Crossbracket?

[77 Hornet_rivals]

Why is a 12-0 team having to travel? I thought the best in the West was supposed to host the worst in the East in the semis.
This post was edited on 12/3 12:11 AM by 77 Hornet

 

[MrJ82]

It's not simply records. It's about the total VHSL points, Essex outpoints Altavista. Altavista had 178 earned game points while Essex had 146, those are the points they got for their games. But Essex had 114 bonus points, for the strength of their opponents while Altavista only had 80. So, Altavista ended the season with 158 and Essex with 160, so Essex is the top seed. It's not rankings or records, it's points, which is in place to benefit (or at least offset) playing a tougher schedule verses playing a weaker schedule. (Outside of Altavista the Dogwood is really down this year so Altavista didn't get many rider points).

 

[mmqp]

Crossbracketing is the one flaw in an otherwise pretty good set up for D1 (unless you count the idea of 2-8 teams making the playoffs..I don't). I'd go so far as to call it idiotic.

Altavista has a long drive either way, whether it would have been to Essex or to Honaker. But Haysi having to travel for 7 hours? Come on man. Why not make it the East Champ vs. the West Champ for the state title. That makes so much more sense than this stupidity. Heck, you could even have Eastern and Western Conference trophies handed out at the end of the state semi games.

Much better idea if I say so myself (patting self on back as I type this )

 

[oltimer74]

Of course the goal is to get the 2 best teams in the state in the championship game, hence cross bracketing.

But I agree with you. They should name a west champion and an east champion to meet in the finals. Imagine the money the VHSL would make this weekend if Haysi played Honaker somewhere in SW Va!!

 

[Keith_Stone33]

I like the cross-bracketing in theory as you can have an all-east or all-west final, which puts the best 2 teams in the state championship regardless of east/west, but when you have a team that has to travel 7 hours, it makes me dislike the crossbracketing a little... While I like your idea as well mmqp I do still like the crossbracket, but I would like to see them meet at a neutral site for games that have a travel time of more than something like 4-5 hours. Maybe meet halfway for those LONG road trips or at least a quarter of the way... May be easier said than done though

 

[DinwiddieProud]

Think back on last year, plus this year, what would have been the max travel times if there had been no cross bracketing? Just curious.

I'm not a big fan of cross bracketing either, but it does help get the two best teams to the championship...., maybe? Not sure I really believe that either.

 

[MrJ82]

East
last two years would be Altavista to Essex, about 4 hours bus ride.
West
last year Fort Chiswell to Haysi, 3 hours on a bus
this year Haysi to Honaker, 1 hour on a bus

And as far as the two best teams being in the final... it's hard to say. Last year people said the two best teams were in the final but Haysi played Altavista better than Essex did, so I don't know. And then this year, I wonder... Any of the four teams left can beat each other on any given game.

 

[radcats]

The cross bracketing still wont give us the best two. Buts its about as close as you can get without having a round robin with the final four. Say Altavista gets beat this week, who's to say Altavista couldn't have beat both Haysi, and Essex. Therefore, you will never have the, for sure final two.
Just bring your game, and play hard is what I say

 

[mmqp]

Bringing your game and playing hard is about all you can do in this situation.

Cross bracketing is still an idiotic idea based on the "theory" that the two best teams will meet in the finals.

 

[WhoopyCushion]

Bottom line: Beat every team you face at this point in the season or you dont deserve to move on!!!

 

[mmqp]

Absolutely.


I just think the cross-bracketing concept is moronic and pointless.

 

[Keith_Stone33]

I can see both sides on this one... I'm fine with it either way, but I do think the travel present a flaw in the cross-bracketing system.

 

[mmqp]

The travel part doesn't even bother me that much. Look at Altavista, they'd have a long drive regardless. I just think its silly to all of a sudden cross brackets in the 4th round and base doing that off of a flawed theory.


Best of the West vs. the Best of the East makes a whole lot more sense.

 

[DinwiddieProud]

Yeah, I guess i don't see any advantage to cross blacking that is worth the probability of some extended, or even extreme, travel times, such is the case with Haysi this year. If there was something significant to gain, it might be worth the inconvenience of the extra travel. But, like you guys are saying, this year, any of the four teams could come out on top.

Curious, will Haysi make the trip today? Or will they start out Sat. Morning?

 

[JacksonVT]

Initially, I liked the idea of crossbracketing. However, the extreme...

......travel situations have caused me to rethink this. Just look at this weekend with Haysi busing 7 hours to play a game.

Just think of the crowd and the money to be made if they were playing at Honaker this weekend.

I think that in theory it was a good idea but in practicality it's not.

 

[Sasquatch87_rivals711472]

As far as I know the bus left at 8:30 this morning.

 

[TheSel2_rivals]

Re: Initially, I liked the idea of crossbracketing. However, the extreme...

There will always be far travel in 1A and 2A. The schools stretch equally throughout the state. They can rotate the state championship site however. I know 6A wish they could have crossbracketing so the top two teams would meet in the state championship and not the state semi-finals tonight. I've been to several of these games where a school had to travel 6 hours + and they've always been able to overflow the bleachers. The passion for football in Southwestern Virginia is unmeasurable!

 

[mmqp]

Re: Initially, I liked the idea of crossbracketing. However, the extreme...


Yea it reminds me of Texas football in a way, just on a much smaller scale school size wise.

The travel time doesn't bother me. If PM were to have to travel to Chincoteague or vice versa then it is what it is. But I don't like the theory that cross-bracketing somehow puts the two best teams in the state title game. Its a flawed concept and hopefully will cost the VHSL at the gates tomorrow for their lack of common sense.