Non-Conference scheduling

notanyonesfan

All-Conference
Sep 30, 2016
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Just a question... Last Friday night up at Hibriten I was talking to some of the Hibriten fans and we were talking about it'd be good for both schools to play a Non-Conference game every year... Not all that far apart, both are usually good & both usually have good fan support, it'd be a win-win for both...

Or would it? With the possibility of meeting again in the playoffs every year, maybe not such a win-win?

Just curious, do you guys think possible playoff matchups affect Non-Conference scheduling? Most coaches don't want to face a school twice in the same year do they?
 

ocdavis31

All-American
Nov 9, 2013
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Just a question... Last Friday night up at Hibriten I was talking to some of the Hibriten fans and we were talking about it'd be good for both schools to play a Non-Conference game every year... Not all that far apart, both are usually good & both usually have good fan support, it'd be a win-win for both...

Or would it? With the possibility of meeting again in the playoffs every year, maybe not such a win-win?

Just curious, do you guys think possible playoff matchups affect Non-Conference scheduling? Most coaches don't want to face a school twice in the same year do they?
That has generally been the approach in Thomasville for sixty years. Schedule 1A, 3A or 4A, but not another 2A team.
 

PrepFanNC

All-Conference
Oct 10, 2017
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Rarely are two teams totally equal. But let’s say Hibriten is down one year. Just a little down. They play each other. Hibriten plays their tails off, makes no mistakes and wins. Good for them. But then they meet in the playoffs. It doesn’t usually work out the same way the second time. So I see the benefit. But there is a cost to that benefit. I like playing 3A teams or teams you’d be unlikely to see again.
 

Darkhorse04

All-Conference
Dec 5, 2006
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I wish clinton could schedule a home n home with 1 west team a year. One year we went to Thomasville but never got a return game. I’d love to play Pisgah, Shelby, Lincolnton. Those 3 teams we have state championship history with.
 

btango

All-Conference
Nov 5, 2003
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That has generally been the approach in Thomasville for sixty years. Schedule 1A, 3A or 4A, but not another 2A team.

I am 100% in line with this thinking. I always like for teams to match up with opponents in non conference regular season that they will most likely not meet in the playoffs. Obviously subsidividing can make that a bit tougher.

If I am Shelby I am playing a SC powerhouse 2A or 3A, my county non conference teams, and picking up another elite NC team most likely a strong 3A squad. You want to play good competition but you also do not want to go a few weeks in a row with super strong opponents or with teams that you are getting jacked up on and then have a let down. 16 games in 17 weeks is a long season.
 
Aug 23, 2019
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In my opinion, when I'm scheduling, I make sure there's no way I'm going see that opponent again. You never want to play the same team twice in the same season, regardless of the first outcome. Going off what btango said, I think as a 2A school you either schedule a legit 1A powerhouse, an above average 3A team, or any decent 4A school (usually not very feasible in WNC), so East Tennessee powers are usually also a good non-conference option.
 
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ocdavis31

All-American
Nov 9, 2013
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I wish clinton could schedule a home n home with 1 west team a year. One year we went to Thomasville but never got a return game. I’d love to play Pisgah, Shelby, Lincolnton. Those 3 teams we have state championship history with.
We played you guys in 2006. Not sure what happened in the interim, but we transitioned from Benjie to his dad, Allen in 2007. Shame we didn’t continue the series, but Allen’s philosophy was different.