The stupidest thing your state high school association allows to happen

I look at all of this and think, "and I thought my state was bad ..."

 

The only real reason I think the UIL doesn't let the privates in is because there are 221 TAPPS members and they would screw up the enrollment scheme they have because, of that number, only the top eight would be 4A or 5A. (The top 15 if you applied a 2.0 multiplier like some states do.) That leaves more than 200 small schools to cram into the small ball classes.

In other words, they don't want to become Oklahoma, which doesn't have as many privates but is crammed with sub-100 enrollment schools. Oklahoma solved the problem by going to 8 classes in football and 7 in other sports. Even six classes would be the last thing Texas wants to do (even though it's probably inevitable).

 

If you seed the tournament all the No.1 seeds are going to be from Detroit...

CC, Brother Rice, Trenton, and Howell (not quite detroit)

 

There are still people who want to go back to 6-on-6.

I forgot about another good one recently from the boys association — expanding the football playoff bracket to 32 teams in each class. Which doesn't sound bad, except in the largest class in the state, there are 48 teams. So you get 4-5 and 3-6 teams in the playoffs.

 

I was obviously joking, but there is no question the interest level in the state high school basketball tournament is a fraction of what it was pre-1997.

I've never had an issue with the all-in football format -- all other sports are all-in -- but there has to be a reward for a good season. Sectionals need to be seeded ... Jeff Sagrain produces computer ratings that can be used in seeding sectionals, and now you are playing for a better draw and potentially home-field advantage.

As far as tennis, you only have to be unbeaten in the state tournament to be an individual champ. Only No. 1 players can play in the individual tournament, but anyone who goes unbeaten in their sectional moves on in the state tournament. Doesn't matter what happens in the regular season (other than a participant has to play 50% of his team's matches at No. 1 to be eligible).

Baseball is crazy ... a single-elimination tournament means a great team can get eliminated by the luck of the draw, or someone saving a hot pitcher. I've seen many state-ranked teams get nailed for that reason. Double-elimination at each round might make more sense. Now, you have to have two solid pitchers to win state, but you'd better not draw into someone else's stud.

One thing the IHSAA does right is no classes in individual sports. School size doesn't influence whether or not I can run faster or wrestle better than someone else. I'd hate to imagine a four-class individual state track meet.

 

Mustang doesn't think four is enough.

 

Theoretically, you're right. But in track, in events like the sprints, the throws and the jumps, technique matters so much. You get better coaching at the bigger schools and more individual training. How many small-school athletes also are on the baseball team, or the golf team, because that's what he's been told he has to do? Same thing with wrestling — the big schools have clubs that start in elementary school and carry through high school; the small school guys are out there grappling and relying on innate physical ability.
I've seen a four-class track meet. It was not the end of the world — have 3A and 4A at IU, 1A and 2A at Purdue/Indiana State/Ball State/UIndy.

 

They're worried about unseeded regionals.

 

Four No. 1 seeds in Detroit in a three-class tourney? I'd like to see that.

 

The stupidest thing I've seen happen in Washington?

This:
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/highschoolsports/2004005713_murphy100.html

Edit to clarify: Football team forced to forfeit wins and end season after making the playoffs because a player who barely hit the field's physical expired Sept. 8. It was lost in the shuffle after their coach was hospitalized. He died two weeks later. They self-reported the violation and hoped for mercy...the WIAA gave none.

 

You win.