Football: It’s must-win time for Crespi and Alemany

Two schools that have had their moments of success this season, Crespi (7-1, 4-1) and Alemany (7-2, 3-2), face must-win situations Friday when they face off at Crespi in a Mission League game.

The margin for error is so slight that the loser could be out of the Pac-5 playoffs. If Crespi wins, it will getting nothing less than a share of the league title. If it loses, it could finish in fourth place and be out of playoff contention.

Alemany needs the win to have a tiebreaker edge over Crespi for possibly third place. If it finishes fourth, getting an at-large berth is unlikely based on the criteria in play. The Trinity League is in position to take both at-large berths barring a series of upsets on Friday night.

Crespi has had two weeks to prepare for an Alemany team that has been hurt by injuries in recent weeks. The Celts are known for their running game, but Alemany’s defense has been playing well against the run and could finally be the team that forces Crespi to pass to win.

The interesting news is that the teams in the Mission League are scheduled to get together on Thursday to do coin flips for every possible scenario. And the teams apparently don’t want the word to get out on the results prior to games on Friday.

So get ready for some interesting halftime talks. If a team is trailing and the coin flip has a big bearing on the game, don’t be surprised if the coach suddenly ends the secrecy and says, “Guys, we won the coin flip. We can be the No. 1 seed from the Mission League if we win. Let’s go!”

Or, maybe leaks will come out before the game. Stay tuned.

Twitter:@LATSondheimer