgary improved to 4-4 with the victory.
Earlier in the weekend, the Edmonton Wildcats improved to 4-4 with a 35-31 win over the Edmonton Huskies.
Then, in Saskatoon, the Winnipeg Rifles outscored the Saskatoon Hilltops 27-1 after the first quarter on their way to a 27-11 victory. That dropped the Hilltops to 4-4.
With Regina finishing first and Calgary, Saskatoon and Edmonton all sitting at 4-4, the league was left with a three-way tie for second place. The problem was that the three teams did not play a balanced schedule against each other, meaning the standard head-to-head tiebreaker could not be used.
Instead, the PFC used its percentage formula based on points scored and points allowed in the head-to-head games among the three tied teams. The formula is simple:
Points For ÷ (Points For + Points Against)
The Saskatoon Hilltops had 75 points for and 67 against, producing a percentage of 52.8.
The Edmonton Wildcats finished with 86 points for and 82 against, giving them a percentage of 51.2.
The Calgary Colts finished with 69 points for and 81 against, giving them a percentage of 46.
That means the Hilltops finished second, the Wildcats third, and the Colts fourth.
The playoff matchups are now set.
The Regina Thunder will host the Calgary Colts in one PFC semifinal, while the Saskatoon Hilltops will host the Edmonton Wildcats in the other.
For Thunder coach Scott MacAulay, the most important thing coming out of the regular season wasn't the final standings. It was learning exactly what kind of team he has.
"We have an identity that we've developed over the last eight weeks," MacAulay said.
That identity has been evident on both sides of the football. Offensively, the Thunder have shown they can run and throw the football, while MacAulay says his team is also willing to play a physical style.
Defensively, he likes his players' football IQ and their ability to communicate and understand their assignments. MacAulay also believes the Thunder are still improving.
The team is young, particularly on offence. Quarterback Jayden Zelionka is in his first season as a starter, while four of the five offensive linemen are first-time starters. But MacAulay has been impressed by Zelionka's development. What has surprised him most is the quarterback's composure.
"He takes coaching well," MacAulay said. "He's been composed in the pocket."
Early in the season, Zelionka was encouraged to stay in the pocket and make throws. As the season progressed, he began using his legs more often, giving the Thunder another dimension offensively. Having a quarterback who can run has opened up the playbook.
The Thunder's defence has also become one of the team's biggest strengths.
MacAulay points to the defensive line as the unit's foundation, praising the group's preparation and attention to detail. The defensive line has pressured opposing quarterbacks, stopped the run, and prevented offensive linemen from getting clean blocks at the second level.
MacAulay also credited defensive coordinator Paul Dawson for helping players understand the system and putting them in positions to succeed.
With the playoffs now here, the Thunder's focus turns to staying healthy and executing. MacAulay believes the final regular-season game against Calgary was valuable because it gave younger players the chance to get meaningful snaps.
The lesson was clear: The younger players still have work to do.
"There's a lot of missed tackles or a lot of misplays," MacAulay said, pointing to the need for young players to develop confidence in their abilities.
That confidence could become critical this weekend. The Thunder know exactly what is at stake now.
Win, and they move on. Lose, and their season is over.
"If they stick to the game plan and play the game as best they possibly can, a good outcome will come," MacAulay said.
The Thunder and Colts meet Sunday at 1 p.m. at Leibel Field.
The other semifinal sees the Saskatoon Hilltops host the Wildcats at 1 p.m. at Saskatoon Minor Football Field.
The road to the PFC championship starts now that the numbers are settled and the calculators are finally put away.
