Monday Morning Lights: How to fix what’s broken in CCS, NCS football playoffs

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CCS, NCS: How you can remedy what’s damaged

One other soccer seeding day has come and gone for the Bay Space’s two largest sections — Central Coast and North Coast — and, as normal, there have been disgruntled voices.

How may groups with seven and eight wins be not noted?

How may a three-win workforce get in?

Why so many mismatches?

Properly, we’re right here to assist.

Let’s begin with the Central Coast Part, which needs to be applauded for developing with a factors system and format that goals to stage the taking part in discipline throughout all divisions.

The issue, as many on social media will let you know, is the purpose system and automated qualifier allocations per league profit the large guys way over the little guys.

Within the CCS, the highest 4 finishers in every of the part’s 5 “A” leagues routinely qualify. The highest two finishers in every of the part’s six “B” leagues qualify.

The part’s three “C” leagues get one automated qualifier apiece.

That’s 35 of the 40 playoff spots.

Given how the factors are weighted to favor the large guys, a lot of the at-large spots usually go to “A” league groups that end fifth or sixth.

Sunday, 4 “A” league groups devoured up at-large spots.

— St. Ignatius (4-6, No. 2 seed in Division II)

— Bellarmine (4-6, No. 5 seed in Division II)

— Burlingame (5-5, No. 4 seed in Division III)

— Mountain View (3-7, No. 2 seed in Division IV)

The fifth spot went to Seaside, a third-place finisher in a “B” league. The Spartans (6-4) have been seeded third in Division V.

Neglected of playoffs have been groups comparable to Rancho San Juan (8-2, third place in a “B” league), Scotts Valley (7-3, fourth place in a “B” league), El Camino (7-3, second place in a “C” league) and Mt. Nice (7-3, second place in a “C” league).

The answer is a no brainer.

Add a sixth division for “B” and “C” league groups that win not less than six video games and don't make the 40-team minimize. If there isn’t a spot for the winner of that division in a regional, I’ve acquired a hunch these groups gained’t thoughts.

It beats the choice (ie placing away the soccer gear till subsequent season).

However my guess is the California Interscholastic Federation can be pleased to create extra regional spots. It has accomplished it earlier than.

Oh, two extra CCS ideas:

— No “A” league groups in Divisions IV and V.

— Make Division I just like the North Coast Part’s high bracket, which known as Open/Division I. Within the NCS’s eight-team high bracket, the Nos. 1 and a pair of seeds are positioned to play within the second week of the playoffs in what the part calls its Open championship. The winner strikes on to the regionals whereas the loser performs the survivor of the underside half of the bracket (usually the No. 3 seed) within the third week of the playoffs for the Division I championship and a regional spot.

Now … the failings within the NCS’s format.

How on this period of aggressive fairness does the part proceed to roll out playoff brackets with first-round matchups that aren't truthful to anybody?

We simply noticed a coach and athletic director at School Park suspended by their district superintendent within the aftermath of an 84-0 victory over Ygnacio Valley.

Now, we see a matchup in Division IV between Marin Catholic (ranked No. 66 within the state by calpreps.com’s pc) and Newark Memorial (ranked No. 772).

We see San Ramon Valley (No. 74) in opposition to Berkeley (No. 468), El Cerrito (No 106) in opposition to Montgomery (No. 409), Acalanes (No. 116) in opposition to Harmony (No. 582) and San Marin (No. 224) in opposition to Alhambra (No. 773).

How trusted are the calpreps.com pc rankings?

Properly, the CCS makes use of them to assist with its level system and playoff seeding.

The answer?

Implement a system that makes the divisions extra equal and doesn’t put youngsters and coaches in a spot the place the CIF’s motto — “pursuing victory with honor” — is compromised.

— Darren Sabedra

CCS seeding assembly: Delayed outcomes

The CCS has used some extent system for years to find out playoff seedings and at-large spots. In latest seasons, the part has added calpreps.com’s pc scores into the combo.

The additional layer of calculations led to a longer-than-usual seeding assembly Sunday.

What usually took below an hour to finish stretched to 2 hours Sunday earlier than the brackets have been lastly launched a couple of minutes after midday.

A part of the issue is the part bylaws state that calpreps.com scores at 8 a.m. on the day of the seeding assembly are for use.

“We are able to’t get something accomplished till 8 a.m … and we need to be actually cautious,” CCS commissioner Dave Grissom stated. “Now we have to double-check, and we go across the room and add up all the automated factors and ensure we’re not off by a half level due to an error. We’ve already labored via it, however we need to make certain it’s 100% appropriate.”

In the end, the commissioner believes the part chosen the proper groups.

“The one factor I like about our factors system is that we don’t get complains a few workforce saying we needs to be a high eight seed, or that we needs to be in Division I or Division III,” Grissom stated. “We don’t get these requires soccer.”

— Joseph Dycus

Dublin feeling scorned by NCS

When the Dublin Gaels gathered at CEFCU Stadium on Saturday night time to observe San Jose State beat Colorado State, they have been revved up about Sunday’s NCS seeding assembly. The gamers thought they'd be getting an invite to the Division II playoffs.

Nope. East Bay Athletic League Valley Division rival Granada was introduced because the No. 7 seed. Berkeley was No. 8. Dublin went uninvited.

“I believed for certain we'd get one other week,” Gaels coach Brandon Black stated.

Dublin was 6-4 in comparison with Granada’s 4-6. CalPreps ranked Dublin the Thirty third-best workforce in NCS. Granada was fortieth. Towards frequent opponents, Dublin was 3-1. The Matadors have been 2-2.

However on Oct. 7, Granada visited the Gaels and gained 28-21.

“After that Granada recreation, I had it behind my thoughts that loss may chunk us,” Black stated.

NCS commissioner Pat Cruickshank pointed to Granada’s win over Dublin, and the Matadors’ more durable schedule. Dublin performed two video games in opposition to lower-division groups. Granada performed 9 in opposition to Division I and II groups. The exception was Riordan from the robust West Catholic Athletic League.

Cruickshank stated comparative scores in opposition to frequent opponents didn’t matter. “We don’t take scores into consideration,” he stated. “We don’t need groups going for assertion wins.”

— Mike Lefkow

Pittsburg teaching search: What’s the timeline?

Pittsburg is aiming to rent its subsequent head coach by the college’s winter break, which begins on Dec. 19 and runs via Jan. 2, retiring coach Victor Galli stated Friday.

“We need to have a brand new coach in right here by winter break so this system can prepare for the subsequent season,” Galli stated after a 48-21 win over Antioch within the Huge Little Recreation.

Galli, this system’s head coach for 21 years, stated he'll assist with the teaching search, though he didn't specify to what stage.

Galli, who introduced final week that he was stepping down, famous that the college would favor to rent throughout the district and that there are a number of assistant coaches on his employees who may apply for the job.

“I've quite a lot of guys on employees who, you understand, may presumably be good candidates,” Galli stated with out naming anybody. “We’ll see the way it goes.”

— Joseph Dycus

Lincoln: The way it captured its share of a league title

The outcome from Morgan Hill was already in when Lincoln-San Jose lined as much as defend a two-point conversion try within the ultimate minute of its recreation Friday night time at Leland.

Christopher had crushed Reside Oak, a outcome that left these groups tied for first place within the Blossom Valley Athletic League’s Mt. Hamilton Division.

If Lincoln stopped the two-point play, there can be a three-way tie for the league crown.

Jacob Willman, a senior defensive finish, knifed in to sort out the Leland runner wanting the objective line.

Lincoln gained 28-27.

Afterward, coach Kevin Collins, his voice hoarse, saved his postseason speech temporary.

“I stated I've three phrases: League champs, child,” Collins famous.

The Lions have been seeded eighth within the CCS Division II bracket and can go to top-seeded Wilcox on Thursday night time.

— Darren Sabedra

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