We’re excited to say this is the last time we’ll take the trolley to the playoff land of make believe. As you know the CIAC approved Steve Filippone‘s proposal and made this a reality just a week ago. Four Divisions, eight teams, one more week.
But we do have one more trip to make: to see what this year’s season would have looked liked under the new playoff system.
All aboard.
Let’s go.
CLASS LL
| Team |
Rec |
Pts |
Avg |
Tie |
| 1. Staples |
10-0 |
1400 |
140.00 |
80 |
| 2. Simsbury |
9-1 |
1340 |
134.00 |
98 |
| 3. Glastonbury |
9-1 |
1320 |
132.00 |
102 |
| 4. Cheshire |
9-1 |
1310 |
131.00 |
100 |
| 5. Xavier |
9-1 |
1310 |
131.00 |
92 |
| 6. Bpt. Central |
9-1 |
1260 |
126.00 |
82 |
| 7. Ridgefield |
9-1 |
1200 |
120.00 |
80 |
| 8. Windsor |
8-2 |
1190 |
119.00 |
114 |
| Newtown |
8-2 |
1120 |
112.00 |
96 |
| Manchester |
8-2 |
1100 |
110.00 |
98 |
| Hamden |
7-3 |
1010 |
101.00 |
108 |
| Greenwich |
7-3 |
940 |
94.00 |
104 |
| Shelton |
7-3 |
940 |
94.00 |
100 |
| South Windsor |
7-3 |
910 |
91.00 |
94 |
SYNOPSIS — There’s justice. All of the teams that failed to qualify at 9-1 all get in under the new playoff system, including 9-1 Simsbury (up from Class L). We also had one 8-2 entry in Windsor, which beats out Newtown and Manchester by 70 and 90 points, respectively. Hamden, Shelton and Greenwich are all out at 7-3.
So, here are your quarterfinals:
No. 8 Windsor (8-2) at No. 1 Staples (10-0)
No. 7 Ridgefield (9-1) at No. 2 Simsbury (9-1)
No. 6 Bridgeport Central (9-1) at No. 3 Glastonbury (9-1)
No. 5 Xavier (9-1) at No. 4 Cheshire (9-1)
Semifinals
Xavier/Cheshire vs. Windsor/Staples
Central/Glastonbury vs. Ridgefield/Simsbury
CLASS L
| Team |
Rec |
Pts |
Avg |
Tie |
| 1. Pomperaug |
10-0 |
1420 |
142.00 |
84 |
| 2. Conard |
10-0 |
1350 |
135.00 |
70 |
| 3. Notre Dame-WH |
9-1 |
1340 |
134.00 |
106 |
| 4. New Canaan |
9-1 |
1330 |
133.00 |
102 |
| 5. Masuk |
9-1 |
1300 |
130.00 |
96 |
| 6. East Lyme |
9-1 |
1280 |
128.00 |
94 |
| 7. Vinal Tech/Cog |
9-1 |
1260 |
126.00 |
86 |
| 8. St. Paul Co-Op |
8-2 |
1130 |
113.00 |
100 |
| Branford |
7-3 |
970 |
97.00 |
94 |
| Fitch |
7-3 |
960 |
96.00 |
108 |
| North Haven |
7-3 |
940 |
94.00 |
88 |
| Darien |
7-3 |
940 |
94.00 |
82 |
| Fairfield Ludlowe |
6-4 |
760 |
76.00 |
98 |
| Wilby |
6-4 |
760 |
76.00 |
92 |
SYNOPSIS – More justice: Masuk is in. But, because of the way the points fell with several other 9-1 teams, they’d get a tough road game at New Canaan. But that’s what you’re going to get with a 4-5 matchup.
According to all the points, it looks like every deserving team in this division gets in and it looks like a well-balanced field. This division would have been all but wrapped up before Thanksgiving. Branford, Fitch, North Haven and Darien would have all had a shot if St. Paul lost to Rocky Hill.
This is a good field; mixing in most of the elements of this year’s Class MM and Class L into one mega tournament. Only Simsbury (bumped to Class LL) is missing
Here are the quarterfinals:
No. 8 St. Paul Co-Op (8-2) at No. 1 Pomperaug (10-0)
No. 7 Vinal Tech/Coginchaug (9-1) at No. 2 Conard (10-0)
No. 6 East Lyme (8-2) at No. 3 Notre Dame-WH (9-1)
No. 5 Masuk (9-1) at No. 4 New Canaan (9-1)
Semifinals:
St. Paul/Pomperaug vs. Masuk/New Canaan
Vinal Tech/Conard vs. East Lyme/Notre Dame
CLASS M
| Team |
Rec |
Pts |
Avg |
Tie |
| 1. New London |
10-0 |
1590 |
159.00 |
114 |
| 2. Avon |
10-0 |
1450 |
145.00 |
88 |
| 3. Wolcott |
8-2 |
1190 |
119.00 |
100 |
| 4. Berlin |
8-2 |
1170 |
117.00 |
102 |
| 5. Bethel |
8-2 |
1070 |
107.00 |
90 |
| 6. Ledyard |
7-3 |
1020 |
102.00 |
114 |
| 7. Gilbert/NW |
7-3 |
930 |
93.00 |
88 |
| 8. Coventry/WT |
7-3 |
890 |
89.00 |
82 |
| Ellington/Somers |
6-4 |
860 |
86.00 |
108 |
| Watertown |
6-4 |
830 |
83.00 |
100 |
| New Fairfield |
6-4 |
830 |
83.00 |
92 |
| Foran |
6-4 |
790 |
79.00 |
84 |
| Bacon Academy |
6-4 |
790 |
79.00 |
108 |
SYNOPSIS – We knew we were going to get at last one weak class with a four-division structure. And here it is. Three 7-3 teams get into the field — including two from the Pequot. New Fairfield and Foran would have had late shots at one of the final spots, as would Ellington/Somers. As it turns out, Watertown’s loss to Torrington knocks them out of a state playoff spot.
But the big news is Wolcott, which was left out of this year’s Class SS field despite being one of the best teams in the NVL at 8-2. They get in and would be the No. 3 seed and get a home game in this structure.
Here are the quarterfinals:
No. 8 Coventry/Windham Tech (7-3) at No. 1 New London (10-0)
No. 7 Gilbert/Northwestern (7-3) at No. 2 Avon (10-0)
No. 6 Ledyard (7-3) at No. 3 Wolcott (8-2)
No. 5 Bethel (8-2) at No. 4 Berlin (8-2)
Semifinals:
Coventry/New London vs. Bethel/Berlin
Gilbert/Avon vs. Ledyard/Wolcott
CLASS S
| Team |
Rec |
Pts |
Avg |
Tie |
| 1. Holy Cross |
9-1 |
1430 |
143.00 |
102 |
| 2. NWCatholic |
9-1 |
1320 |
132.00 |
86 |
| 3. Montville |
9-1 |
1310 |
131.00 |
96 |
| 4. Hyde Leadership |
9-1 |
1300 |
130.00 |
98 |
| 5. Bloomfield |
9-1 |
1300 |
130.00 |
82 |
| 6. Ansonia |
8-2 |
1260 |
126.00 |
106 |
| 7. Bullard Havens |
9-1 |
1210 |
121.00 |
68 |
| 8. St. Joseph |
8-2 |
1200 |
120.00 |
90 |
| Prince Tech |
8-1 |
1080 |
120.00 |
66 |
| Cromwell |
8-2 |
1190 |
119.00 |
114 |
| East Catholic |
8-2 |
1120 |
112.00 |
76 |
| Woodland |
7-3 |
950 |
95.00 |
90 |
| Morgan |
6-4 |
830 |
83.00 |
104 |
| Valley Regional/OL |
6-4 |
810 |
81.00 |
98 |
| Canton |
6-4 |
760 |
76.00 |
80 |
SYNOPSIS — Like the imaginary Class L, this tremendous division combines the best of Class SS and Class S into one mega tournament of small schools. St. Joseph and Bullard-Havens, like in real life, barely squeak into the field (St. Joseph beats Prince Tech on tiebreakers and Cromwell by a mere 10 playoff points to get in.)
This division annually will be tough for teams like St. Joseph and Trinity Catholic, who play mostly Class LL and L schools in the FCIAC, while the rest of these teams reside mostly in the NVL and Pequot or the small CCC division. There’s also the Tech school equation, where Bullard-Havens is the No. 7 seed after barely beating Bassick, a team No. 8 St. Joseph led 54-6 at halftime.
Those anomalies aside, this is an awesome field of the best small schools in Connecticut.
Here are your quarterfinals:
No. 8 St. Joseph (8-2) at No. 1 Holy Cross (9-1)
No. 7 Bullard-Havens (9-1) at No. 2 Northwest Catholic (9-1)
No. 6 Ansonia (8-2) at No. 3 Montville (9-1)
No. 5 Bloomfield (9-1) at No. 4 Hyde (9-1)
Semifinals:
St. Joseph/Holy Cross vs. Bloomfield/Hyde
Ansonia/Montville vs. Bullard-Havens/Northwest Catholic
That’s all! Looks like this format would have solved almost every problem we’ve encountered this year. Central, Masuk, Ridgefield are in. All of the tournaments are strong. A state championship would have really been something to cheer about.
There will be no musing about what coulda, shoulda been by this time next year.
This is what we’ll be getting.
I … can’t … wait.
Just to bad a Masuk/New Cannan & Central/Glastonbury match up in the quarter finals is good football.
Well, PBL. Pomperaug’s 10-0, Conard’s 10-0, Notre Dame-WH’s 9-1 beat NC and Masuk’s 9-1… what are you gonna do?
Masuk/New Canaan first round?! Wow!!! What a quarterfinal game that would be! 38-37! To bad o agood team would be going home so early, but, what are you gonna do?
Your trip the to land of “what if” was interesting, spot on, and gets us all of us fans of high school ball anxiously ready for next year.
We know that you and a few other reporters lead the charge for a more equitable and reasonable tournament system. For that you should get a pat on the back.
But, just because next year will be better is no reason to demean the seasons of the 24 teams in this years tournament. When you state, “A state championship [, this year, under next year's rules] would have really been something to cheer about” is saying that a championship this year, under this year’s rules, is nothing to cheer about.
Why don’t you just suggest that this season’s tournament be canceled because the methodology didn’t meet your standards.
We’ve gotten a long-needed adjustment in the tournament formal. Now all we need is a slight attitude adjustment in some of the media.
I congratulate all 24 teams who made this year’s play-offs, and will cheer for the champions, even though it’s been suggested that there is nothing to cheer about.
Sean, I went back and read your past blog about your dislike of conference championships. With more perspective, I now heartily agree. The question is, is there any chance with the expanded playoffs that the FCIAC and such that still have title games will also agree?
My reasoning, at least for the FCIAC, is that even if Central and Staples and perhaps even Greenwich didn’t play each other in the regular season, there’s still a very good chance a couple of them will face off in the expanded LL playoffs anyhow if they end with stellar records. It also seems counterproductive for the various conferences to watch their two best teams beat each other to a bloody pulp at the end of the season.
We don’t need a playoff to crown a conference champion. Heck, even with a title game, the distinction is dubious. For example, if a game or two go a different way this season, Staples plays New Canaan instead of Central, even though Central destroyed NC. If necessary, crown co-champions. If those two end up meeting in the playoffs, which is very possible, designate that as the title game.
As for Thanksgiving Day rivalries, I’ve not been following the schools long enough to know how meaningful they are. I could be wrong, but I would think the fans would come out in droves on Thanksgiving morning no matter which team their favorite school were playing. But if some rivalries are truly that meaningful, keep them.
In general, if I’m running a conference, I want my best teams in the expanded playoffs, well-rested and ready to do us proud.
Not demeaning anything at all, if you win a title you should be proud. It’s incredibly tough to do for most teams.
However, six divisions have always stuck in my craw because we’re a small state and the differences in our schools aren’t nearly wide enough to merit six divisions. We’s always wind up with a few watered-down divisions that, really, didn’t settle anything. Sorry. What can I tell you?
Now this problem will be corrected under the new format and I’m thrilled about that.
Absolutely. The expanded playoffs should really make administrators think long and hard about keeping these championship games. Once upon a time, there were no state playoffs and leagues took it upon themselves to hold championship games. They were tremendous. They served a purpose of giving us a champion played on the field instead of through the polls. Even when the CIAC added playoffs, for years their format left a lot to be desired and the league title games still meant a lot.
But over the past 20 years, the conferences have become so large and the playoff time so short, it has become more and more counterproductive to play a league championship. The FCIAC and SWC did it by using divisions, and then playing their title game before Thanksgiving — which never made a lot of sense to begin with, especially now since the FCIAC isn’t balanced and the SWC insists that all of its schools play each other over four seasons.
Now, the expanded playoffs have created four mega tournaments — where we are practically guaranteed to see the best teams in the state duke it out for worthy state title. But you’re going to have to win three playoff games in two weeks. Add Thanksgiving and the conference title game, now a team could play FIVE games in three weeks.
It’s too much now. Something has to give for the health and safety of the kids. It’s time to get rid of the SWC, NVL and FCIAC championship games. The strength of the new state playoffs render these games obsolete.
Jeff-
That’s always been mine (and many people’s arguments)…we don’t NEED conference tournaments! STATES are far more important! The FCIAC championship doesn’t even count for states…that’s how little it truly means. It is an exhibition. That’s wht it is not played last. It’s system is faulty….How can two top team (like Staples and Greenwich, play AFTER the FCIAC title game has already been played, and STILL have the league count it as a league game?! Same as Darien-New Canaan. Makes no sense.)
The SCC–the best conference in the state (and I am an FCIAC guy) doesn’t even have a conference title game. It’s all about the holy GATE for the FCIAC. And no gate will ever get bigger then the 2009 Darien-New Canaan game at Boyle. In fact, this year’s Darien-NC Turkey Bowl OUTDREW this year’s FCIAC title game between Central and Staples.
Go Rams!
Also…why sneak in an FCIAC championship game (exhibition) sandwiched around a- a regular season game, b- a Thanksgiving day rivalry, c- a probable state quarterfinal, d- a possible state quartefinal, and e- a possible state final.
It’s not that immportant. Do away with it.
sorry…i meant 2008 darien-NC game at Boyle…almost 10,000
also…d-should say a possible state “semifinal”…it’s late..I need to go to sleep…LOL
i dont get why central is not in states dey r a lethal team in in da state why dont they give these city kids a chance ever they work hard for nothing and to the senior class dis season must been a heartbreaker
ct need to get on wit football because da thought of 4 teams like past years are just stupid i am glad dey expand it next year but should of done it earlier.
when are you guys going to understand that the fciac game will not be eliminated cause its all about the MONEY,and could you have imagined this scenario…central beats staples ,wins the fciac title and staples cheshire both win , and the winner of the fciac does not make the states,,, that itself would have made for a pretty good article….the central team was a very good team,, too bad ,one year to late for new format but i’m glad its in
Ken: I hope the spelling is your way of being funny? If not….Wow!
Hey Ken….I can sort of understand your abuse of the English language…LOL…That said, no one was rooting harder than I, for the Cardinals to come thru for you by winning over Westport, believe it or not…Sorry, maybe you didn’t soften them up enough for us…The Greenwich kids played their hearts out to win that game and lost, period…And, you don’t even know it, but they tried to win it for themselves first, but also trying to help Central out…We lost…
Are you sure you are in the right room?…
SPB you said you were taking the weekend off, and then you write this article at midnight on Sat…your sick, LoL!
cjc-
If Greenwich makes that FG, Staples (your FCIAC champion) would NOT have gone to states! Can you imagine the outrage and crying this message board board would have had to put up with this last few days from Staples fans? Staples was one fingertip away from not going to states….the crying and moaning would have been intolerable.
Anyway, I think Staples beats Xavier in a close one. Teams that can only run have NO CHANCE against Staples defense. You saw what a balanced team like Greenwich did against Staples’ defense. Too bad we couldn’t see St. Joseph or New Canaan’s passing game on a dry day against Staples…those teams would give Staples trouble.
Xavier has that monster running back and can throw a little. Not enough, though. The kicker could be the difference, again.
Xavier’s coach is WAY too conservative for my liking.
By the way, I loved Staples, dark uniforms vs. Greenwich. Good look!
Ghsgrandpa, re “maybe you didn’t soften them [Staples] up enough for us”. Did you see all the kids playing with casts on their arms? No offense to Greenwich, but Central gave Staples a way better game. Central faced a Staples defense that threw their bodies every which way to pull that game out. They were the walking wounded against a well-rested Greenwich, and pretty much held it together on sheer guts and determination. I’ll bet NC was similarly beat up when they took on Darien two weeks later. The mark of the Staples kids and their coaching staff is that no matter who they throw at you this year, and who or what you throw at them, they will collectively find a way to beat you if at all physically possible.
I’m looking forward to seeing multiple FCIAC teams in the state playoffs next year and scores being settled there where it matters as opposed to a separate FCIAC championship that decimates them. My two cents.
They should keep the conference championship games. They are fun.
MR: Your boys certainly aren’t big fans of it this year.
So just for the record,teams play the SAME schedule next year as this season correct?Central returns its whole backfield,and im sure theyll be in the weight room heavy this offseason,their physical brand of football is gonna be exciting to watch next year.Gotta pull for staples this week,any chance anyone can post the all fciac teams on here? they use to announce at halftime of the championship game.
Xavier’s coach is WAY too conservative for my liking.
I had to double check to see if I posted that.Right on the button.Xavier has a notch over average QB who most times will make the routine pass completion.
Anyone who says the FCIAC championship game should be cancelled is too far remeoved from the game, to make that judgement. As a former player, who won an FCIAC championship, I would be very opposed to its removal. Its an opportunity for ANOTHER GAME. Two great teams in the best confernece in the state squaring off infront of a big crowd. As a player you cant ask for anything else. If you are a premiere team this is the best part of the year: the FCIAC championship, Thanksgiving game and two state games sandwiched into two – two and a 1/2 weeks. Yea maybe it doesnt mean anything for states…but it means a whole lot to the teams playing, as well as all of the other teams in the conference.
But if you’re playing in the FCIAC championship, it stands to reason that you’ll be playing in the states — which will bring just as much, if not more, of what you’re looking for.
League championship games’ usefulness have expired. The league’s scheduling is unbalanced, the criteria is skewed, it makes no sense to play this game anymore. You want to force a team to play a (let’s be honest) meaningless league title game, then five days later on Thanksgiving, then four days later in the state quarterfinals, and then four days later in the state semifinals… Four games in two weeks? It’s already too much and, now, with the expanded playoffs and stronger classes, the game is rendered virtually meaningless.
My solution is to break the FCIAC up into large and small divisions; play for a regular season title (like the Big East or the Ivy League) and then get ready for the grind of the state tournament, where you’ll really see who’s boss.
The only way you could conceivably make this work is: don’t play on Thanksgiving, maybe get approval to start the season a week earlier; end everybody’s regular season in Week 9 — none of which will happen.
I like the idea of a league champ, but the leagues are far too big, and there’s just no time to do it anymore.
Spb, l agree with you 100% about doing away with the league playoffs.
One problem would be the MONEY generated from this game helps defray a lot of the costs for both the Fciac and the SWC.
The players and the fans love this game and its usually very competitive.
With that being said I hope the higher ups put an end to this game once and for all.
Don’t get me wrong, I love the games. they certainly spice up the late-season more than anywhere else (The second half of the SCC season was, honestly, kinda boring).
But it’s a logistical nightmare now with the added round. Look at those Staples, Pomperaug and Masuk kids. They were shot on Thanksgiving — especially Staples. Broken arms, pulled muscles, sprained ankles… they were a mess. All of those teams’ coaches admitted that much. Not saying the results would have changed, but it certainly didn’t help their cause.
Just a note about the Xavier coaching philosophy—–They have a monster running back and a good passing attack yet of all the teams I have seen this year they never take a chance on offense. Fourth and a foot on the other teams forty yd line they will punt into the end-zone.
Hey at least Montville has a tough matchup on tuesday.
I agree with SPB and jjs 100%….conference championship games are meaningless these days and should be a thing of the past. Too many games in too short of a time perios for the kids. The game is just an exhibition. Doesn’t even count toward states.
And this is coming from a New Canaan fan, myself, whose team has been in and won more FCIAC titles than any other team besides Greenwich. Do away with the game.
I even said this lasy year when Nc-played Darien in fron of 10,000 at Boyle. The key to that game was not a silly FCIAC trophy for New Canaan, it was getting the Number 1 seed, avoiding Hillhouse, and getting a home game in the state playoffs….THAT’S what really mattered.
Also, beating Darien for the Class MM state title was 200,000 times more important than beating Darien in the FCIAC title game.
Get rid of the conference title game.
I thought that Xavier had a very good passing game in the win over Shelton. Their running back #29 broke a long run but it was their passing game that really won the game for them. The Xavier/Staples game should be a close defensive struggle with Xavier winning.
Dave K I know you are a SCC fan in your opinion what do you think went wrong with Shelton this year. I know in the beginning they had a tough time on defense they had some injuries but their offense was unstoppable was it coaching, players or a little of both. By the way I think staples is going to have their hands full on tuesday. They have played 2 tough games in a row, now Xavier whoever wins that game is going to win the LL.
Montville will win by at least 30.
With an extra game in the playoffs, which is surely going to be well attended, earmark the funds in round one to be split between the conferences involved. Qualify two teams for the playoffs and money problem solved.
As for conference champions, in the above expanded scenario for Class L, assuming the usual 1v8 plays the winner of 4v5, a reasonable result would be Pomperaug v Masuk in the second round. That could be designated the conference championship. If the teams don’t meet in the playoffs, they finish as co-champions.
When will these quarter final games take place, then the semis and then the championships?
It is not possible to keep these conference championships. MasukRules thinks they are ‘fun’ because he never actually played in one. They destroy teams for the coming weeks.
Well, I do think the new system is better, but it still is not a championship. It is still a points based system that frankly is like the BCS to me. Go to Pennsylvania – huge state, 4 classes, and they have a champion of each.
CT is smaller, should easily be able to get a real champion of each classification, and the good teams would get in. The league championships are a thing of the past and should be eliminated.
And for the record – playing a semifinal on a Tuesday, then following up with the final on a Saturday is the worst thing for these kids. Not enough time to recover between games. And this is all done to get the playoffs done by a certain date. Start the season one week earlier, eliminate the useless league championships, and lets see who the best team really is…..without killing the kids.
Thanks for listening!
Sean (or anyone who knows) – with the multiple rounds of playoffs in states like PA and NY, what is the minimum # of games a team will play. Seems like a downside is that many schools will end up only playing 6 games? Is that the case?
Schools in most other states start around the last week of August. Their playoffs start First week of November. State champions are usually crowned around now, or in a week or two depending on the size of the state.
CT can’t do what PA or other states do b/c we have Thanksgiving rivalry games. Those traditional games are part of our New England heritage, as much as clam chowder, lobster roll, and pizza pie. Plus, the $ they generate cannot be ignored. Starting the season earlier would jeopardize those games, or turn them into scrimmages with huge crowds in the middle of the playoff races. That wouldn’t make sense.
What I find interesting is that most coaches actually would have preferred keeping 6 classes, and going to 8 teams! SPB argued for 3 classes… 4 classes will be an excellent compromise solution. All in all, I think the new format will be huge winner.
Anyway back to reality: this year there are enough good games that I wish 1/2 of them were Tuesday/Saturday and the other half Wednesday/Sunday!
Sean,
“My solution is to break the FCIAC up into large and small divisions”
Would you realign strictly based on the # students?
What would the divisions/schedule look like?
Dr. Von Nostran: Looking at the numbers, it’s really quite impossible to break up the FCIAC into something the SCC or CCC has. A> 75 percent of the schools are Class LL or Class L. B> Two or three of the powerhouses are three of the smallest schools: New Canaan, Darien and let’s say St. Joseph, too.
So what do you do? Place New Canaan, Darien and St. Joseph into a small division (right now, that’s where they are in a three-division configuration). If that’s the case we won’t see New Canaan tangle with Greenwich or Staples as much as we’re used to (which can’t happen, for the good of the league).
Maybe, then, you bump them up into the large school division (like Hand in the SCC); But when you do that, the small division becomes extremely weak. Maybe two crossovers is the solution, with NC playing the top two teams (perhaps Greenwich and Staples) in the large.
Maybe you take the “Central” or medium division and place three of the top teams by enrollment (Staples, Ridgefield and McMahon/Norwalk) and bump them to the West “Large” and take the three smallest (Harding, Ludlowe, McMahon/Norwalk) and drop them to the East “Small”
Of course, the league’s scheduling policy (all intracity teams must play each other), and the weekly byes kills any true divisional set up… so again you’re at an impasse.
Every so often I try to divvy up the FCIAC’s 19 teams and I fail miserably. There’s just no great way to do it. I think the league did as good a job as it could in its three-division set up. They either need a 20th team or… they need a 20th team.
I don’t know. I just don’t know.
So far, so good. Now, talk to “Commissioner” and add King as the 20th team…
If the CIAC were to ever radically change the playoffs, we all know they would look to a state like New York before Florida or Texas as a model. Looking at some schools in NY near the Conn border on maxpreps, I see that the first game was played September 12 this year. They played a six game regular season ending October 16. If you didn’t make the playoffs, it looks like you were given two losers bracket consolation games (some are called ‘bowl’ games). No Thanksgiving games.
So, for the vast majority of teams, you got an 8-game season that was over before Halloween. I don’t see how this is better for the majority of kids playing high shool football, nor do I see this as an answer to Randy Edsall’s complaint that the kids don’t get enough practice time in CT.
The argument of traditional games on Thanksgiving is one that is wonderful in the minds of those that live in the past, but most of these games (and I will speak of the Derby/Shelton rivalry since I had a son that has played in it several times)is another tradition that should change. Most of these games are not even close, and have not been for years.
You want real playoffs, then get rid of these traditions, and build a program that is centered around the ultimate prize – State Championships. PA has a great model, and the championship will be played 1 week after CT.
Thanks for the place to speak my mind. I do appreciate it, and have no issues with counter points. Its the beauty of our country!
PTG – Living in the past?
It is a shame that Derby has fallen on such hard times, which has tarnished a formerly great game with Shelton. But one fallen rivalry does not mean TG games should be abolished. The Geeen Bowl, Newtown-Masuk, Darien-NC all had huge playoff implications. Other games were excellent too – Foran-Law, Amity-North Haven, Norwalk-McMahon, etc. In general the TG match-ups are incredibly fun, and IMO represent what HS football is all about. Do I want “real playoffs”? No not really – of course I’d like better playoffs than we currently have, but this is not the NFL, they are just kids.
If you want me to break with the past, I’d ok Shelton switching to play West Haven on TG!
All: Massachusetts is trying to make a bigger, more elaborate football playoffs AND keep their TG rivalries. Here is the draft proposal:
http://www.boston.com/sports/schools/gallery/miaa_proposal/
It’s a sweeping proposal that does away with the traditional leagues organization… probably too radical for CT.
Play the Games…
I couldn’t agree with you more!
Do we really need a meaningless Norwalk-McMahon game or Trinity-Cathlic-Wiilton game on Thanksgiving? To heck with “traditions.” To heck with conference championships….it’s time to change with the times….it’s all about STATE TITLES!
I’ll answer Jeff first from yesterday’s post #18…Yeah, that may have been a little harsh, or stupid comment, sorry…I saw the tough Staples kid playing with a big black cast from a recent broken bone, and he was still effective…But, a lot of the GHS kids were wounded too, including my oldest grandson playing, and starting with a broken (but healing) hand, at deep safety, and special teams (not wearing a cast)…Also Mike Dunster was still hurt, but made his presence known late in the game anyway…I don’t know if you attended/watched both games, but the Cards played Staples just as tough & physical as Central, and broke just as many bones…It was a real tough, physical game for both sides…I do feel for Staples (a little bit..lol), after 2 very rough games, and now having to play tommorow…
To Play the Games…No way are they going to drop the Thanksgiving day games…They’re ingrained in CT High School Football fan’s minds from the cradle, and the CIAC knows that, and would have a state wide riot on their hands, should they ever try and mess with that tradition…That said, I suppose they could drop the league championships if it could buy another week, although, that too, is contentious with a lot of people on this blog, probably 50-50…Starting a week earlier in September would help…
Finally, to Sean…Great work all season long…I appreciate your dedication, and the hours you put in, shuttleing from game to game, and providing a live scoring blog, let alone all your great efforts in getting the new (and, I believe, improved system in place for next season)…The only thing I can still ask for, is for a four team playoff between the winners of each division championships…That would mean at least another week, but I still contend that a championship smaller school can beat a championship bigger school, and ought to have the chance in the end…Otherwise, we will still be having arguments who was the best of the 4 champs, and it will still be left to the state writers poll voters…
I really had nothing to do with the new playoffs — it was all Hand coach Steve Filippone. I just screamed about an idea for three years.