Winless Massachusetts HS football team makes playoffs

Triton finished the regular season 0-7 and was outscored 248-42. However, the Vikings played a tough schedule, and the state’s power rating system places a premium on the quality of opponents.

Teams get 10 points for a win over a team in their division or lower and 12 points for a win over a team in a higher division or Division 1. That’s half of the power rating formula (“own value”). The second half of the equation, “opponents value,” rewards strength of schedule. Teams get 3 points for every win by an opponent they defeated, 1 point for every win by an opponent they lost to within their own division or lower, and 1.2 points for every win by an opponent they lost to in a higher division.

These two numbers are added, then divided by the number of games played to get a team’s final power rating.

The rating system placed Triton ahead of two teams with one win. A coach for one of those teams, Watertown, told The Globe he still supports the rating system because it provides postseason opportunities to schools that otherwise might never have them.

In 2015, El Dorado High School in California made the playoffs despite a 0-10 record. Over the last seven years, states like New Jersey, Massachusetts and Florida have transitioned to new football playoff formats with mixed reviews.

The Vikings play Saturday against Division 5’s top-ranked team, Swampscott (6-1). The two played earlier this year, with Swampscott coming out on top, 49-0.

Read more from The Boston Globe.

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