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FHSAA passes new points-based playoff football system

 
Will teams like Cambridge Christian, which already has a tough time finding competitive matchups in the regular season, be at a disadvantage in the new playoff football system? The Lancers made the Class 2A state final a year ago. 
(Willie J. Allen Jr., Special to the Times)
Will teams like Cambridge Christian, which already has a tough time finding competitive matchups in the regular season, be at a disadvantage in the new playoff football system? The Lancers made the Class 2A state final a year ago. (Willie J. Allen Jr., Special to the Times)
Published Sept. 26, 2016

The state's high school playoff system for football will change dramatically next season.

A proposal by the Florida High School Athletic Association to retool the postseason format was approved by a 14-2 vote during Monday's board of directors meeting.

Under the new system, the state's high school sports governing body plans to seed certain playoff teams in each region based on a points system. Teams would still be placed in one of eight classifications determined by school enrollment.

The biggest difference is how the playoff structure will work among classifications.

In Classes 5A-8A, districts will remain with the champion automatically making the playoffs and seeded among the top four teams in each region. The rest of the playoff field in each region will be determined by a points system where strength of schedule and wins are key.

Classes A-4A will have all playoff spots determined by a points system. That means no districts — or built-in opponents. The new districts and regions will be announced in January, with teams having a chance to appeal before they are finalized.

"It was a great debate, a good discussion," said FHSAA executive director of athletics Frank Beasley, who oversees football. "A lot of people had different opinions. Ultimately, the board decides what direction we're going to go and they obviously felt this was a good proposal and wanted to move forward with it."

There were several factors that led to revamping the playoffs. The state wanted to eliminate the disparity among the number of teams in each district, reduce the amount of teams with losing records making the postseason and avoid lopsided playoff results.

"I like the new system," Durant coach Mike Gottman said. "What it does is get the best possible teams in the playoffs, which is a good thing."

The Cougars are in a brutal district (Class 7A-9) that had five teams with winning records last season. Durant finished 6-4 but missed out on the postseason.

"This just gives you something more to play for throughout the season," Gottman said. "Once we had two district losses last year, it was tough for the guys to get up for the rest of the season."

In the new format, independents also would be allowed to qualify for the state playoff series for the first time. More than 30 independent schools have expressed interest in being back in the postseason.

Teams, particularly in the smaller classifications, will now be responsible for scheduling all 10 regular-season matchups on their own. The tougher the game, the better the odds are of making the playoffs.

"This is just the beginning," Beasley said. "We have to make sure our ducks are in a row and we're helping our schools create the schedules and alleviate any concerns for our smaller classifications. But we're excited about the direction we're heading. We feel like this is only going to help the game grow."

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The biggest concern in the lower classifications is scheduling games. Cambridge Christian, which was undefeated in the regular season and played in the Class 2A state championship game last year, is currently in a three-team district. With so few guaranteed games, the Lancers scrambled to fill out the remainder of their schedule, even traveling to Georgia for a game this season.

"I think the new system stinks," Lancers coach Bob Dare said. "I'm not a fan. We've had trouble finding games for a few years. We have 10 seniors who are graduating. But people see what we've done and don't want to play us. That will probably force us to schedule games in higher classifications and then we run the risk of getting kids injured. It's a bad deal for us."

Several coaches from Class A, mostly rural schools, discussed the difficulty in scheduling competitive games without a district. Some would have to request moving up to 5A to guarantee games with a district schedule, which creates an uneven playing field.

Board member Bobby Johns, a former football coach at Countryside, relayed those concerns at the board meeting. He proposed an amendment to have all classes under the same playoff structure with districts and champions and the rest of the playoff field determined by a points system.

That amendment failed by a 14-2 vote.

"We're trying to do what's best for the student athletes," Beasley said. "I think this is something that gets us there."

Contact Bob Putnam at bputnam@tampabay.com. Follow @BobbyHomeTeam.