A Different Solution

[itzme]

For the first time in modern history, California will crown three state high school football champions this year. Each of the three games will feature a team from Northern CA vs. a team from Southern CA. All participating teams will be chosen by a panel, from the various section winners. Selections will be based on record, head-to-head, and strength of schedule. Teams will be assigned to the championship games by enrollment only, with no private multiplier, and no opportunity for a team to move up in classification.

 

Sections are not based solely on enrollment...they use a modified merit system...again without regard for any difference in public-private. For example, in the Pac-5 Division, which is probably the best in Southern CA, one semifinal will be played between private Orange Lutheran (enrollment 1156) vs. public Long Beach Poly (enrollment 4776). Orange Lutheran is favored, BTW.

 

Couple of interesting ideas here, I think.

[BDURHAM]

This is interesting. Thanks for the information.

 

I'll have to look into the history leading up to this

playoff arrangement.

 

Do you have any background info?

 

For the first time in modern history, California will crown three state high school football champions this year. Each of the three games will feature a team from Northern CA vs. a team from Southern CA. All participating teams will be chosen by a panel, from the various section winners. Selections will be based on record, head-to-head, and strength of schedule. Teams will be assigned to the championship games by enrollment only, with no private multiplier, and no opportunity for a team to move up in classification.

 

Sections are not based solely on enrollment...they use a modified merit system...again without regard for any difference in public-private. For example, in the Pac-5 Division, which is probably the best in Southern CA, one semifinal will be played between private Orange Lutheran (enrollment 1156) vs. public Long Beach Poly (enrollment 4776). Orange Lutheran is favored, BTW.

 

Couple of interesting ideas here, I think.

[silverpie]

California is an unusual animal because it's so darn big. Their state association is actually a federation of ten different entities called sections. Three of these are all-public, because the Los Angeles, Oakland, and San Francisco city school systems have chosen to run their own sections. The other seven are divided geographically, and include both public and private schools.

 

Each section divides its schools in the way it sees fit. For example, the mammoth Southern Section (over 450 schools playing football!) traditionally used 13 classes for football based on enrollment, and has now switched to regional classification regardless of size (except that small schools may choose to play eight-man, and they have large and small groupings). Next door, the San Diego Section has five classes by enrollment, plus an eight-man league. At the other extreme, the six-member Oakland Section plays as a single league (whose winner plays a Transbay playoff against the winner of the San Francisco Section, where eight of the 12 members play football).

 

The new feature this year is that after all the sections have their playoffs, one large, one medium, and one small school--based strictly on enrollment, but only section winners are eligible--from each half of the state are invited to play a state final game.

 

And in most California sports, there are two schools everyone complains about: De La Salle (an all-male Catholic school in Contra Costa County, the eastern end of the Bay Area) and Long Beach Poly (a public school in, well, Long Beach...)

[BigG]

And in most California sports, there are two schools everyone complains about: De La Salle (an all-male Catholic school in Contra Costa County, the eastern end of the Bay Area) and Long Beach Poly (a public school in, well, Long Beach...)

Didn't De La Salle have "the Streak"? Or am I thinking of a different football team.

[VolunteerGeneral]

Didn't De La Salle have "the Streak"? Or am I thinking of a different football team.

 

That was them. Kevin Simon who played at UT came from there.

[itzme]

California is an unusual animal because it's so darn big. Their state association is actually a federation of ten different entities called sections. Three of these are all-public, because the Los Angeles, Oakland, and San Francisco city school systems have chosen to run their own sections. The other seven are divided geographically, and include both public and private schools.

 

Each section divides its schools in the way it sees fit. For example, the mammoth Southern Section (over 450 schools playing football!) traditionally used 13 classes for football based on enrollment, and has now switched to regional classification regardless of size (except that small schools may choose to play eight-man, and they have large and small groupings). Next door, the San Diego Section has five classes by enrollment, plus an eight-man league. At the other extreme, the six-member Oakland Section plays as a single league (whose winner plays a Transbay playoff against the winner of the San Francisco Section, where eight of the 12 members play football).

 

The new feature this year is that after all the sections have their playoffs, one large, one medium, and one small school--based strictly on enrollment, but only section winners are eligible--from each half of the state are invited to play a state final game.

 

And in most California sports, there are two schools everyone complains about: De La Salle (an all-male Catholic school in Contra Costa County, the eastern end of the Bay Area) and Long Beach Poly (a public school in, well, Long Beach...)

Good explanation. You from California? I think the other school out there that some people whine alittle bit about is Mission Viejo, which went from perrenial also-ran to nationally ranked in a very short period of time. Open zoned district.

 

I think those State Championship games wouldl be fun to watch...and make a ton of $$$$!!

Edited November 29, 2006 by itzme

[BDURHAM]

Tennessee is not the only state dealing with the

controversy of recruiting. Today I spoke with

someone in Florida. The problem in Florida is

not necessarily with the privates. The bigger

problem appears to be with the publics, especially

in one area.

 

I will not mention any names right now because

I would get them wrong. But the freshman QB

at Florida is from a school that has been fined,

and the story on him is shocking. He went to a

public high school, and the word is that his dad

recruited kids to the school. And his dad is a

minister!

 

And recruiting violations exist in Tennessee at

both public and private schools. The recruiting

issue is the X factor that breaks down all talks

to develop better classifications and playoffs.

[silverpie]

Good explanation. You from California? I think the other school out there that some people whine alittle bit about is Mission Viejo, which went from perrenial also-ran to nationally ranked in a very short period of time. Open zoned district.

 

I think those State Championship games wouldl be fun to watch...and make a ton of $$$$!!

 

Actually, I've lived all my life right here in Tennessee (Chattanooga, except college in Nashville). But as part of trying to come up with a proper system, I've studied the structures around the country. (For the record, the two largest inspirations for what I came up with are the city of Chicago's public system--and the magnets there are every bit as controversial as the privates are here--and the state of Pennsylvania.)

[silverpie]

And recruiting violations exist in Tennessee at

both public and private schools. The recruiting

issue is the X factor that breaks down all talks

to develop better classifications and playoffs.

 

There's the issue in a nutshell. Especially when you consider that many fans (even here on this board!) don't realize that the Recruiting Rule is no different for D2 than for D1. (The Brentwood Academy case didn't, from what I can tell, strike the rule down outright, but only held it invalid as applied to that case.)

[BDURHAM]

Agreed.

 

I also think that once both public and privates have

developed the practice of recruiting, you cannot

stop it. It is impossible to put the jeanie back

in the bottle.

 

Without a serious crackdown on recruiting, and

there are violators who should be punished every

season, there can be no resolution. And with the

BA lawsuit hanging in the air, there will be no

recruiting violations cited.

 

We are probably chasing titling windmills in these

discussions. The BA lawsuit will have to be resolved,

then there will be a reaction, and the landscape will

have to settle before there can be any real changes.

 

Either enforce the recruiting rule or remove it. Presently,

the rule has no teeth.

 

There's the issue in a nutshell. Especially when you consider that many fans (even here on this board!) don't realize that the Recruiting Rule is no different for D2 than for D1. (The Brentwood Academy case didn't, from what I can tell, strike the rule down outright, but only held it invalid as applied to that case.)

[Coniglio]

So how much is the California "BCS" rediculed every year?

[itzme]

So how much is the California "BCS" rediculed every year?

What do you mean?