Just sitting here brooding about our awful playoff system, how our multi-class system awards mediocrity in some instances and punishes excellence in others.
Then, my buddy came up with the best idea in the world. One I’m suddenly so crazy about, I typed this up on Sunday night rather than working on my semifinal previews.
It’s so simple, it’s gotta work…
We have too many classes. OK we knew that. This is Connecticut, not Florida or Texas. There are going to be some years where at least two or three titles mean absolutely nothing to everybody except the winning team. So we have to lower the amount of trophies this state gives out, but we shouldn’t lower the participation. Too many good teams are left sitting home.
The difference between the LL and L, M and MM and S and SS is almost negligible, anyway. Since the CIAC awards points by treating all LLs and Ls the same, all MMs and Ms the same, and all SSs and Ss the same… why should they be divided?
Just combine them, add one more round of playoffs (just ONE more round, CIAC people, is that soooo hard???) and this is what we come up with, essentially a system that gets just as many teams in, weeds out some of the questionable entries and creates legitimate state champions worthy of our praise, none of this watered-down stuff.
All the CIAC needs to do is extend the season and allow it to cross over into basketball and hockey. Who the heck cares about basketball in early December? I don’t. Its vacation time for almost everybody and just want to concentrate on Christmas by that point, not going to see St. Joseph-Central.
As I’ve said before the boys basketball season and hockey seasons don’t really get started until after New Years, anyway (sorry guys). And we’re only talking about a few schools playing into mid December.
Anyway, the pairings are below. You have to be just slightly open minded about some of these matchups to realize this is how we should be doing it (this means no open division, sorry, open divisions are counterproductive for the educational experience, imo. I’d love to see Ansonia-Greenwich, too but you have to draw the line somewhere).
There’s no reason to overhaul the system make it as complicated as some of the other proposals I’ve heard bandied about recently.
This would be simple, fan friendly and student effective for everyone.
CLASS L
1. Bunnell (10-0-L)………………….149.00
2. Greenwich (9-1-LL)……………..138.00
3. Shelton (9-1-LL)…………………130.00
4. Conard (9-1-L)…………………..127.00
5. Masuk (9-1-L)……………………125.00 (90 tbrker)
6. Southington (9-1-LL)……………125.00 (82 tbker)
7. Staples (8-1-LL)…………………123.33
8. Newington (9-1)………………..120.00
OUT
Central (8-1) LL…………………….118.89
Fairfield Prep (8-2) LL ……………116.50
Pomperaug (8-2) L…………………108.00
Norwich Free (8-2) LL…………….102.00
Quarterfinals
No. 8 Newington at No. 1 Bunnell
No. 5 Masuk at No. 4 Conard
No. 7 Staples at No. 2 Greenwich
No. 6 Southington at No. 3 Shelton
Notes: Yeah, Greenwich-Staples in the first round. But Greenwich’s 37-0 just proves that’s about right. Bunnell the No. 1? If it’s the only one undefeated sure. But if you want to nitpick, just discount the Naples game and that probably gets fixed. Central out? Yeah, but somebody’s going to be, especially with a schedule like Central’s. (…Maybe if they had played a full 10 games it wouldn’t have happened. Anyway, I think this is a worthy field.
CLASS M
1. Hand (10-0 MM)………………….154.50
2. Bristol Eastern (10-0 M)………..147.00
3. Ledyard (8-1 M)………………….145.00
4. Weaver (9-1 M)…………………. 142.00
5. Berlin (9-1 M)…………………… 135.00
6. Avon (9-1 M)………………………124.00
7. Law (9-1 M)……………………….123.00
8. New Canaan (8-2 MM)………….120.00
OUT
Middletown (8-2 MM)………………..116.00
Windham (8-2 M)…………………….114.00
North Haven (7-3 MM)………………. 92.00
Quarterfinals
No. 8 New Canaan at No. 1 Hand
No. 4 Weaver at No. 5 Berlin
No. 6 Avon at No. 3 Ledyard
No. 7 Law at No. 2 Bristol Eastern
Notes: Hmm… a potential real championship in the first round but, again, New Canaan has two losses. And it’s not like Hand’s played chumps, by comparison. So I have no problems here. Also, it rewards all of those Class M 9-1 teams that got jobbed in real life by replacing the mediocre teams from in the MM bracket. So this works for me.
CLASS S
1. Ansonia (10-0-S)………………155.00
2. Cromwell (10-0-S)……………..155.00
3. New London (10-0-S)…………153.00
4. Seymour (9-1-SS)……………..135.00
5. Northwest Catholic (8-2-S)…..124.00
6. Tolland (8-2-SS)………………..123.00
7. Bullard-Havens (8-1-SS)……..122.22
8. Hyde Leadership (8-2-S)……..119.00 (102 tiebreaker)
OUT
Rocky Hill.(8-2)…………………….119.00 (100 tiebreakaer)
Woodland (8-2)…………………….114.00
Stratford (8-2)………………………110.00
St. Joseph (7-3)………………….. 107.00
Quarterfinals
No. 8 Hyde at No. 1 Ansonia
No. 5 Northwest Catholic at No. 4 Seymour
No. 7 Bullard-Havens at No. 2 Cromwell
No. 6 Tolland at No. 3 New London
Notes:This takes the problems of our Class SS and the insanely tough Class S and tidies them up nicely. Yes, Stratford remains out and so does Woodland, but that’s going to happen. You can afford to lose once, but most times not twice. This is an amazing bracket. I have no problems with Bullard-Havens being in it, either.
ADD: Do you want more proof that this is the way to go? Check out what the combined S/SS bracket would have looked like last year (ps you can do this for all the playoffs dating back to 2002 when we switched back to six classes):
2006 CLASS S
1. Ansonia (10-0)……………1470 (80 tiebreaker)
1. Holy Cross (10-0)………..1470 (80 tiebreaker)
2. Cromwell (9-1)………………..1450
3. Bloomfield (9-1)………………1425
4. North Branford (9-1)…………1400
5. Northwest Catholic (9-1)……1395
6. Hyde Leadership (8-2)………1240
7. Stratford (8-2)…………………1140
No. 8 Stratford at No. 1 Ansonia or Holy Cross
No. 5 North Branford at No. 4 Bloomfield
No. 6 Northwest Catholic at No. 3 Cromwell
No. 7 Hyde at No. 2 Holy Cross or Ansonia
OUT
New London 7-3………………..1115
Griswold 8-2…………………….1100
Tolland 7-3………………………1000
Seymour 7-3……………………..980
Hartford Public 6-3-1……………965
Notes: Incredible. It’s like solving a cryptography course. The first major change is that the not-ready-for-prime-time Class SS teams from last year, Tolland and Griswold are left out of the mix. And thank God, because they got HAMMERED and nearly 50-pointed by Holy Cross and Stratford, respectively, in the semifinals. That led to this great quote by Dan Mulrooney of HC at the CIAC state final luncheon last year: “State semifinals and I only get to play a quarter… “)
The second major change is that Hyde and, more to the point, Northwest Catholic (which went 9-1) make the field in this set up. In real life, they were both left home. Nobody thought that was fair, especially the way Griswold and Tolland failed to show up.
Just look at this. Every year, We get some great matchups and (LISTEN CIAC!) more money is made for you and your own!!!!!
This is a tremendous playoff system.
I’m imploring the CIAC to examine this possibility and not some crazy setup that devalues the end-of-the-regular-season spectacle that has become Thanksgiving, which annually is the best day in all of Connecticut sports, high school, semi pro or otherwise.
I’m one who refuses to push the regular season back a week, no matter what. Anybody in my shoes who witnesses and then realizes the incredible atmosphere of Thanksgiving Day football will understand that keeping such an institution is the most precious part of Connecticut high school sports.
This keeps Thanksgiving and doesn’t put too many demands on our student athletes.
PLEASE CIAC coaches and admins. Adopt this system. I’ll be your best friend!
What are we waiting for?
SPB
It’s a nice idea.
However, it still leaves the question open from who would be the TRUE #1.
You still have the top 3 from the playoffs.
Those top 3 should play.All could lame claim to #1.Than you might get your Ansoina/Greenwich match up.
It would involve more teams, but combine the M, SS ,& S classes & the LL, L, & MM classes.Than your left with 2 teams at the end of the playoffs.That than could determine your #1.
How, & who good luck!
Hello.
I’m looking at a REALISTIC new playoff system. Not the fantasy one. There will never be a system that crowns a true champion. Sorry. Name me one state that does that.
None. Exactly.
There are reasons why, one of the biggest reasons is that you have to end the season sometime. So get that out of your head.
Bullard Havens @ Cromwell what a game! it will be extraordinary they both run the same offense we will just have to see which one is better. im leaning towards corderol williams and the bullard havens offense !
this is legit….please send a proposal to the ciac and im pretty sure every head football coach in the state will sign off on it. and it really isnt a drastic change at all.
CKD,
Would you rather have Bullard-Havens playing Tolland for a chance to reach the Class SS title game? I didn’t think so.
After careful consideration, I’m not in favor of a separate Tech division.
This system gives everyone a legitimate shot and, for some, makes reaching the playoffs a truly honorable experience.
It also rewards teams like Bullard-Havens for reaching states and lessens the impact (and chances) of them supplanting a supposedly more deserving team. In the end, it also decreases the chances of supposedly weaker teams to even sniff the finals.
So, I would have no problems with Tech being in a division like this. If they could win one playoff game, it would be a tremendous accomplishment. If they win two… good God.
ecellent job…spb i agree 100%
The system looks very good.
The only problem is playing the extra week into December.
The weather could really be a problem. Some years you would get lucky and catch nice days, but most years the game could be played in weather that would actually affect the outcome. Not to mention that it is brutal to make fans sit out there for 2.5 hours in the freezing cold.
The real problem with changing the CT playoff system is the tradition of playing on Thanksgiving Day. It forces everythingin to December. But I would not trade this for anything. Anyone who attended a game last Thursday would agree with me. There is nothing better than being a part of a game like that. The tradition and the feelings stirred into those games are too big for words.
im favoring this playoff proposal-however im disappointed that you did not include coach tys pop warner all-stars who clearly in his fantasy mind is the best team in the state and had the best players nobody heard of.
But look at the bottom of classes M and S, you still get these useless teams like Law, Avon, Berlin (maybe), Hyde, Bullard, Tolland, NWC. Seems like it only helps out the L and LL schools.
Rob good point what if the season started 1 week earlier
Its a good system, but the coaches of smaller schools would never sign off on it. A couple years ago, an extemely mediocre Branford team won a very weak class M playoffs, and with this new system, they would never have that chance again.
this is a great playoff system but i think the ciac has other scheduling problems. The reason being is that teams lke Bullard Havens, Bridgeport Central, Ledyard, and Staples all made the playoffs but only played 9 games. Yes i will give you that the point system averages the bonus points by the amount of games played (which would seem to be fair) but it doesnt give the 9-game teams that opportunity for a loss (not that the 9-game teams want a loss) but for teams like Central who just beat out Fairfield Prep when they couldve played New Canaan or Staples (2 of the “powerhouses” of the FCIAC) and maybe FP couldve had a chance
SPB
I know its off topic but i think bullard havens has a good chance of winning tomorrows game against tollad. Bullard has great speed and a pretty good defense. Tolland has some big guys up front but i think bullard can ovecome that??
What do you think ??
A few weeks ago Coach Filippone of Hand came up with a plan that also had three tiers of playoff games but had six classes. His plan gave 48 schools a chance at a state title. It was detailed in the New London Day by Ned Griffin. It started playoff games after week 8 and had championship games the first Saturday in December. Schools still played Thanksgiving games but scheduled only 9 games with a 10th game assigned by the CIAC in week 9 as either the first (quarter final) playoff round or a team of of the same class for non-qualifers. the semi-finals are played the weekend before Thanksgiving.This would effect league championship normally played that week but they could be played Thanksgiving with a little juggling by the envolved schools/leagues. This is a great plan since 9-1 8-2 and 7-3 teams get to the dance asthey should. A overall state champion only matters to a minority of the football nation. Getting more teams envolved is the key factor.
Dave K,
I saw Filippone’s proposal and hate it to the core. He continues to water down the playoffs by adding more teams in the six divisions, then completely making November a complete disaster with games added last second and devaluing Thanksgiving Day games just for the stake of getting the playoffs in under the CIAC’s season deadline.
48 teams in the playoffs? Bleah. Too much. Sorry. Not in football. It’s way too complicated. I like mine better because it keeps Thanksgiving (which is an incredible day for HS football), just adds another round, keeps the same amount of teams and keeps it simple overall.
THE Class S is the strongest playoff division hands down.-Ansonia-New London-NW CATHOLIC-can play with anybody in state and cromwell is unbeaten.Can we please get off the prep issue? they lost two games in a conference that was down this year-you belong where u should be as spectators.
come on Ray lets be serious Ansonia is the only one from S that would would even give L’s big dawgs a challenge..u mention NWC and New London,anyone in the L’s would have the game by halftime..although i do think S is better then M..because S is alot deeper with good Seymour and Stratford teams
ray brown, new london is good i will give you that but ansonia? yes they have the “#1″ running back in the state but honestly they play no one. Seymour yes, woodland yes, but no one else. Class LL and L are the powerhouses of the state.
i c some1 cant read central isnt getting a 1/4 of whats out in the pop warner fields…u kno what im inviting u to a game next year bpt v.s 1 of those valley teams…lol watch how we demotios them….but the playoff system is great
Hey Sean, I may regret this statement later but as much as Tech is a great story this season, they have absolutley NO CHANCE of winning that game on Tuesday. They just don’t play anyone during the year that is even decent. Rooting for Tech but wouldn’t bet on them…
The only real state championship would involve Ansonia v. ANY LL/L powerhouse, just to show that they aren’t as good as they are hyped up to be. And as for the number 1 back whose stats are inflated because he gets the ball 40 times a game against bad teams, pit him up against a team like Greenwich or Bunnell, and watch those numbers become miniscule.
Nate an Coach TY are right b/c there is great talent on the fields of bridgeport pop warner just think if bridgeport had 1 high school….WOW
BHTech doesnt play anyone throughout the season but Corderol Williams can carry the team past Tollan and into the state championship game
The Filippone playoff proposal might be the worst thing I have ever seen. I can’t believe he went public with that.
SCC says that Ansonia is good, but New London is not.
Nate says New London is good, but Ansonia is not.
Can’t the Ansonia haters get together, agree on one argument (excuse) and stick with it?
Anon, way to be tough and come after Ansonia under an “Anon” name. Put your arrogant mind away.
Are you trying to say that Alex Thomas is overrated? That he wouldn’t put yards up against Greenwich or Staples?
YALE likes him, wants him to play RB there. So I guess all the Yale coaches must be stupid, and nowhere near the football intelligence that is “Anon”.
SP, great playoff solution. I think you could play the quarterfinals on Tuesday, Semi’s on Saturday, and give a full week and play the finals the following Saturday. Granted it is another week into December (which apparently scares everyone. I don’t think a week is going to bring weather so much worse than the previous week)
If Alex Thomas is that good, don’t you think bigger and better schools would be looking at him? Anon is correct because the smart college scouts see that he plays Crosby, Watertown, Torrington, Kennedy, Wilby, and Wolcott.
Simply, he averaged 19.08 yards per carry against those teams, and 9.01 YPC against Woodland, Holy Cross, Seymour, and Naugy. If seymour can hold him to 269 yards on 44 carries, Imagine if he faced a defense like Greenwich’s? He could carry 40 times and still only get 175 yards. Those 3000 yards are clearly inflated.
Haven’t given this as much thought as some of the playoff scenarios thrown out here, but I’m throwing this one out for the heck of it:
-start season 1 week earlier or play 9 games
-4 divisions: large, medium, small and tech (change criteria of determining division where some L teams may now be M, etc)
-3 rounds of playoffs (teams qualify on point system similar to current):
Round 1
L1 v. L2
M1 v. M2
S1 v. S2
T1 v. T2
Round 2
Winner L1/L2 v. Winner M1/M2
Winner S1/S2 v Winner T1/T2
State Championship
Winner L/M v Winner S/T
brandon-can u imagine waterbury or new haven having one team?
fb:
The big-time D1 programs aren’t looking at Thomas because of his size; this does not mean he is not an outstanding back!
If Ansonia’s 300lb. center and fullback play against Seymour, Thomas puts up 400 – without question.
I understand that any player that plays multiple weak teams are going to have somewhat inflated stats – but do you realize how many RBs in state history have played under similar league circumstances and NOT put up these numbers? Thomas is special – he possesses vision, balance, speed, strength, heart, and elusiveness.
And for the unbelievable number of posters out there who seem incapable of objectivity and open-mindedness, check AT’s number of carries compared to Tim Washington’s ;)
FB,
Did you understand the irony of what you were typing as you were typing it? Did it actually make you stop and laugh and then you just posted it anyway?
Ok, those teams HELD him to 9 ypc. They HELD him?
They HELD him, yea, to 9 ypc! That is still very good.
And besides that, you didn’t even prove the point you were trying to prove. What you wanted to prove was that his total yardage is inflated. But you attacked his yards per carry.
And to do this, you came up with the startling conclusion that he had worse ypc against better teams. Wow, who could ever have guessed that would be true?
While his ypc was higher against weaker teams, he had far few carries against these teams because he wasn’t needed in the second half of these games. His numbers could be considered inflated if he ran up huge yardage totals on weak teams. But he did not. He had very similar yardage totals against all teams evenly.
Put another way, every one of his yards was gained in situations where it was correct for him to be in the game. He never played deep into blowouts simply to gain stats.
Bigger and better schools than Yale contacted him constantly.
He wants to go to Yale for the education.
He is choosing to use football to better himself down the road.
Exactly right… He has made it perfectly clear for the past 3 seasons that he is going Ivy League. Show of hands – who’s seen him play?
Good competetion, bad competetion, no matter how u slice it AT is a great back. Not only is he the top back in the state, but according to Maxpreps.com he is the #1 back in the country. Statistically he is #1 out of 500 backs who’s teams called in stats. I don’t care what u think of Alex or the teams he played he has had an outstanding career and a great future ahead. He should be congratulated for being a good player and a good person. Yale doesn’t just take anyone.
listen i have been to one of AT’s games, they played woodland, he had 545 yards on 45 carries and 7 touchdowns and pretty much burried the other team, but if you really watch the game, and you know what goes on on the field because half of you people never even put pads on and played under the lights on a Friday night you would see that its his offensive line that makes him look like he does, if he was to play a team like Bunnell or Greenwich, there would be no way he would run on them i would love to see a big powerhouse game like that it would really show the state if AT is for real! because he is the team their quarter back stinks, i dont care what anyone says ansonia is not a better football team than Bunnell or Greenwich, let them come out of the valley and play some real teams then if AT lives to his “stats” then ill admit my wrongs!
HOW DOES THIS section devolve into an Alex Thomas dissertation?
Hand coach Steve Filippone is out there proposing a state championship that destroys Thanksgiving, keeps six classes that includes everybody but the winless teams of Pop Warner and you guys are all going on about Thomas.
Listen: THE KID IS THE BEST TAILBACK IN THE STATE. He may not get 3,000 yards in the SCC or the FCIAC, but he’d be the leading rusher that’s for sure. That means he’d be somewhere in the 2,000 range. So stoppit.
ha this sure isn’t the first time this has happen
hey SPB, even if they put u out there at 5’3″ – 145 and the athleticism of a turtle, and gave u the ball 40 times, u would find a way to rush for 250 yards behind beefy #71.
SPB, Love the new playoff format. It only needs to include the Bpt, New Haven and Wtby. 15 year old pop warner teams to make coach Ty and others happy. Or let the inner city schools have 20 year olds remain eligible. Maybe then they’ll win a state title.
Oh yeah A-Rod i 4got exactly what u have accomplished
ansonia is a joke without Thomas and without that strait 300 pound offensive line Alex Thomas would be a joke just another average tailback
Sean Patrick Bowley your a joke you have never put on a pair of shoulder pads nor a helmet and walked out on that grid line, you can put any tail back you want behind that offensive line and i guarantee you you’ll see a clone of the so called Alex Thomas THE BEST TAILBACK IN THE STATE!!!!!!! and if he was so great how come hes not the number one recruit out of Connecticut?? if HES THE BEST
how come Torey mack and Octavius ma coy are the top recruits?? because the colleges see that you’re all mighty Alex Thomas isn’t the great his o line is what makes him out to be! and you should know that to because you have that on your main page scouting reports. plain and simple i dont know how you can be a sports columnist if you never even played the sports you are writing about because half of the things you write are not true half of the time! so please stop with his whole AT thing its getting old hes a joke his stats are inflated and you know it
Hey, kid: I have put on shoulder pads, a helmet and walked “out on that grid line” as a football player. So you’re already wrong there. Let’s not get personal.
Now, i’m one of the few to have seen all of those backs you’ve mentioned and, being a professional who is paid to be objective, taking all of the things you mentioned into account, Alex Thomas is the best back in the state.
This has nothing to do with how great he will be in college.
Hey thats personal….spb???but yes i can agree stat wise alex thomas is the best Tailback in the state and yes he gets the ball 50 times per game and yes he has a huge o-line but….do u not think that coaches key on him….and he still manages to rack up 2 and 3 hundred yards a game…wow..yes Torrey and ox are good backs and might have more POTENTIAL (somethin college scouts look 4) but alex thomas is the best back in the state
he will not be great in college he is going to yale…….ill give it to you thats an ivy league school but when do you hear anything about them? he wont be able to run like that in college your stupid if you even think that thats the difference between highschool and college he wont have a dominant o-line that he has now. like i said before its a joke, and yea your right maybe you did put pads on i
take that comment back but you do not know anything if you think Alex Thomas is “the best” i don’t care if you get paid to be “objective”, you are wrong
Torey Mack
86 carries
1177 yards
13.69 average per carry
98 yards longest run
20 touchdowns
130.8 yards per game
Alex Thomas
287 caries………….inflated
3347 yards………….inflated
11.66 per Carie……mack is better
86 longest run…….mack is better
44 touchdowns……….on 287 caries in one season
278.9 per game……….because hes the team
now if you look at these stats not only is At’s stats ridiculous mack’s stats are better if you do that math take mack’s average and give him 287 carries and you would see 4000 plus yards per game, and if he had Thomas’s line he would be ridiculous in hi stats! if you get paid to write about u high school athletes do some research in your work so you don’t look like a fool when you write this crap, let Thomas come down from he valley and face any class l or ll teams you will be surprised! so next time you call me kid just knows what the hell he is talking about
Sorry you feel that way, I’m in a pressbox full of people who are on my side. And we have pens. We have ink.
O no !
Mack is better in the always important “longest run” category
haha
mack is better period.!
you would be as good as A.T. if you had enormous #71 in front of you too my little sister can get 44 touchdowns and 3500 yards in a season to with him in front blocking
Like i said Alex Thomas is a joke
and so are your blogs
way to go spb??? u nailed it. sure AT is good, but probably not even one of the best 10 RBs in the state.
spb??? loser, We all know that Ansonia doesn’t play the toughest schedule but every team keys on AT and he still gets it done. Other than Bunnell last Thanksgiving, name a good team that Stratford beat in the three years they had Mack and McKoy. AT and Ansonia would never lose by 50 to Masuk and 50 to Holy Cross last year and Mack’s numbers get inflated when he runs against jokers like Nonnewaug and Weston. He just doesn’t get the same # of carries because he’s got McKoy with him. Mack is a tremendous player, maybe the same or better than AT but that doesn’t mean that AT is a joke. He may do great thungs at Yale, maybe not. Your crystal ball may not work after all, Yale’s got a pretty good “O” line as well. Try to pipe down and let the kids play ball, they’re all great players.
fb and spb???, You two sound like a couple of clowns, 10th best ? Please watch them AT and others play and remember it’s just your opinion. By the way, Yale was 10-1 this year and lost only to the Ivy league champion. Their running back set the single season team rushing yards and rushing records and he’s back next year. His name is Mike McLeod and his line WAS dominant. Do your homework before you run your mouth. Or don’t and sound like a clown.
Hey Sean first thankyou for your fairness it hurts when your right to the bloggers.Alex is great I felt that Schultz was better but someone broke it down to me also and explained his greatness on and off the field. On a differant subject does Thomas and Schultz play together in the scc game in the spring cant wait they will be on the same team. let us know when it does happen and where do they schedule the game.I think the Valley teams are great and I went to Central,who by the way are becoming a power house.