SHCL possible proposal for fall sports

[Onion Rings]

points, and reduce 5A

[NuclearCav90]

32 HS football teams making the playoffs per classification... is ridiculous. Should be the region winner and runner-up. In the age of the participation trophy, just let everyone make the playoffs and we would have a game like Stall vs Dutch Fork....100-0 final score. It's almost that bad with 32 making the playoffs. The 3 seasons prior to the Covid shortened season where there are 5 rounds of playoffs...DF has won its first round games 77-20, 54-0, 55-10...winning a playoff game by an average of 52 points is a waste of time.
Playoffs should be for contenders, not also rans. We should stay with region winner and runner-up making the playoffs.

I agree 100%. Watering down the playoffs so much makes no sense and most of these first round games are poorly attended even without COVID.

[I'm Batman!]

We all know how the playoffs work....

It has nothing to do with the best teams, fairness, or anything like that. Coaches are judged on on things like Won Loss Records and number of playoff appearances.

The idea that it has anything to do with those other things is nothing but an old man dream.

[Damefan]

Interesting comments, but in some states only the Region Champions advance to the playoffs short and sweet. It is about recognizing the teams that have excelled that season and earned the right to play for a championship.

A thought has occurred to me that communities in the state could create Bowl type games and invite the #2 Region teams or even teams that have won 7 or more games. I have seen organizations such as Sertoma, Kiwanis, and other Civic groups use these games as a fundraiser. Why not an (Irmo) Okra Bowl, or (Lexington) Tartan Bowl, (Beaufort) Gullah Bowl, (Gaffney) Peach Bowl, you get the point. Keep the playoffs separate and create a rivalry game may be that the 2nd place teams from one region play annually. Just an idea to create some excitement, and a chance to play for something (bragging rights).

[I'm Batman!]

A thought has occurred to me that communities in the state could create Bowl type games and invite the #2 Region teams or even teams that have won 7 or more games. I have seen organizations such as Sertoma, Kiwanis, and other Civic groups use these games as a fundraiser. Why not an (Irmo) Okra Bowl, or (Lexington) Tartan Bowl, (Beaufort) Gullah Bowl, (Gaffney) Peach Bowl, you get the point. Keep the playoffs separate and create a rivalry game may be that the 2nd place teams from one region play annually. Just an idea to create some excitement, and a chance to play for something (bragging rights).

Anything for more football....

Cutting down participation in the playoffs will always be to some, "tainted" for one main reason. For example, in the early 2000's, in AAAA Region II, you had at least two or three of the best teams in the state in the same Region. So if you went with only Region Champs, you were eliminating some good teams and potential great match ups. How many times did Byrnes and Gaffney, Dorman and Gaffney, or Byrnes and Dorman meet twice in the same season? I know at least three or four times they met in the finals for the re-match. I'm sure it happened before and since with other teams, other classifications, as well. Yes, you get the blow out games when Dutch Fork meets the 4th seed from another region, but you also get the the rematch like described above.

Maybe we keep Region Champs, (4 Upper and 4 Lower) and they get a BYE week and then the next 16 (regardless of Upper and Lower) are matched up in week one in those "bowl games" with the winners advancing to face the Region Champions (who would host) the second week. How to select the 16 for week one? Not Runner Up vs Region 3rd, but select 16 teams that are the most deserving. Points or a committee, I'm sure we could come up with something....

[Damefan]

A thought has occurred to me that communities in the state could create Bowl type games and invite the #2 Region teams or even teams that have won 7 or more games. I have seen organizations such as Sertoma, Kiwanis, and other Civic groups use these games as a fundraiser. Why not an (Irmo) Okra Bowl, or (Lexington) Tartan Bowl, (Beaufort) Gullah Bowl, (Gaffney) Peach Bowl, you get the point. Keep the playoffs separate and create a rivalry game may be that the 2nd place teams from one region play annually. Just an idea to create some excitement, and a chance to play for something (bragging rights).

Anything for more football....

Cutting down participation in the playoffs will always be to some, "tainted" for one main reason. For example, in the early 2000's, in AAAA Region II, you had at least two or three of the best teams in the state in the same Region. So if you went with only Region Champs, you were eliminating some good teams and potential great match ups. How many times did Byrnes and Gaffney, Dorman and Gaffney, or Byrnes and Dorman meet twice in the same season? I know at least three or four times they met in the finals for the re-match. I'm sure it happened before and since with other teams, other classifications, as well. Yes, you get the blow out games when Dutch Fork meets the 4th seed from another region, but you also get the the rematch like described above.

Maybe we keep Region Champs, (4 Upper and 4 Lower) and they get a BYE week and then the next 16 (regardless of Upper and Lower) are matched up in week one in those "bowl games" with the winners advancing to face the Region Champions (who would host) the second week. How to select the 16 for week one? Not Runner Up vs Region 3rd, but select 16 teams that are the most deserving. Points or a committee, I'm sure we could come up with something....

I understand to a point what you are saying, but I also remember teams when that got into the playoffs that didn't deserve to be there during the "Big 16 Era". Why do we keep rewarding mediocrity instead of excellence? How would your team feel if they played a 3rd place team that lucked up and won a fluke game and knocked your maybe undefeated or one-loss team out of the playoffs?

The bowl idea rewards teams a chance to play an extra game because they met the criteria (minimum wins) and not affect the championship playoff outcome. I want more football too but the realignment of regions and who you play will always be a factor. Unfortunately several of the regions in the state are weak and play cupcake schedules during non-region weeks when they could attempt to schedule stronger competition. It would be fun to see teams from the upstate play lower state teams during the regular season. If teams can travel to Georgia, North Carolina, Florida, and even Texas for games then they can travel across the state. Just my opinion, we do it for playoffs.

[I'm Batman!]

If a team wins a playoff game, regardless if they are 10-0 or 3-7, then obviously they deserve to advance. There have been years that Boiling Springs could have been that 3-7 team but they could have been a top 10 team! The reason, they played Northwestern & Dutch Fork before Region Play and then Gaffney, Dorman, Byrnes, Spartanburg in Region to finish 4th, all in the same season, so them beating the winner of Region One in the playoffs would not have been a huge shock to many fans. It's why looking at the record can be deceiving if you don't look at the teams behind the numbers. A couple of years ago, Northwestern was something like 1-5 at one point in the season and you would think they were horrible heading into Region Play... yet, when you went back and looked at the schedule, they had played a killer schedule that included Dutch Fork, Dorman on the road. They ended up in the Upper State Semi-Finals. But to answer your specific question, "Yes, I'd be upset if the team they knocked out was my team! However, to the point, I'd be upset no matter who knocked them out but in that case, I'd be mad at my coaching staff for not having them focused and ready to play a good team!"


As Penguin mentioned,

I find it truly amazing that 99% of the posters on this website, criticize the SCHSL for the way that they choose to operate things. Yet, that same 99%, piss and moan whenever the SCHSL proposes something different. My take away from this, is that you 99%ers just want to piss and moan.

To expand on that thought, I think 99% of the loudest complainers don't dig into the facts enough before they complain... but unlike Penguin, I say let them get on the board and complain and I will just ignore them or maybe I get a good laugh at their posts.

[CITYSLICKER]

hey batman, i am slickerman

[mikey]

Still wanting a system with STATE WIDE cross bracketing here...

[Damefan]

If a team wins a playoff game, regardless if they are 10-0 or 3-7, then obviously they deserve to advance. There have been years that Boiling Springs could have been that 3-7 team but they could have been a top 10 team! The reason, they played Northwestern & Dutch Fork before Region Play and then Gaffney, Dorman, Byrnes, Spartanburg in Region to finish 4th, all in the same season, so them beating the winner of Region One in the playoffs would not have been a huge shock to many fans. It's why looking at the record can be deceiving if you don't look at the teams behind the numbers. A couple of years ago, Northwestern was something like 1-5 at one point in the season and you would think they were horrible heading into Region Play... yet, when you went back and looked at the schedule, they had played a killer schedule that included Dutch Fork, Dorman on the road. They ended up in the Upper State Semi-Finals. But to answer your specific question, "Yes, I'd be upset if the team they knocked out was my team! However, to the point, I'd be upset no matter who knocked them out but in that case, I'd be mad at my coaching staff for not having them focused and ready to play a good team!"


As Penguin mentioned,

I find it truly amazing that 99% of the posters on this website, criticize the SCHSL for the way that they choose to operate things. Yet, that same 99%, piss and moan whenever the SCHSL proposes something different. My take away from this, is that you 99%ers just want to piss and moan.

To expand on that thought, I think 99% of the loudest complainers don't dig into the facts enough before they complain... but unlike Penguin, I say let them get on the board and complain and I will just ignore them or maybe I get a good laugh at their posts.

I actually had a long detailed and analytic response for you with a bunch of facts and figures from several states but took my wife's advice and erased what I wrote. Suggest you research other states (more than 20 and you can stay on this side of the Mississippi) and then get back to me on your thoughts with your results. I have too many years of experience and maturity to argue with you or anyone else anymore on this page. We can compare notes then. People who show their ignorance without research usually post the most ignorant responses.

P.S. I don't complain I just state facts and MY opinion.