The Central Coast Section football coaches committee has voted that teams that don't have a .500 or better record can not take part in the playoffs in 2014.
Again, it still has to be passed by the CCS Executive Committee.
But lets call this the St. Ignatius rule.
The Vikings got into the playoffs last year with a 2-8 record. It was an embarrassment to the CCS. And St. Ignatius almost won the Division III title.
Yet, as one coach told me, this is going to make teams schedule weaker opponents during the non-league season so they can get into the playoffs.
In his mind, the best football teams may not be playing in the playoffs.
He's right on both accounts.
What this might also cause is scheduling headaches for non-league games.
John Devine has been writing about high school sports in Monterey County since, well, practically since he was an athlete at King City in the days just after leather helmets. In PrepNation, John has even more in-depth analysis of the latest results and news he's brought to you in The Herald and in his weekly videos.
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2 comments:
You might call this the St Ignatius rule, but the truth is since the end of the 2008 season, there have been 10 schools in the play-offs that have had worse than a .500 record. 6 of them (Pioneer, Wilcox, Willow Glen, Menlo Atherton, Gilroy and Live Oak) are public schools and only 4 are private schools (St Ingnatius twice, Valley Christian, Riordan.) Granted St Ignatius in 2013 with a 2 and 8 record was the "worst" but the "not under .500 rule will not just affect WCAL schools.
Interestingly since 2008 there have been 18 schools with 5 and 5 records that made the play-offs. Yes a 5 and 5 team is "better" than a 4 and 6 team but I'm not sure I agree that the difference is enough that a "must be .500 or better" rule should be established. If the play-offs are supposed to be when the best of the best compete, is a .500 school from a B or C league better than a 4 and 6 WCAL team?
Plus it will be interesting to see which teams replace the below .500 teams each year. In the 2012 and 2011 play-offs there were 3 teams in each year that made the play-offs with sub .500 records. If they are not allowed in the play-offs they will have to be replaced by the teams who are below them on the "at large" list with fewer power points. So a 4 and 6 Valley Christian may not make the play-offs and be replaced by a team with a 5 and 5 record. HAd St Ignatius not made it this year, I think it was Gilroy that was next among the at large teams hoping to make it in.
Nice research carmelkyd. Funny we dont hear them complain when below .500 public school are in the play offs but when a good private school does it its made out to be a big deal.
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