6 Classifications

[Spider 2Y Banana]

Played for a smaller Quad A school in late 80's in western PA....Never remember any players, coaches or parents worrying size when our school graduated 369 and we played teams that graduated 700-800 back then....We wanted to play the biggest/best and traveled to so....Our best vs their best who cares how many they pooled from...Not sure when the belly aching started....When you are a dedicated competitive player or coach you will play anyone on any day, even when you are over matched you don't know it and shouldn't know it...

 

[AP1999]

Not as much wide spread recruiting.
Playoffs (state) were nothing like they are today.
Off season workouts (legal) were nonexistent.
Camps, 7-7's, etc... were nonexistent.
Football was NOT a 12 month sport.
Teams could not "recruit" themselves to district/conference/state championship contention (talent wise) because there wasn't the aura created by the camps, recruiters, highlight tapes, state championship carrots, etc...
There were no charter schools.
Catholic league (PCL) was not in the PIAA so their road stopped at the city championships (which were HUGE back then, bigger than the small pool of schools hand picked to represent the East and West).

So.... back in the 80's when you had the opportunity to play a team outside your league or county IT WAS A BIG DEAL, "best on best", etc... so there was no bitching because no one ever even thought about it because, at least where I grew up, we didn't have to play the catholic schools.

Now there is no hiding, football is truly a state wide sport so the recruiting is rampant and football is being segregated between those who recruit and those who do not/ can not.

Thats the big difference I see from the 80's to today.

 

[not_a_fan]

Let's face it-football has become America's sport, much more now than in the 80's. People back then didn't know much about what was going on in other parts of the state or country so it wasn't a big deal. Now with ESPN, Rivals, recruiting camps, 7v7 tournaments, college football on everyday, NFL on Thursday, Sunday, & Monday-football players, teams, coaches know everything about what's going on out there. So when people see that there's some good football out there that gets left out in terms of teams advancing in the playoffs-the discussion begins for adding more classifications.

Whether its good or bad is up to you to decide but that's just the reality. I personally think 6 classifications will still allow for some good football in the state championship games but will definitely water down the district playoffs.

 

[kitwor]

All very valid points concerning this topic. Back in the 70's when I was in HS many coaches of every HS sport didn't really know who they had coming in until tryouts (at least in the PCL and Pub). I remember as an example of a stud DL from Judge transferring to Lincoln between his Jr and Sr year (because the family could not afford the Catholic school tuition). This kid was a difference maker. The Lincoln coach got wind of it the day prior to the team reporting to camp.

In defense of a number of the coaches who get hammered on this site I believe that in many cases today the parents of players stir up where their kid should play. They get more involved now than they did before.

Just my thought.

If the PCL and Pub were in the PIAA back in the day would this be different?

 

[Stalker]

I think our 4 class structure is simplistic format, designed only to fit the number of schools in state to each classification, ie....tail wagging the dog. But if the plan is for the North Penn heavyweights with 1861 males to compete-playoff with bantam weights like Oxford's 502 males, then they've done a good job. Hate the hackneyed surrender term "it is what it is"....but just don't call it a level playing field. Smaller schools compete (see Wpial) but only where there is a long standing football tradition, USC, McKeesport, etc.

I thought they’d go with 5 classifications and hope the 6 class projection isn't another tale..wagging the dog.

 

[OMPats13]

5 would be nice. Here in MD kids and coaches make a big deal about winning a state championship when there are only 45 teams or so per class in the whole state, plus no privates. Heck, in most sports, EVERYONE makes the playoffs. I laugh at them when they talk about wanting to make a 5A class because of some schools having a couple hundred boys less.