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…

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.

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!

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.

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.

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!