Ledyard has an opportunity to clinch a CIAC Class M football playoff berth on Friday night.

It’s by no means guaranteed the Colonels will qualify for the third straight season with a win over Plainfield, but it’s possible.

Ledyard (7-1) is third in the Class M ratings with 950 points. It would earn 130 points with a win over the Panthers (3-5), plus 30 guaranteed bonus points for a total of 1,100 points (teams receive 10 points for each win by an opponent it beat and guaranteed points are when two opponents a team beat play each another).

Eight teams qualify in all four divisions. There are 10 teams who could beat the Colonels’ 1,100 points, including Foran, Cromwell/Portland and East Haven. Ledyard could elminate all three this weekend with a win Friday night.

Foran (6-2) is ranked eighth. The Hyde/Career/Whitney Tech co-op (6-2) is ninth. Both have challenging games Friday. Foran plays host to unbeaten North Haven, ranked sixth in The Day's Top 10 state coaches poll.

Hyde/Career/Whitney plays at Cromwell/Portland (7-1), which is fighting to make the Class S playoffs.

Foran and Hyde/Career/Whitney would be unable to catch Ledyard with losses and a Ledyard win.

East Haven (6-2) is 11th. Its ceiling is 1,100 points if it wins its last two games (Hartford’s CREC co-op and Branford) and collects all of its bonuses.

The Yellowjackets need wins by the following teams this week in order to help them max out on bonuses — Guilford (2-6) over Hillhouse (6-2), Hamden (1-7) over unbeaten Shelton, and Sheehan (3-5) over Cheshire (3-5).

East Haven’s maximum drops below 1,100 should any of those three teams lose.

The Colonels will most likely be the only area qualifier as Norwich Free Academy (4-4) and Montville (4-3) were all but eliminated after losing last weekend. Valley Regional/Old Lyme is mathematically alive in Class M but way back at No. 16.

Fitch was eliminated from Class L contention after last Friday's loss.

n.griffen@theday.com

@Twitter: MetalNED