New playoffs yield familiar results
-
THE CHOPS
- Official BleacherCoach
- Posts: 1900
- Joined: October 24th, 2003, 10:42 am
- Location: SCOTTDALE, PA.
New playoffs yield familiar results
New playoffs yield familiar results !!!
If this was the Year of the Big Change in the PIAA football playoffs, how is it we're treated to another Rochester-Southern Columbia game tomorrow afternoon? Since they were announced last year -- and announced and announced, thanks to various delays and tweakings -- the significant changes in the bracketing for state playoffs were the buzz among fans, some of whom were perplexed by what they saw.
As recently as last week, this newspaper was receiving inquiries as to why and how Bishop McDevitt, as the District #3-6 (AAAA) champion, was playing in the West Championship game (or more accurately, playing the role of marionette to Pittsburgh Central Catholic's fingers).
Before that, several Camp Hill heads were scratching over the Lions' quarterfinal matchup with District #6 champion Bellwood-Antis, played in the fine city of Altoona, no less.
Statewide, there were similar odd occurrences, most notably Selinsgrove's off-the-wall pairings with Johnstown of District 6 and Thomas Jefferson of District #7 in the playoffs. Before that, it was the early start of the season for District #7 teams only.
Frankly, we found these quirky new pairings and some of the other alterations of the playoffs refreshing and exciting. District #10's bottom three classes took a week off after a nine-game regular season, District 9 expanded (AA) and (A) playoffs, District $5 had a championship (Class A) to call its own, and Philadelphia was in the PIAA house.
Of course, we didn't have to get on a bus and ride for a three-hour tour.
Like anything new, the playoff format came with growing pains, carping over travel and site selection. That, of course, is not new at all. There is no finer fall sport, it seems, than blasting the PIAA over where it holds football games.
"Almost all of the feedback we got was in regards to site selection," PIAA executive director Brad Cashman said. "Most of the complaints we had were about the site for the Berwick-Manheim Central game [at Shamokin's Kemp Memorial Stadium.]
"We had an estimated paid attendance of 3,900 for that game," Cashman said. "It was a comfortable crowd, and it was not oversold, as some had feared."
In the end, though, the new-look playoff structure produced a lot of old-look finalists: Pittsburgh Central Catholic (3 finals appearances) and Neshaminy (2) in (AAAA), Manheim Central (2) in (AAA), and Rochester (5) and Southern Columbia (9) in (A) have all seen the sights of Hershey before.
That is proof that bracketing and late-season grass fields (oh, how the fans howl about those) really mean nothing. What matters is a program's commitment to excellence. The schools listed above have passed that particular test.
Still, the PIAA will continue to look for ways to improve not just the playoff structure but the qualifying opportunities for member schools.
There is only one way to do that, and that is to expand the season. This weekend at its meetings in Hershey, the PIAA will consider doing just that.
District #7 representatives will make a proposal to anchor the first day of football practice each year to the second Monday in August with the net result of a 16-week season.
This proposal is designed to replace the current proposal, which already has passed one vote, to make an early start available to all PIAA districts, not just District #7.
"What the Board will do this weekend is put that proposal on a 10-year calendar and see what it looks like," Cashman said.
"There will be some years when football practice in Pennsylvania will begin the same week as all other fall sports. But there will be some years where it starts a week earlier."
Given that some sort of change along these lines seemed inevitable, this is a great idea. First, it eliminates the appearance of favoritism to District 7 that now exists with the WPIAL's early start. Starting on the second Monday also remains an option; a district could choose to start on the third Monday in certain years.
Most important, it gives virtually each district in Pennsylvania tremendous flexibility on how it will structure its playoffs to fit into the PIAA format. If passed as proposed, a lot of the regional tournaments (combined district tournaments) will dissolve, replaced by separate district championships.
That's a good thing. How good?
Think eight teams for the 3-9AA) playoffs. Six teams for 3-(A), with the top two seeds receiving a first-round bye. And 16 teams for the 3-6 (AAAA) and 3-(AAA) playoffs. All of this, and a 10-game regular season, too.
District 3 chairman Jim Ellingsworth sees this newest proposal as a "reasonable compromise" to an early start to football each year.
"I've talked with John Ziegler District #3 vice chairman and football chairman, and we both feel we can support this on a first-reading basis and get it in the hands of our membership for review," said Ellingsworth, who was opposed to the early start exception for football.
"I'm not saying we'd run right out and go to 16 teams for (AAAA) and (AAA)," Ellingsworth said. "But I do think it solves our [qualifying] problem in Class (AA) and gives us a lot of flexibility for our playoffs."
Another possibility: keeping the 3-6 (AAAA) and 3-(AAA) fields at eight teams and having a week off between the end of the regular season and the start of playoffs.
So, it appears the Year of the Big Change could last a little longer than a year. We won't complain.
"THE CHOPS".
If this was the Year of the Big Change in the PIAA football playoffs, how is it we're treated to another Rochester-Southern Columbia game tomorrow afternoon? Since they were announced last year -- and announced and announced, thanks to various delays and tweakings -- the significant changes in the bracketing for state playoffs were the buzz among fans, some of whom were perplexed by what they saw.
As recently as last week, this newspaper was receiving inquiries as to why and how Bishop McDevitt, as the District #3-6 (AAAA) champion, was playing in the West Championship game (or more accurately, playing the role of marionette to Pittsburgh Central Catholic's fingers).
Before that, several Camp Hill heads were scratching over the Lions' quarterfinal matchup with District #6 champion Bellwood-Antis, played in the fine city of Altoona, no less.
Statewide, there were similar odd occurrences, most notably Selinsgrove's off-the-wall pairings with Johnstown of District 6 and Thomas Jefferson of District #7 in the playoffs. Before that, it was the early start of the season for District #7 teams only.
Frankly, we found these quirky new pairings and some of the other alterations of the playoffs refreshing and exciting. District #10's bottom three classes took a week off after a nine-game regular season, District 9 expanded (AA) and (A) playoffs, District $5 had a championship (Class A) to call its own, and Philadelphia was in the PIAA house.
Of course, we didn't have to get on a bus and ride for a three-hour tour.
Like anything new, the playoff format came with growing pains, carping over travel and site selection. That, of course, is not new at all. There is no finer fall sport, it seems, than blasting the PIAA over where it holds football games.
"Almost all of the feedback we got was in regards to site selection," PIAA executive director Brad Cashman said. "Most of the complaints we had were about the site for the Berwick-Manheim Central game [at Shamokin's Kemp Memorial Stadium.]
"We had an estimated paid attendance of 3,900 for that game," Cashman said. "It was a comfortable crowd, and it was not oversold, as some had feared."
In the end, though, the new-look playoff structure produced a lot of old-look finalists: Pittsburgh Central Catholic (3 finals appearances) and Neshaminy (2) in (AAAA), Manheim Central (2) in (AAA), and Rochester (5) and Southern Columbia (9) in (A) have all seen the sights of Hershey before.
That is proof that bracketing and late-season grass fields (oh, how the fans howl about those) really mean nothing. What matters is a program's commitment to excellence. The schools listed above have passed that particular test.
Still, the PIAA will continue to look for ways to improve not just the playoff structure but the qualifying opportunities for member schools.
There is only one way to do that, and that is to expand the season. This weekend at its meetings in Hershey, the PIAA will consider doing just that.
District #7 representatives will make a proposal to anchor the first day of football practice each year to the second Monday in August with the net result of a 16-week season.
This proposal is designed to replace the current proposal, which already has passed one vote, to make an early start available to all PIAA districts, not just District #7.
"What the Board will do this weekend is put that proposal on a 10-year calendar and see what it looks like," Cashman said.
"There will be some years when football practice in Pennsylvania will begin the same week as all other fall sports. But there will be some years where it starts a week earlier."
Given that some sort of change along these lines seemed inevitable, this is a great idea. First, it eliminates the appearance of favoritism to District 7 that now exists with the WPIAL's early start. Starting on the second Monday also remains an option; a district could choose to start on the third Monday in certain years.
Most important, it gives virtually each district in Pennsylvania tremendous flexibility on how it will structure its playoffs to fit into the PIAA format. If passed as proposed, a lot of the regional tournaments (combined district tournaments) will dissolve, replaced by separate district championships.
That's a good thing. How good?
Think eight teams for the 3-9AA) playoffs. Six teams for 3-(A), with the top two seeds receiving a first-round bye. And 16 teams for the 3-6 (AAAA) and 3-(AAA) playoffs. All of this, and a 10-game regular season, too.
District 3 chairman Jim Ellingsworth sees this newest proposal as a "reasonable compromise" to an early start to football each year.
"I've talked with John Ziegler District #3 vice chairman and football chairman, and we both feel we can support this on a first-reading basis and get it in the hands of our membership for review," said Ellingsworth, who was opposed to the early start exception for football.
"I'm not saying we'd run right out and go to 16 teams for (AAAA) and (AAA)," Ellingsworth said. "But I do think it solves our [qualifying] problem in Class (AA) and gives us a lot of flexibility for our playoffs."
Another possibility: keeping the 3-6 (AAAA) and 3-(AAA) fields at eight teams and having a week off between the end of the regular season and the start of playoffs.
So, it appears the Year of the Big Change could last a little longer than a year. We won't complain.
"THE CHOPS".