I pasted this in another thread, but it is probably worth its own thread. This is an excerpt from a Mike Fields Notebook column written after the first round of the playoffs last year:

 

Paris Coach J.J. Everage, whose Greyhounds lost to Beechwood 60-7, would prefer that only the top three teams in each district make the playoffs, with the district champ getting a first-round bye. He'd like to shorten the season by a week so the state finals would be Thanksgiving weekend. Everage also thinks five classes would be better than six, with 5A being a "super class." Did Paris get anything out of playing Beechwood? "There was no benefit," Everage wrote.

 

Gallatin Coach Tim Browning, whose team lost to defending state champ Newport Central Catholic 56-0, also thinks only the top three district teams should make the playoffs, with the top seed getting a first-round bye. While Browning thought it was a good experience for Gallatin County to face NewCath, he's not sure what the Thoroughbreds got out of it.

 

Boyd County Coach Lee Evans, whose Lions got mauled by Highlands 63-7, thinks taking only two teams from each district "would be perfect. Don't get me wrong. We like making the playoffs ... but, oftentimes, a four seed and most times a three seed do not deserve to be in the playoffs. Football is not like basketball. Getting blown out is not good in either sport but, in football, it often includes a physical beating, not just a beating on the scoreboard." Evans also thinks all teams should have to play in the classification dictated by their enrollment.

 

Washington County Coach Eric Sagrecy, whose Commanders were crushed by Glasgow 63-6, agreed that only the top two teams in a district should make the playoffs, "not because of mismatches, but because the playoffs are a reward for a good season, and you should have to play your way in."

 

Elizabethtown Coach Adam Billings, whose winless Panthers lost to Bell County 66-0, also thinks too many teams make the playoffs. Billings, who has coached in Wisconsin and North Carolina, said "playoffs should be something that your team gets rewarded for," and that "it doesn't make much sense to give a winless team a gift of the playoffs. In Wisconsin, you have to finish with a minimum .500 record in your conference to advance to the playoffs." Billings thinks the KHSAA should "completely seed each class 1-through-32, or split each class into regions based on location and then seed each region."

 

Caverna Coach Michael Garnis Martin, whose team got mashed by Mayfield 65-8, thinks the current format is OK, but he'd like to see travel times reduced. It was a long haul from Caverna to Mayfield last Friday. Martin, the grandson of the late Bardstown coaching legend Garnis Martin, liked the four-class system that he grew up with.

 

Simon Kenton Coach Jeff Marksberry, whose Pioneers got trounced by powerhouse Trinity 72-0, said the only thing he doesn't like about the current system is that there are only 32 teams in Class A and 6A. "There could be an argument for lowering the number of classes." Asked whether there was any benefit playing a team as powerful as Trinity, Marksberry said, "As hard as it was on coaches, it was harder on the kids. The only positive from it is that you truly get a sense of how good you must be to compete at that high level."

 

Jackson County Coach Arthur Carter, whose team lost to Belfry 55-0, said he thinks it's "great" to let just about every team experience the playoffs. He said if the first round was a waste of time, "you would never have a four seed defeating a one seed," and that happened a couple times last week.

I"m sure the first thing that goes through their mind is "Why did I choose this profession??"

What do kids who get hammered in the first round think? Would the seniors who just lost like to play one more game?

What do kids who get hammered in the first round think? Would the seniors who just lost like to play one more game?

 

I am sure they would like to play 5 more games, but every seniors season ends at some point. There is nothing magical about game 11 of your senior year.

I think there are quite a few #1 seeds that treat this 1st week of the playoffs as a bye week.

 

These teams are not "game planning" against the weeks opponent.

 

The 1 v 4 game that I attended featured -- 10 varsity starters held out nursing minor injuries, including both starting RB's -- starting QB playing 1 and 1/2 quarters -- rest of starting O and D playing a half -- JV starters playing a quarter -- JV back-ups finishing the game. The only drama was would the frosh that have chosen to dress make an appearance.

 

The KHSAA should listen to the coaches of these #4 seeded teams. They are the programs most affected.

An argument was made in another thread that playing a playoff game could financially help a struggling program. If last night at Trinity was any indication then that is a falsehood. The crowd at Marshall Stadium last night may have been the smallest in the last 5 years at Trinity. The GRC fans didn't travel and it looked like a lot of Trinity fans didn't feel the need to bother. With the split gate I doubt that GRC covered their travel expenses. Heck, judging by the number of Chick-fil-a sandwiches that were given to the players after the game because they weren't sold in the concession stand Trinity may not have made much money last night.

So seeing how it's not only the lower seed who gets blown out, are you saying higher seeds that end up on the losing end of a blowout shouldn't play either? How do you determine that?

 

A #2 seed just got blown out last night by a lower seed 48-0 and had a running clock before the 4th qtr.

 

Let them play the games, you never know what will happen.

The NewCath/Gallatin Co. last night at Newport was a "ghost-town". 6 minutes into the 2nd quarter and a running clock, come on. When it's all said and done NewCath lost money on this game. Was so bad the entire NewCath student section left at halftime and I even bolted shortly thereafter, I had grocery shopping to do.

1A Pineville and Nicholas Co

2A Lex Christian, DeSales and Holy Cross (Cov)

3A Garrard Co, Fleming Co and Lawrence Co

4A Madisonville and Nelson Co

5A Grayson Co and Cooper

6A Oldham Co, Simon Kenton, Henry Clay and Male

 

16 upsets last night, 16 teams that my somes opinions shouldn't be in the playoffs, 800+ kids that get to live the Dream one more week

1A Pineville and Nicholas Co

2A Lex Christian, DeSales and Holy Cross (Cov)

3A Garrard Co, Fleming Co and Lawrence Co

4A Madisonville and Nelson Co

5A Grayson Co and Cooper

6A Oldham Co, Simon Kenton, Henry Clay and Male

 

16 upsets last night, 16 teams that my somes opinions shouldn't be in the playoffs, 800+ kids that get to live the Dream one more week

 

Go to a ratings sytem that lets the top 16 in no matter location. Like WV. and Ohio.

 

Out of 96 games we had 16 upsets?

 

How many of those were #4 over #1?

There are too many to ask.... blowouts everywhere... makes a mockery of "playoffs".

There are too many to ask.... blowouts everywhere... makes a mockery of "playoffs".

 

Avg. margin of victory for first round 33.5.....waste of a week!

What is the big problem with letting every team in the playoffs? Baseball, Softball, Soccer and even our precious Basketball let's ever team into the playoffs...why does everyone one get on their high horse over Football?

Avg. margin of victory for first round 33.5.....waste of a week!

Not for the 16 lower seeds that pulled upsets!

 

Not for anyone in the WYMT viewing area that watched Middlesboro at Prestonsburg last night either.

Then earn you way in by achieving in the regular season.