The Valley Regional/Old Lyme football team lost a heartbreaker to Cromwell/Portland last month.

The Warriors now could use a favor from the Panthers (or others) after an unforeseen event in the CIAC playoff races affected its standings in the Class SS division.

Hartford Public forfeited an early-season win over Rocky Hill on Friday. The forfeit gave Rocky Hill enough points move up to seventh in Class SS, pushing Gilbert/Northwestern/Housatonic down to eighth and Valley/Old Lyme to ninth.

The top eight teams qualify in each of the CIAC’s six playoff divisions.

The Warriors (8-1), then, are no longer guaranteed a playoff berth with a win at rival Haddam-Killingworth (6-3) on Tuesday.

Valley/Old Lyme’s best chance at qualifying would be a win and a loss by either Barlow, Gilbert, Granby/Canton or Rocky Hill.

Granby/Canton (8-2) didn’t help, defeating Coventry/Windham Tech/Bolton/Lyman Memorial (1-9) 40-6 in its regular-season final on Friday night.

Rocky Hill (7-2) plays at Cromwell/Portland (8-1) on Nov. 23. Barlow (7-2) plays at Weston (4-5) that same day.

Gilbert (7-2) plays at St. Paul (3-6) on Thanksgiving.

There’s a chance that Valley/Old Lyme could benefit if Ledyard (8-1) loses at Fitch (5-4) on Thanksgiving, but its odds aren’t as promising as losses by the other contenders previously mentioned.