1A playoff format

[King MJ_rivals]

In case you missed it, this game was effectively over before most folks got their hot dogs.

Forreston blew out Camp Point 44-6 in a game that wasn't even that close. If this was a first round game, folks here would be complaining about the blowouts.

So how did they get here? Forreston had three nip and tuck games (including one they should have lost). Camp Point won four games easily.

Lucky draw you say? nope. This is the result of the north/south split in the draw which exists in the smaller classes. I know the IHSA is crazy for new football proposals. Eliminating the north/south playoff split needs to be one of them.

 

[4Anorth(not4aFan)]

21-20,35-7,35-17,20-15,28-21........scores from previous 1A finals before this year

 

[PanthersWildcats86]

Realistically, Forreston went to Champaign to win a state title...A lot of people picked Camp Point to win the 1A title going into the playoffs, or at least win the South bracket...Camp Point in its first trip to state was fine on its first drive until they turned it over on downs after a time consuming drive...And Forreston went right down the field and scored again...Camp Point then was happy to be there. Forreston's conference had three of the four teams in the North 1A quarters, rematching defending state champ Lena-Winslow in the semis, and a fourth team in the 2A semis...NUIC has two divisions, with state champs in both divisions since 2000...Winning the conference is nearly as difficult as winning a state title - in fact, they pulled the 1A - 2A state title double in 2014...

NUIC schools, Arcola, Tuscola, Aledo (with Cullen Welker, now Monticello's coach), Toulon Stark County, Concord Triopia, the 1A powers keep coming back...It's just as much tradition and coaching for the smaller school programs as it is for the big boys...

The last couple of years nobody said seed 3A 1-32 as IC running clocked everyone...they said IC needs to move up...Forreston finished their drives with scores, Camp Point didn't...the scoreboard said Forreston kicked their butts...Watching the game showed two balanced teams, one playing for their third title in 5 years and not intimidated by being there, the other there for the first time...

 

[dcaudle68]

Camp Point at best was 5th best in 1A and only there because of being south of the "dividing" line. Lena, Milledgeville, Dakota all smoke CPC. Anyone trying to spin this game as competitive did not watch it. It was over 4 minutes in. Forreston is not flashy and maybe that's what gives the appearance but they dominated this game in every fashion and their prior 3 games were all nail biters due to geography, Seed them.

 

[PanthersWildcats86]

If you watch a lot of power run football, whether double wing, single wing, or power I, you get to see the difference between the system working, or just kicking butt...If you have a bunch of 10+ play drives, the system is working well...If you have a bunch of 50+ yard runs, you are kicking butt...

Blowouts, uncompetitive kind...Kind of like a typical Wilmington - Westmont game...Wilmo 3 plays, 70 yd td run, Westmont 3 plays & punt...Wilmo 2 plays, long td run, Westmont 3 & punt...Wilmo 3 plays, long td run...Westmont int on 3rd down returned for td...etc...

Part of the issue in 1A north, however, is familiarity...When the best three teams in the class are in the same conference, it is a problem when they play each other twice a year and the games are close...1-32 seeding may not solve the problem, because they could still end up in the same quarter of the bracket...Districts doesn't solve this issue either, as the NUIC divisions are probably going to be either the same or very similar...

 

[dcaudle68]

If you watch a lot of power run football, whether double wing, single wing, or power I, you get to see the difference between the system working, or just kicking butt...If you have a bunch of 10+ play drives, the system is working well...If you have a bunch of 50+ yard runs, you are kicking butt...

Blowouts, uncompetitive kind...Kind of like a typical Wilmington - Westmont game...Wilmo 3 plays, 70 yd td run, Westmont 3 plays & punt...Wilmo 2 plays, long td run, Westmont 3 & punt...Wilmo 3 plays, long td run...Westmont int on 3rd down returned for td...etc...

Part of the issue in 1A north, however, is familiarity...When the best three teams in the class are in the same conference, it is a problem when they play each other twice a year and the games are close...1-32 seeding may not solve the problem, because they could still end up in the same quarter of the bracket...Districts doesn't solve this issue either, as the NUIC divisions are probably going to be either the same or very similar...

Great post and you make a lot of good points!