TSSAA proposals on classification

[Indian]

http://www.tssaa.org/Classifications/class...ion20092012.pdf

[supersteve17]

Very interesting stuff. Is there anything that stands out to you, Indian, about these proposals?

 

One thing I noticed is that there is no proposal (that I saw) to completely split public and private. Looks like we're just going to have to coexist.

[Indian]

One thing I noticed quickly was Sale Creek, with about 150 or less in 9-12, being in the same proposed urban-rural district with Howard. They'd be overwhelmed in boys' basketball but could be quite competitive in that group in girls' sports especially softball and volleyball. It might not end up like that, not sure how they got the proposed Chattanooga districts. Going with the largest school, then putting the next largest in the neighboring district then swapping down to the smallest would be the fairest way to do it. There are a few glitches but overall I'd find those classes agreeable.

 

I think the urban-rural system would be much better than the regular season system matching up 2A/3A and 4A/5A then dividing for the playoffs. It does nothing for the school here except putting more teams on the schedule who don't bring fans (Chattanooga schools) and would potentially take away heavy money-making rivalry games. The football district would include Sequatchie, Marion, Grundy, Bledsoe, Howard, Hixson, East Ridge, Notre Dame and Chattanooga Christian, when they start varsity play, possibly Signal Mountain too when they grow to 2A. Some of those usually bring 15 or less for basketball even when they have good teams and a couple brought poor crowds for football in the past. There would also be the problems of determining which teams are justified in going to the playoffs after they're split back up into 2A/3A for the postseason; one district might include one 3A team and five 2A teams based on its geography, how is it judged how that 3A team performed compared to other 3A teams across the state.

[Old Warhorse]

With costs of administering athletic programs increasing, the 4 classification looks appealing. Gates would be much better for rural schools since the metro schools would be put together. Still wish they would separate the privates. At least Baylor, McCallie and BA do not pretend like Catholic, Goodpasture and Lipscomb.

[Indian]

As far as the smaller rural publics are concerned, it would be similar to a split. There would be Columbia Academy, Friendship Christian and maybe two or three more really small rural privates. The teams like Goodpasture would be in the urban division.

[KCHSCoach]

oldwarhorse, Catholic pretends to do what? Got something to say, then say it!

[supersteve17]

One thing I noticed quickly was Sale Creek, with about 150 or less in 9-12, being in the same proposed urban-rural district with Howard. They'd be overwhelmed in boys' basketball but could be quite competitive in that group in girls' sports especially softball and volleyball. It might not end up like that, not sure how they got the proposed Chattanooga districts. Going with the largest school, then putting the next largest in the neighboring district then swapping down to the smallest would be the fairest way to do it. There are a few glitches but overall I'd find those classes agreeable.

 

I think the urban-rural system would be much better than the regular season system matching up 2A/3A and 4A/5A then dividing for the playoffs. It does nothing for the school here except putting more teams on the schedule who don't bring fans (Chattanooga schools) and would potentially take away heavy money-making rivalry games. The football district would include Sequatchie, Marion, Grundy, Bledsoe, Howard, Hixson, East Ridge, Notre Dame and Chattanooga Christian, when they start varsity play, possibly Signal Mountain too when they grow to 2A. Some of those usually bring 15 or less for basketball even when they have good teams and a couple brought poor crowds for football in the past. There would also be the problems of determining which teams are justified in going to the playoffs after they're split back up into 2A/3A for the postseason; one district might include one 3A team and five 2A teams based on its geography, how is it judged how that 3A team performed compared to other 3A teams across the state.

 

 

Yeah, without going back to look at the proposal again, I thought I saw one proposal where Lookout Valley and Hixson were in the same district (or region -- whatever). That seems like a mismatch in enrollment numbers but in most sports I imagine LV could and would hold their own. I'm pretty sure they wouldn't back down. (That's no disrespect to Hixson. Just a compliment to Dinger, Galloway and the LV crowd!)

[Indian]

Interesting how the rural-urban classes might have looked had it started this past season.

 

In football, the quarterfinals in Class AA, the larger rural group, would have possibly been Anderson County and Kingston (Districts 1-3), York and Smith County (4-6), Station Camp and White House (7-9), Milan and Westview(10-12). Station Camp was the highest rated of all these teams and might have been the pick to win the state.

 

Class A football would have likely been similar to what took place.

 

Class AAA football, the urban schools in a football quarterfinal might have included Fulton, Alcoa, Tyner, Lookout Valley, Lipscomb, Goodpasture, Mitchell and Jackson Christian (top two rated teams in each group of two regions, and in 7-9 in the west, they'd probably work that out with wildcards).

 

In boys' basketball, the state tournament teams might have been like this:

 

Class A: Oliver Springs and Hampton (1-4) East Robertson and Jackson County (5-8), Moore County and Culleoka (9-12), Union City and Lake County (13-16)

 

Class AA: Unicoi County and Anderson County (1-3), Livingston Academy and McMinn Central (4-6), Station Camp and Sycamore (7-9), Dyer County and Bolivar (10-12)

 

Class AAA: Fulton and Austin East (Districts 1-2), Howard and Grace Academy (3-4) , CPA and Lipscomb (5-6), Manassas and Booker T Washington (7-9)

 

I don't see anything wrong with these line-ups. Still plenty of tough teams in the rural classes, with Union City and Bolivar in basketball, South Pittsburg and Milan in football.

 

Girls basketball would have likely went much the same way in A and AA, the two rural classes. Moving to an urban class would help a lot of city teams in this sport, as mentioned in other posts.

 

These were how the teams were rated on unapproved website after the state tournaments and playoffs ended, and divided by regions, not necessarily the top rated eight in each proposed class.

[ksgovols]

I like the rural/urban split. It takes the open zoned publics and magnet schools into the equation and not just the private schools.

 

The down side will be 4 team districts. I'm guessing the district record will determine who goes to the playoffs, but the 7 non conference games will be a scheduling challenge.

[FadePattern]

In 2A I would think west TN. might have a problem with 2 eight team districts while middle TN. has several 4 or five team districts. Does the potential for wild card teams help them out?

[Solomon]

Socialism has taken over high school sports boys and girls!

 

Oh well, the good teams will adapt and win regardless, the criers will find something new to cry about when they continue to lose.

[Indian]

Which team do you support and how would this system hurt that program?

 

I think the wildcards would be used, in AA with 12 districts it might be the top two from each plus eight wildcards making the district.

 

One thing the TSSAA link mentioned was how more private schools are expected to open and how the private schools are expected to continue their winning ways against public schools, specifically rural schools. Around here, Grace and Silverdale became very competitive in a short amount of time after adding football, Temple did as well though they seem to be a special case. I expect Chattanooga Christian to be stronger in time than any of those. If you have a proven case of one group continually being stronger why not classify in a system which benefits all types of schools? The urban-rural classifying wouldn't change travel as some fear a complete split would, it would make things better for the urban schools actually including the private schools. And what some might be forgetting, the schools could still play non-region if they wanted, they just wouldn't be competing for the same postseason championships.