Football Scheduling High School

[Rumorman78]

I thought with all this discussion about local Football Conferences and teams moving. I might bring up an interesting question. Before I start, I realize that because teams are committed to the conference they are a member of,that what I am asking is not possible. But if were, here is my question. As a fan of high school football, would you rather have you local high school play a 10 game schedule , where each year you won 8-10 games, but because your conference was made up of of poor teams, who offered little competition during the regular season, and then when the district playoffs began, your team would be eliminated in the first or second round, and seldom advanced to the state playoffs. You second choice, would you rather have your team have a tough regular season schedule, where many years you might only have 5-6 wins, but because you played tougher competition, due to the tougher teams on yours schedule, you than have a better chance to win your district and go deeper into the state playoff. WHICH WOULD YOU CHOOSE ?

[Nemesis]

The 2007 Bellwood-Antis team entered the D6 A playoffs as the #7 seed with a record of 5-4. They lost to Tyrone, Philipsburg-Osceola, Chestnut Ridge, and Penns Valley in the regular season.

In the opening round they played #10 Juniata Valley and beat them 50-19. They then faced #2 undefeated Ligonier Valley team at Ligonier. They waxed them 26-6. They followed that by beating #11 Bishop Guilfoyle 37-7 (BG entered the playoffs at 4-5, but upset #6 Moshannon Valley and #3 Southern Huntingdon). Bellwood then went on to win the D6 Championship over #3 Purchase Line, 27-7.

They lost big next week to the eventual state champions, Steelton-Highspire who demolished teams all through 2007 and 2008.

So yeah, based on B-A's performance—and even BG—give me the competition instead of padding the win column.

[knowitall]

The notion that playing in a better conference makes you a better team is baloney. You’re either a good team or you’re not. There is no evidence that that same BA team, had it played in the West PAC and went 10-0 in the regular season, would have lost in the first round of the playoffs. None.

[Bedrock]

Wow. So are you saying the experiences a team has throughout the season doesn't matter? Those experiences have no bearing on future outcomes is the thought process I guess.
For those of you who are readers, or are a parent, or think you may be a parent, I would highly recommend a book by Carol Dweck.

The conference and the competition absolutely matter. The scenario where the conference doesn't matter is when you are so bad that you just continually get pummeled no matter the opponent.

[knowitall]

No, they don’t. If you’re the better team you’re going to win come playoff time. Clairton won how many state titles? Who did they play in their conference?

[Joe Bivitz]

It’s not as simple as comparing 2007 to now. The thing that you are forgetting is the switch to 6 classifications. You are correct that the 2007 team played a tough regular season and entered the playoffs with 5 wins and won a district title. But would that same 5 win team have won AA if the current 6 classes were in place back then? Because the 2012 BA team played the same schedule as they do now, went undefeated, won the class A title 63-7, beat Delone Catholic, then lost to eventual state champ Dunmore in the state semifinals. Maybe it’s not about who you play in the regular season, but who you have to play in the playoffs. 6 classifications has changed the landscape some. Teams have gone from being a bigger enrollment team in one class, to being a smaller or middle of the road enrollment team in another class. Maybe that has more to do with some local teams not being as successful in the playoffs instead of who they play. And some teams have benefited from the restructured 6 classes. BG, JV, and even NBC to name a few. The 2018 JV team won the D6A title while BA lost in the semi’s in D6AA. That BA team beat JV 40-6 in the regular season. I can see the argument for both sides, and neither is wrong. Like someone else stated, good teams are good teams come playoff time. Sometimes is more about how the chips fall and who you play in the postseason instead of who you play in the regular season that makes the difference.

[CCDevil2012]

The notion that playing in a better conference makes you a better team is baloney. You’re either a good team or you’re not. There is no evidence that that same BA team, had it played in the West PAC and went 10-0 in the regular season, would have lost in the first round of the playoffs. None.

Ask Cambria Heights how it worked out for them. You’re correct in saying that you’re either good or bad, but tougher schedules definitely prepare you better for the playoffs rather than being 10-0 in a weak conference and having no clue how you match up.

[Coach]

If I was CH I would be happy as heck. They had all kinds of publicity. Their team was on tv. They were all over the front of the Mirror. Kids and the community have to be more excited than they’ve been in years. The weight room is likely going well and the excitement for a team that will now be class A this cycle has to be really, really high.

If they played in the LHAC this year, they may have had the same fate as CC and not even made the playoffs. That shows why seeding is so messed up and how much the bracket matters. FH was wayyyyy better than their seed.

D10 set up their bracket more like the NCAA tournament and that probably works better even though it brings opinions into play.

[CCDevil2012]

If I was CH I would be happy as heck. They had all kinds of publicity. Their team was on tv. They were all over the front of the Mirror. Kids and the community have to be more excited than they’ve been in years. The weight room is likely going well and the excitement for a team that will now be class A this cycle has to be really, really high.

If they played in the LHAC this year, they may have had the same fate as CC and not even made the playoffs. That shows why seeding is so messed up and how much the bracket matters. FH was wayyyyy better than their seed.

D10 set up their bracket more like the NCAA tournament and that probably works better even though it brings opinions into play.

Until you become a Portage like team, have a 7 or 8+ win season every year but never win the district. It’s good to win I suppose, but I wish the seeding and points system was better for strength of schedule.

[knowitall]

What’s wrong with being a Portage like team?