Updated: 10/24/25 2:15 PM

It’s that time of year when the postseason picture is starting to take shape. However, the 4A SPSL is anything but that. Only one team knows their fate for the Week 9 SPSL Crossover, and all 12 teams are still alive for a shot to make the Round of 32.

Six teams from the SPSL make the Round of 32. The top two teams in each division automatically qualify for the Round of 32. Seeds three and four crossover to play each other, with the winner moving on to the Round of 32 and the loser is out. Seeds five and six aren’t up for Round of 32 bids, and will still crossover to play each other with hopes to end the season with a victory. All Week 9 SPSL Crossover games will be hosted at SPSL-South sites, since SPSL-North teams hosted last year.

The first SPSL tiebreaker is head-to-head record. If there are three or more teams in a tie for a playoff spot, a Kansas Tiebreaker(s) will be used on Tuesday, October 28, to determine those seeds. The location(s) of any Kansas Tiebreaker will be determined at a later date.

SPSL-North

Here are the SPSL-North standings heading into Week 8:

1. Puyallup 7-0 (4-0)
2. Sumner 4-3 (3-1)
3. Curtis 5-2 (3-1)
4. South Kitsap 5-3 (2-3)
5. Emerald Ridge 2-5 (1-3)
6. Rogers (Puyallup) 1-7 (0-5)

Puyallup is the only undefeated team in the North remaining in both league play and overall. However, they face one last SPSL-North test on Friday when they travel to Curtis, who sits in second place, after losing to Sumner last week. ESN will be streaming Puyallup vs Curtis on Friday night.

The most cut-and-dry scenario is if Puyallup wins, they clinch the SPSL-North and will head to the SPSL Championship Game next week. Sumner would be the two seed and secure a Round of 32 spot, while Curtis would be the three seed and would need a Week 9 win to make the Round of 32. Here’s where the madness begins. If Curtis wins, and Sumner wins, all three teams will tie at the top of the SPSL-North standings. There will be a Kansas Tiebreaker played to determine the two teams automatically advancing to the Round of 32, the winner of the SPSL-North, and who will be the third seed and need a Week 9 win to make the Round of 32. If Curtis wins and Sumner loses to Emerald Ridge on Friday, Curtis will hold the head-to-head advantage over Puyallup and will win the North and get to play for the SPSL Championship. The only way Sumner can win the SPSL-North title is if Curtis beats Puyallup, and Sumner wins the Kansas Tiebreaker, due to Sumner losing to Puyallup in the regular season.

With South Kitsap winning over Rogers last night, the Wolves have clinched the 4-seed and will play next week in a winner-to-advance to the Round of 32 matchup against an SPSL-South opponent to be determined.

SPSL-South

Here are the standings heading into Week 8:

1. Graham-Kapowsin 8-0 (5-0)
2. Bethel 4-3 (2-2)
3. Olympia 3-4 (2-2)
4. Yelm 3-4 (2-2)
5. Bonney Lake 2-5 (1-3)
6. Spanaway Lake 2-6 (1-4)

Graham-Kapowsin is the only team in all of the SPSL that knows its fate for Week 9. The Eagles have won the SPSL-South and will host the SPSL Championship Game next Friday. Graham-Kapowsin won 28-12 over Spanaway Lake last night.

The rest of the division is where the fun begins. Bethel defeated Olympia at home but lost to Yelm last week in overtime. Yelm and Olympia play each other this week at Olympia. If Olympia wins and Bethel defeats Bonney Lake, Bethel would be the two-seed based on their head-to-head victory. If Olympia wins and Bethel loses, the Bears are the two seed. If Yelm wins, they are the two-seed regardless of the outcome of Bethel’s game against Bonney Lake.

There is only one scenario in the SPSL-South where a Kansas Tiebreaker would be applied. If Bonney Lake beats Bethel and if Yelm beats Olympia, then Bonney Lake, Olympia, and Bethel would enter a Kansas Tiebreaker for the third and fourth seeds.

With Spanaway Lake’s 28-12 loss to Graham-Kapowsin last night, the Sentinels are out of Round of 32 contention.

Tonight, ESN will stream Puyallup vs Curtis with the Centralia College Pregame Show beginning at 6:45 PM and kickoff starting at 7 PM.

Click here to get to our broadcast page to subscribe and watch those games, plus many other games.

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