It hardly seems that I have been coaching high school athletics for two decades now. After all, I can still vividly remember walking off the field from my last high school football game, though that date was not only before any of the current high school students were born, but also before many of their parents had even met each other.
But the positive is along the way, I have been able to really take stock of what I like about high school athletics and what I dislike about them. Having an ascending role in the media over the past five years has also helped to form these thoughts, with a broader perspective than the tunnel vision I once had while simply building my own program.
I can tell you this – I love multi-sport athletes and true scholar-athletes, those like Robby Rowell of Acalanes and Peter Stehr of Miramonte, who carry grade-point averages so far above a 4.0 that you practically need a telescope to get a good view of them. I dislike hearing that kids dropped a favorite sport prior to high school so they could play year-round and get ready for college. The last time I checked, even the top college players and professionals pursue different interests outside their competitive season. It helps the mind to refresh and forces the body to compete using other muscle groups.
And when it comes to football, my likes and dislikes are even more specific. I have learned that I like all types of offenses and defenses, as long as they suit the skill set on the roster and the knowledge of the coaching staff. I love the spread, the Wing-T, and everything in between. I love seeing a good 4-4 defense with outside linebackers who contain the edge and still re-route slot receivers to help that single safety. I also love seeing a well-executed 4-2-5 or 30 Stack, with well-designed angles of attack and disguises on coverage and run read responsibilities.
I dislike first-round playoff blowouts, cupcake non-league schedules, and coaches who spend more time berating an official than preparing their own team for the next play or series. I also dislike seeing empty student sections at early playoff games because kids don’t feel like paying $6 to get in the gate at their school.
With all of that in mind, here are a few items I would like to see in the next year, though they might be far-fetched in reality.
Playoff reform
Next year’s schedule is starting and ending earlier, so we won’t see teams taking 12-hour treks while also scrambling to take finals at the end of the year, but that is due to a temporary oddity with the calendar.
In the sections where there are 16-team fields, there is no completely going back from that format, especially with the large number of teams available, but there could be some scaling back. In the NCS, 12-team fields in the majority of the divisions could be that compromise.
Games involving the last four seeds have largely been blowouts, even in divisions that supposedly have the most depth. Why not reward the top four seeds with a week off, and eliminate games which mean little to them and their fan bases? The best example of this may have been Campolindo this past season, as the Cougars played most of their first-round game with junior varsity and freshman players.
A couple other ideas – restrict Division V to eight teams, and let them play their championship game a week earlier. These schools have the highest percentage of multi-sport athletes, and letting these athletes move on to their winter sports would be huge. This division also has the least depth, especially with competitive equity continuing to take away the top programs.
My final notes on playoff reform – for now – are varied. First of all, in order to attract more students to come to these first-round games, either honor ASB passes for free admission, or cut the cost in half. From what I have witnessed, these games are generating very little revenue from student tickets anyway.
Lastly, if we are going to have a state bowl system, can we have a uniform policy across all sections for determining these qualifiers? It has been neat to see different Division I champions crowned in the NCS over the past couple seasons, but there should not be a need for the Open Division.
If the CIF selects your division champion for the Open, the runner-up should automatically advance, regardless of whether you call that division an Open Division. And it should apply to Northern California and Southern California. St. John Bosco should have been able to advance to the 1-AA final against Folsom. How fun would that have been?
And while the CCS system certainly advances the best teams, it also eliminates the possibility for some of the best Cinderella stories. In the NCS, teams like St. Bernard’s, Fortuna, and St. Patrick-St. Vincent would have never been able to win CIF titles if that section carried the same post-season bylaws as the CCS. All I am saying is this – if there is going to be a state post-season format, then there should be a state-determined system of getting there.
Challenge week
With more leagues going to competitive equity divisions within the league, that means more non-league scheduling for each school. Why not eliminate one of these weeks – say the fifth one for example, the most difficult week to schedule – and create a mandatory challenge week between comparable leagues.
It can be run as a showcase with multiple games at each site, allowing fans to see many of the teams in the area in one shot, and generate additional interest for the rest of the season. Leagues would match up based on strength, and teams would match up based on previous year’s standing.
Imagine a day and night where you could see the BVAL take on the EBAL in a challenge week. This match-ups, under this scenario, would be Pittsburg vs San Ramon Valley, Liberty vs Foothill, Freedom vs California, Antioch vs Amador Valley, Heritage vs Granada, and Deer Valley vs Monte Vista. The games won’t always be ideal, but likely better than some of the non-league blowouts we see occur at this time of year.
Other league match-ups could include the WACC-Foothill vs DAL-Foothill, WACC-Shoreline vs DAL-Valley, MVAL vs EBAL (lower half), TCAL-Rock vs VVL, TCAL-Stone vs NBL II, and MCAL vs NBL I. Just thinking . . .
Other games we would like to see
With Marin Catholic moving up to Division II for the playoffs next season, it would be great to see the Wildcats schedule a home-and-home with Miramonte after the great two-year run those teams had against each other in the playoffs.
Bishop O’Dowd’s Austin Jones and Freedom’s Giles Jackson were easily two of the top underclass running backs in the NCS. Those teams did play each other in each of the last two seasons, so here’s hoping the series extends so they can showcase against each other again as seniors.
Handing out Christmas presents
To Freedom – a new head coach who can come close to filling the shoes of Kevin Hartwig, who resigned after 16 seasons at the helm and back-to-back NCS title game appearances.
To Pittsburg – health behind center. Imagine how good the Pirates can be if both Trey Turner and Justin Boyd are healthy all of next season, giving them multiple options there, and depth they could need with the brutal schedule they have announced. Boyd can also be an impact player at receiver and defensive back.
To Cardinal Newman – an off-season filled with continuity. The Cardinals’ ability to regroup amid chaos and life-changing events was amazing this year, so if anyone deserves an uneventful off-season and fall in 2018, it is certainly them.
To Campolindo – a little more size on the front lines, as the Cougars transition to Division I for the playoffs next year. Even if they don’t have that size, however, expect Campo to compete just fine, having proven this against teams like Milpitas in the NorCal regionals.
To everyone else . . . A happy holidays and successful transition into 2018, with plenty of great memories in store.
