Bracket 5 a

[Fortfor5]

[Ddub14]

Sumter to me got an easy path to the lower state not having another #1 in that half and then getting lower state at home on top of that. I still think FD beats them but still.
Also Byrnes / Hillcrest in first round while Blythewood/Boiling springs get to play each other.
I think both teams (Byrnes/Hillcrest) throttle either of those teams by multiple scores.

[Deputy]

The lower state is the place to be. Nothing like the upstate.

But still too many teams. That Rock Hill somehow gets in the playoffs is a total joke.

[Ddub14]

Agree that there are too many teams in the playoffs.
The Byrnes / Hillcrest match up is not the norm.

[Penguin]

Simple fix. 8 Regions with only the top 2 finishers getting in. If you can't finish 2nd or better, you didn't play well enough to get in. The first round is all classes are nothing but dog-n-pony shows designed to make money for the SCHSL. Most of the lambs being led to slaughter will have long bus rides and some really hurt feelings. I can't remember the last time that a #3 Region finisher has been a factor in the playoffs. I won't say never, but the playoffs should be a reward for a good season, not just an extra game. Allow those not making the playoffs to play an 11th game if that is the case.

[ByrnesRebels05]

Need to just do away with the region finish being the sole factor and go back to points plain and simple.

[bringthewood]

Simple fix. 8 Regions with only the top 2 finishers getting in. If you can't finish 2nd or better, you didn't play well enough to get in. The first round is all classes are nothing but dog-n-pony shows designed to make money for the SCHSL. Most of the lambs being led to slaughter will have long bus rides and some really hurt feelings. I can't remember the last time that a #3 Region finisher has been a factor in the playoffs. I won't say never, but the playoffs should be a reward for a good season, not just an extra game. Allow those not making the playoffs to play an 11th game if that is the case.

Yeah, that is the old playoffs; top 2. You had to be good to make the playoffs.

I agree, but there are too many factors into keeping it the same as it is
-not enough schools for 5 classifications.... why we don't have 8 regions per
-too many coaches/ADs/principals want to have 'made the playoffs' on the ole resume/front yard banner
-too many fans think you have to include everybody

I really doubt the SCHSL makes any money off of 1st round games. The gate is split, and if the home does the books right; there is no 'profit' for the SCHSL to get anything because the home school gets to deduct expenses. The gates for 1st round games usually doesn't cover this. The only money they make is from concessions, which isn't factored in.

However there has been plenty of times since the points system went away that 3/4 seeds have done some damage. The old Region 2 players (and those teams have shifted from time to time) have gone deep in spite of being 3/4 seeds. I want to think that 5-6 years ago that all 4 were in the quarter finals. (?????)

I would like to see the playoffs reduced, but everyone gets the 'extra game'. 11 game season, 3 week playoff, non-qualifiers get to a plus one like the Whuhuflu year, and the State Championships be the Friday/Saturday of Thanksgiving. Extending the playoffs doesn't give the kids what they want: to play games. This system would. Every team would play 12 games. There are several states that have something to this effect.

[Deputy]

Totally agree that only the top two in regions are deserving of the playoffs. But that ship has passed. That Rock Hill and Chapin somehow got included in the playoffs is absurd. I would say they same about Boiling Springs, but in their defense, they aren't a bad team and would have easily made the playoffs in most any other region on their own. But we have entered an era where we won't to include everyone so nobody gets their feelings hurt, and every coach can claim they are great because they won 3 games, but are a playoff team. But the root of it is money. Wouldn't shock me if somewhere along the line, the geniuses over at the SCHSL just include everyone in the playoffs. More games and more money. And you know some of these kids that are a 4 seed, don't have any desire to travel to some 1 seed that is going to beat them by 40.

[Rebel-Fan-74]

No system will be without issues, because you cannot have a set limit of teams participating like you can in the NFL for example.

To do the two per Region you would need to balance the Regions in size at the very minimum and you should attempt to have them "balanced" in talent which is almost impossible. Who would you think would be favored; #3 Seed Dorman or #2 seed in any other of the Regions? Next year, three of the best teams in the classification could be in the same Region while one Region may have 5 of the worst teams in the classification.

But, we can't even get 8 Regions with 5 classifications. That should be the first issue to address. One option is to go to 3 classifications and split the brackets in the playoffs so that you get more coaches happy about making the playoffs. You would have 96 teams (47%) of 201 making the playoffs instead of 32 of 35 (91%) in 5A this year.

201 teams in the standings listings this year. Taking those 201 broken down to 3 classifications is 67 per class, and 8 regions of 8 teams = 64 per classification so it doesn't come out even. You could use the extra 3 to balance travel issues.

Another option is to have five teams and 8 Regions, and 40 per classification and have 4 classifications. That would mean 200 teams and one classification would have 41 teams. Keeping that 47% number in mind, you would have 24 teams in each of the 4 brackets and you would give the 8 Region Champions a first round bye in the playoffs.

And yes, I agree with the post above, a point system would maximize the importance of all games (OK, I'll concede and say count 9 of the 11 games played).

[Rebel-Fan-74]

Based on DOODLES, here is the final rankings of the teams in 5A that made the playoffs. As mentioned above multiple times, 32 of 35 is FAR TOO MANY to make the playoffs. The most that we should have is 24 and give the top 8 a first round BYE (7 Region Champs and one other team, maybe a point system of some sort?)

Region 4 #1 362.1 Dutch Fork
Region 7 #1 325.1 Fort Dorchester
Region 1 #1 316.4 T L Hanna
Region 1 #2 316.3 Hillcrest
Region 2 #4 311.8 James F Byrnes
Region 7 #2 310.8 Summerville
Region 7 #3 310.5 Ashley Ridge
Region 2 #2 309.4 Spartanburg
Region 5 #1 308.4 Sumter
Region 2 #1 307.6 Gaffney
Region 2 #3 306.5 Dorman
Region 3 #1 305.1 Blythewood
Region 4 #2 304.6 Lexington
Region 6 #2 299.3 Cane Bay
Region 6 #1 298.1 Goose Creek
Region 3 #2 295.1 Clover
Region 4 #3 294.6 River Bluff
Region 7 #4 293.1 West Ashley
Region 4 #4 292.5 White Knoll
Region 5 #2 279.8 Carolina Forest
Region 3 #3 277.3 Nation Ford
Region 5 #3 271.5 St. James
Region 1 #3 271.1 J L Mann
Region 3 #4 265.4 Spring Valley
Region 1 #4 263.2 Mauldin
Region 5 #4 262.1 Conway
Region 6 #4 259.3 Berkeley
At Large .. 258.5 Stratford
Region 6 #3 253.8 Wando
At Large .. 252.2 Chapin
Region 3 #5 250.4 Rock Hill
At Large .. 239.2 Boiling Springs