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The VHSL goes PC
Posted On:Feb 24, 2008
The Virginia High School League’s PC Era begins tonight with newly-expanded playoff formats in boys and girls basketball.
Congratulations, VHSL. Now you can crown twice as many state champions in Group A. And while you’re at it, you can also give us a Region C, Division 1 girls field in which the bottom four seeds (as colleague Tim Hayes pointed out) combined for a 1-85 record.
One and 85! Again, I repeat, 1 and 85!
This is postseason basketball, where only the best teams are supposed to survive? Or at least teams which are playing their best now? Something tells me the Holston girls aren’t peaking. Nor for that matter is 5-19 Gate City, which somehow drew the No. 8 seed in Region D, Division 2.
Blame the good old VHSL for this new format, which is worse than Zima. What’s next—certificates of participation for everyone like in Little League?
Here’s a novel concept for executive director Ken Tilley and the folks up in Charlottesville: How about going with the regular season champ and tournament champ (or tournament runner-up if the regular season champ takes the tournament)? You know, like the format you used to have—the one which made some sense?
Instead, the PC Era is only going to grow like kudzu. Group AA will probably go to it as early as next year. Group A might expand it to all other sports besides football. Do we really need to see a Region D, Division 1 baseball tournament in two years?
There will be 16 regional games Tuesday, including eight in Region IV. Of those 16, probably 4 or 5—tops—will be competitive. The rest won’t be watchable.
But in the world of the VHSL, where money talks and common sense takes a back seat, they’ll be laughing all the way to the bank. Even if the average basketball fan won’t find much about which to smile.
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Reader Reactions
Posted by ( N. Suthers ) on February 25, 2008 at 4:25 pm
It sure takes away from the regionals with 1-85 game
winning teams playing If it’s more games/more money I hope the VHSL uses it to train officials.
Good luck everyone!
Posted by ( Timothy Edwards ) on February 25, 2008 at 6:37 pm
So the VHSL new division format has you upset. Well, too bad I am happy because i went to a small school and my kids have went a small school{ERVINTON}. Numbers at small schools kill athletes at small schools the new format gives us a chance to compete with schools our size. Rarely small schools can compete in basketball, but a lot of athletes have fell thru cracks. Council in the late 90’s and early this century for example. Trazel Silvers made it from Ervinton to ETSU and then to the Globetrotters, but another rare example. This way small schools will be seen every year not just once in a blue moon. This small schools cannot compete on a regular basis with the LEE HIGH,POWELL VALLEY,VA HIGH, J.J.KELLEYS, and LEBANONS and their huge double like enrollments. Region C records you are upset about should weed themselves out in one round or two. And by the way if you haven’t seen Ervinton this year Kelly Rasnick a sophmore and freshmen Chelsie Hill and Nicolette Mullins it is your loss they are going to be a great team the next 4 years.In the past 25 years Haysi, Clintwood, and Coeburn have got some great players from Ervinton because of numbers at Ervinton and this kids transfer to bigger programs and I am sure this isn’t the only small program to suffer. This is the first thing the VHSL has done to help small schools since they went to the 6 divisions in football. If you dont want to see us go watch TV and leave us alone.
Posted by ( UPSET FAN ) on February 27, 2008 at 2:24 pm
I think the new basketball format is the WORST thing I have seen done by VHSL yet.It all comes down to making another dollar off of somebody.It used to be that you had to work hard all year and be at the top of your game in order to make it to regionals,now no matter how bad you are you still get to play.How is it decided who plays in which division anyway,when I ask this question the only answer I get is because VHSL says so.Is it because of the size of the school,if so then how can a school play football in division 1 and the same year have to play basketball in division 2. If anyone has the answer I would like to know.It seems to me that a team that has worked hard all year,has won their district and district tournament and is then thrown into division 2 has not been rewarded for their efforts.