1A Playoffs. TSSAA got it wrong.

[mom4cheers]

Just read in the Tennessean that Childress is considering going back to the old playoff system where they take the top 4 teams in each district. In region 4, does that mean the top 4 1a teams and the top 4 2a teams? I smell another realignment.

 

Childress doesn't know what he is talking about. They NEVER took the top 4 from each District. The took the top 2 from each District. Each Region had 2 Districts in it so it came out to 4 from each region. Then they went to the Region format where they took the top 4 but Districts had been eliminated. In Tennessee, a District has historically had a different meaning than a Region and was always a subdivision of a Region anytime they have been used.

 

Edit: Childress is obviously NOT qualified for his current position. I wonder if he knows how long a football field is.

 

Yes he is right. In the nineties they took the top 4 from each District because Jackson County went.

[rlh]

Just read in the Tennessean that Childress is considering going back to the old playoff system where they take the top 4 teams in each district. In region 4, does that mean the top 4 1a teams and the top 4 2a teams? I smell another realignment.

 

Childress doesn't know what he is talking about. They NEVER took the top 4 from each District. The took the top 2 from each District. Each Region had 2 Districts in it so it came out to 4 from each region. Then they went to the Region format where they took the top 4 but Districts had been eliminated. In Tennessee, a District has historically had a different meaning than a Region and was always a subdivision of a Region anytime they have been used.

 

Edit: Childress is obviously NOT qualified for his current position. I wonder if he knows how long a football field is.

 

Yes he is right. In the nineties they took the top 4 from each District because Jackson County went.

 

Not unless they picked 4 from each District in 1990, 1991 and 1992 that is incorrect. Only the District Champion and runner up from each district made the play of in 1989. There were 16 districts in 8 regions and 32 teams made the playoffs in each class, A, AA, and AAA. In 1993 the 5 class system was adopted with 1A, 2A, 3A, 4A and 5A. Districts were dropped essentially. However, there were a few regions that had 2 many teams in them so they had them split up in the regular season. The 1989 program is the latest one I could find from the A, AA, AAA years at the moment.

[Indian]

1992 was the last year for 16 districts, 2 from a district. The team here went 8-2 with losses to a good Tyner team and state champ Marion, had 6 shutouts including South Pittsburg but had to stay home.

 

I keep tweaking my own suggestion/theory on how it could be done, maybe for next season since the schedules are in place go with 3 classes, all games against this years 1A vs 2A etc matchups count but if they don't want to cut down half the revenue allow 4 teams to go. That would put 64 teams in and require an extra week of playoffs. That does sound like a lot but it wouildn't be much more than 24, 24, 32, 32, 32, 32 like this year. Basketball coaches wouldn't like the idea but by week 6, championship week, only 6 teams would be affected. Hopefully for state championship contenders with basketball players, they could get their district games scheduled after the championship weekend.

 

Around here the playoff matchups this year would include in Class A: 1-South Pittsburg vs 4-Grace Academy, 2-Signal Mountain vs 3-Copper Basin 3-Marion County at 2-Silverdale Academy 4-Lookout Valley at 1-Boyd-Buchanan

 

Class AA would include: 1-Red Bank vs 4-Meigs, 2-Tyner vs 3-Sweetwater, 3-Brainerd at 2-McMinn Central, 4-East Ridge at 1-Polk County

 

Also in AA ( I think this is accurate): 1-Bledsoe County vs 4-DeKalb County, 2-Sequatchie County vs 3-Livingston, 3-Grundy County at 2 Smith County, 4-Notre Dame at 1-Cannon County

 

By the third round you could see potential matchups at Boyd-Buchanan vs South Pittsburg in a rematch, and undefeated teams Red Bank vs Polk county. Those teams can't meet in the playoffs under the current system.

[rlh]

Thanks Indian. I thought 1992 was the last for the 16 Districts with 2 from each, but I could only find 1989 as the most recent book from that system. I think where they went wrong implementing this Z-plan is that it was only at the concept stage. ON top of that, there isn't enough schools to justify 6 classes and I really think 5 was pushing it especially given Division II.

[Indian]

The big problem I found with 5 classes was the travel, no way should Grundy have to go to Madisonville for a region game, and those teams in that area have to go to Grundy. Four classes would help things a lot in that regard. There would still be a question on how many regions/districts to have, 8 regions in each of the 4 classes would put an average of nine in a group, and give just about no room for non-region rivalry/money games. Sequatchie for example would have to drop either Whitwell or Marion-if even one could be scheduled. 12 regions, averaging about 6 to 7 teams, would still end up requiring wild cards or some teams getting byes, more controversy. The easiest thing might be 3 classes even though the smallest teams in each class may not like it. Again going to 4 from each district, adding a week of playoffs, would make it not so difficult for such teams who might be overmatched otherwise due to a lack of depth if anything.

[rlh]

Indian, they could do districts with 4 or 5 teams with 2 Districts per region. The first round of the playoffs could be like it was in the 80s with a #1 from one District playing the #2 from the other and the winners from those playing in week 2 for the region championship. Before that the 2 District champions played for the region which was done from the mid-70s into the mid-80s. I think the #1 & #2 approach was good. That allowed strong districts to work it out.