5A meeting

[Rebel-Fan-74]

next year in our region 2 we will have 6 teams but only 4 play football.
96,ABBEVILLE,LIBERTY and SOUTHSIDE CHRISTIAN so we will have 7 non region games.
I hope 96 and EMERALD will keep playing each other.who knows how they will fill 2 of
those non region games.most teams will be playing region games in weeks 6 and 7.
I am not a fan of 2 teams playing each other 2 times in the regular season. but I hate
having to drive 75 or 80 miles for a non region game.

Yes, this is now true in all Classes... I think it would have been better to go to A, AA and AAA for regular season then split them all for the playoffs. Scheduling would have been much easier with the three classifications.

[FootballFan4343]

Welcome to the world that classes A through AAA have been living in now for years. I like the new playoff idea because it allows teams to save on travel costs which will more than make up for the lost gate revenue of the 11th game. Also the new system allows for more geographic rivalries between the new 5A schools and some the smaller schools around them which could produce some monster gates for the schools. For instance Greenwood can now play Emerald again with out having to worry about playoff points. This game would be a huge gate and be a game the city of Greenwood could look forward to every year. Also some of you are right in terms on some 5A schools who are less competitive possibly loading the non-region up with cupcakes to make the overall record look better but isn't the point of high school football for the kids to have fun? Who wants to get their brains beat in week after week? Nobody does, what's the fun in that? But for all of you complaining about a 1 win team getting into the playoffs under the old points system this prevents that from happening. Now teams must win games in region play to get in. Will you loose some of those games non-region like NW vs Dorman? Maybe but if those teams are truly good they will meet up in the playoffs anyway which we be even more exciting than a regular season match up just because it would be a win or go home scenario. I'm glad it's changing because I hated the points system with a passion. The points system sucked because you could load up the schedule with tough games and gain more by loosing than winning in some cases.

I wouldn't say a "monster gate" will be had if a 2A team plays a 5A team. Most fans do not want to watch a 54-6 game. Thats the reality. Which do you think would attract more fans at a Byrnes game? Byrnes vs. Blacksburg or Byrnes vs. Northwestern? Obviously the Byrnes-NW game. The only way the gates will be "monster" gates is if they are competitive. Very rarely do you have competitive 2A schools with a natural rivalries to good 4A schools.
I hate the current 1A-3A pre-determined playoff brackets and the non cross bracketing involved. State championships should truly be the two best teams.
So here is my solution, if points are NOT a factor, then intentionally cross bracket in the first round...IE:
Region 1 winner plays Region 8 4th place
Region 2 winner plays Region 7 4th place
etc etc
then change it up yearly.

Bottom line is the points system, while with its flaws, actually increases COMPETITIVENESS. It makes players strive to be the best. With the new system, we are sacrificing competitiveness for conveinence.

[Viking9987]

I don't think the big non-region games are going to totally go away either. Think about it, now if NW looses to Greenwood it doesn't hurt them at all anymore when it comes to playoff seeding. That game now only helps both teams regardless of the outcome because it would be getting them prepared for region play when the games actually count towards playoff berths and seeding. The reason I think the local 3A and 4A vs 5A games would work is because most of those games would be geographical rivalries which could draw big gates. Think about how much a Greer vs Hilcrest or Greenwood vs Abbeville game could draw most years and be competitive as well. The competitive games will still be there too. For instance in AAA Emerald played 96, Daniel, and Abbeville in non-region play this year. Most years that's a tough non-region slate at the AAA level which Emerald played because it prepared them for region play. My point is that just because the point system in going away doesn't mean that 5A athletic directors are going to start scheduling all cupcakes for non-region play. They are going to schedule tough games too because they realize how much money the big games make and how those games prepare their teams for region play and the playoffs.

[GoBigGreen]

I personally would like a system in which every game mattered toward whether you one, make it into the playoffs and two, determine your seed in the playoffs. The system now is certainly not perfect as you do well in your region and slide into the playoffs; however, at least in the current system your seed is determined by where you finish in your region and then by playoff points which take the non-region games into account. With the proposed system, you basically have an extended scrimmage season followed by meaningful games which could towards playoff qualification. For teams in 5 team regions this is reduced to 4 meaningful games which ultimately will determine whether you make the playoffs, well sort of. With 4 teams out of 5 teams making it into the playoffs with a 5 team region, you only have to not finish last. In an 8 team region, 7 of the 10 games played will be region games which in the new system will be the primary factor in playoff qualification. We apparently do have 1 at large bid in the lower state which is still a mystery as to how that team will be determined. In my opinion the current system is much better than the one being proposed based on what I have read in this thread so far about it's setup.

[FootballFan4343]

I don't think the big non-region games are going to totally go away either. Think about it, now if NW looses to Greenwood it doesn't hurt them at all anymore when it comes to playoff seeding. That game now only helps both teams regardless of the outcome because it would be getting them prepared for region play when the games actually count towards playoff berths and seeding. The reason I think the local 3A and 4A vs 5A games would work is because most of those games would be geographical rivalries which could draw big gates. Think about how much a Greer vs Hilcrest or Greenwood vs Abbeville game could draw most years and be competitive as well. The competitive games will still be there too. For instance in AAA Emerald played 96, Daniel, and Abbeville in non-region play this year. Most years that's a tough non-region slate at the AAA level which Emerald played because it prepared them for region play. My point is that just because the point system in going away doesn't mean that 5A athletic directors are going to start scheduling all cupcakes for non-region play. They are going to schedule tough games too because they realize how much money the big games make and how those games prepare their teams for region play and the playoffs.

While, I respect your opinion and understand your thought process, I must disagree. Assuming you are correct, basically the first 6 games become scrimmages to make money for the school. Coaches know this, the players know this, and ultimately the fans will know it. The reason 4A is so intense now is because every game truly does count. At the other levels, none of the other ones count, and much like you said, they try to get games that will draw a gate. Is this really what HIGH SCHOOL football has become? Are we now sacrificing competition for traveling and "potential gates". While local match-ups might work, it will get old after a while when the 5A team continues to own the 2A or 3A school. While you mentioned a couple of rivalries, keep in mind with the new proposal, 5A schools will have to find 6 games like that. That will be the tough part..one game, maybe two games, doable. But 6 games is way too tough. 4A football is the closest thing we have to college and the NFL. Every game counts. The example of a 1-9 Byrnes team making the playoffs is exactly right. That potential is there. As it sits now, no 1-10 team would make the playoffs. I think with the current system, the worst record was a 3-8 Spartanburg team back in 2009. But all you have to do is win ONE region game, and you are in. That is not good. This is the continuing of the "participation" trophy for kids. Every kid team gets a chance at a nice record, you win a game in region, and Yay, you make the playoffs.

[Rebel-Fan-74]

Region 5, 6 and 7 spread out over 4 brackets...

Region 5 #1.................Region 6 #1..................Region 7 #1...............Region 5 #2
Region 6 #2.................Region 7 #2..................Region 5 #3...............Region 6 #3
Region 7 #3.................Region 5 #4..................Region 6 #4...............Region 7 #4
Region 5 #5.................Region 6 #5..................Region 7 #5...............Region A/L

MAYBE? Who knows? I mean you don't have 4 Region Champs, so one portion of the bracket will be topped off with a #2 seed I guess?

Why did they not just make it A, AA, AAA for regular season and then make it six brackets for the playoffs?

[Dave Pickren]

In the pre determined format there has been many cases where one region has swept another region in the playoffs.

Last season Region 2 Class 3A which contained an undefeated Greer team was swept in all 4 games last playoff season.

This has happened many times in the past

[Viking9987]

Dave I'm not sure which playoffs you were watching but Region 2 AAA was not swept last year in the playoffs. Greer made it the 2nd round where they fell to BHP I believe and Emerald went to the 3rd round where they fell to A.C. Flora. Does the possibility of a region sweep exist? Sure it does but rarely does it happen. I do understand the viewpoints behind keeping the current point system in the new 5A. I actually agree 4A football as a whole is better now than ever and also agree that under the proposed system non-region games are essentially nothing more than an extended preseason for teams but it's the world us smaller classifications have lived in for years now.

[FootballFan4343]

Dave I'm not sure which playoffs you were watching but Region 2 AAA was not swept last year in the playoffs. Greer made it the 2nd round where they fell to BHP I believe and Emerald went to the 3rd round where they fell to A.C. Flora. Does the possibility of a region sweep exist? Sure it does but rarely does it happen. I do understand the viewpoints behind keeping the current point system in the new 5A. I actually agree 4A football as a whole is better now than ever and also agree that under the proposed system non-region games are essentially nothing more than an extended preseason for teams but it's the world us smaller classifications have lived in for years now.

I, for one, think their should be a points systems in place for all classifications. This way it gives the best teams the best opportunity, versus a pre-determined situation without cross bracketing. But, I understand that takes a lot more work than just pre-determining things. But once again, we are sacrificing competition for convienence and potential financials (I say potential because I don't buy the fact that playing an exclusively local non conference schedule will increase gate because no matter what anyone says, fans won't attend 54-7 games on a regular basis). Games like that are no fun for anyone...the winning team doesn't get better, the losing team is down and beat up, the fans don't care for the game and then leave at halftime. That is what 5A will become, teams with inflated records making the playoffs due to their "soft schedule". Keep in mind a 5A team can play 6 1A-4A schools, get 6 wins, then win 1 region game, make the playoffs, lose by 50 in the first round. BUT, they end the year with a 7-4 record and a playoff berth and the season is considered successful. Versus right now, that team must play big schools in pre-region play, they might go 2-4, then in region go 1-4 and not make the playoffs due to the number of at large teams. So they finish the year with a 3-8 record and no playoffs, much different post season feeling.
But, thats the way it is. We are going to make kids "feel better" about themselves instead of "real life". This is an example of the "participation trophy". On another note, it is going to be tough to fill those non region schedules, a lot tougher than they think. With points out of it, there is NO incentive to play other 5A teams, especially considering the end of cross bracketing so its likely you would play them a second time. So, with all 5A teams scrambling to play the smaller schools, they then in turn won't play as many because no 2A-3A wants to play 5 5A schools. Scheduling will become a nightmare.

[Viking9987]

I agree the new system has its fair share of problems. The only way the scheduling nightmare is going to be resolved is if you pair two regions up who have have the same problem of having a shortage of teams. The unfortunate problem with that solution is that it may require a team to travel a good distance for a game or possibly force a mismatch between a 5A team and say a 3A team. Look I know a lot of the 4A people hate the new setup but as a lower class school I love it because now it opens up new scheduling possibilities. For instance now you can get those match ups that put someone like Dillon against someone like Dorman, Summerville, or Byrnes. Under the current points system those match ups would never happen because the 4A team wouldn't get the points bump needed for postseason. Now the smaller schools who produce great football can get the chance to show they can run with the big boys of the state.