Cathedral High School is one win away from a state championship game berth, but the Green Wave will have to overcome a curious rule regarding the MHSAA playoff brackets this Friday if they are to make to Jackson Dec. 2.

The Green Wave will play at Noxapater High School, a strong team that went undefeated in its region and beat Stringer High School last Friday in the second round of the playoffs.

Cathedral is currently 12-1 on the year, with its only loss being against Dexter High School 36-34 Oct. 20. Noxapater is currently 10-3 on the season. Both teams won their respective regions.

In pretty much every professional sport, home field advantage is given to the team with the best record. In the NFL, teams with the best record are even rewarded with a first-round bye in the postseason.

Granted, when it comes to the World Series, Major League Baseball stupidly gives the National League or American League team home field advantage depending on whichever team wins in the All-Star game.

No way should an exhibition game count for anything, but that’s the only instance I can think of off the top of my head where the team with the best record doesn’t have home field advantage in the playoffs. Yet for some reason, despite having a better record, Cathedral will have to win on the road to get to Jackson.

In MAIS, the team with the better record has home field advantage throughout the playoffs, which is why Trinity Episcopal hosted each week in the postseason last fall until the Saints got to Jackson for the title game. And since the Green Wave has a better record than Noxapater, Cathedral should be hosting this week, not traveling.

“The MHSAA rules say that whoever hosts the most home games (eventually) has to play away,” Cathedral head coach Ron Rushing said. “It’s just the way the system is set up. I think the logic of it is to split the gate (income) up and let everyone host a team sooner or later.”

That’s all well and good, but it’s a slap in the face to a team that worked hard this season and won all but one of its games, especially considering that Cathedral had to do so with a nine-game conference schedule.

“I think the higher seed should host without a doubt,” Rushing said. “That’s what all the hard work is put in for during the season, but there’s nothing we can do about it.”

Nothing except buckle down and beat Noxapater despite the system being unfair. If the Green Wave can pull of the victory Friday, it could prove to be huge in building momentum for Dec. 2. Cathedral hasn’t lost on the road yet this season, so we’ll see if they can continue that streak.