semifinal question for next year
- Thread starter MT FAN 91
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I am not the expert but I doubt it seriously. I think we will always have an A/B winner meeting a C/D winner in Salem.
I dont know the inner workings of the VHSL, only thing that I could really inform anyone on this year was that it was a bracket style, and just lucked into the possible site change, but from what I had seen/read early in season they are supposed to rotate, whether they do or change in middle of season I dont know, but I believe that was the plan with the 4 regions
I wouldn't mind it because I am ready to see some different teams, but the argument I would see for leaving it the way it is is that you would keep the semi-final traveling time down to the least it could be. Could you have imagined sending Chilhowie or Galax to Middlesex this weekend? People would surely have howled about that.
I think the plan is to have A vs C and B vs D next year, basically cross bracketing. I favor this for semis. I think it assures the 2 best teams meet in the title game. This year is a perfect example. The 2 best 1A teams just played imo. Im happy for Chil, I just dont see them hanging with RH.
So how does that ensure that the two best teams meet in the finals every year by crossing brackets?
Imo cross brackets would mean that someone has to travel up to 5 hrs which is crazy in the aspect of what it cost the schools and fans. I think it should be left the way it was this year. You need a team from the west and the east. Just my opinion. The VHSL will do what they think is right regardless of our opinions.
Because if one side of the state is weaker, they would get eliminated in the semis. Suppose Chil and Galax were the best 2, wouldnt it have been nice to see them play in the title game vs the semis? I hate the current setup because it eliminates rivals from ever meeting in the title game. It is much more interesting when 2 teams have a history. Lets take a poll and see who on here is going to the game or streaming it if they arent a fan of either school. I have streamed the last 4-5 years and been to a few in person. This one I wont be doing either simply because I dont think it will be much of a game. The only argument against cross bracketing is travel. I think it's not a big deal because its only one game
One side of the state is going to be weaker as long as RH remains on 1A. But I agree it would be nice to see Galax and George Wythe play for the championship one time.
With the 4 regions, there still isn't a guarantee that 2 best play in finals. Like you said, A/B could be the 2 best this year, next year A/C could be. In the previous setup, the final 4 cross bracketed, not according to regions but seed
Suppose Chilhowie and JI Burton were the best 2 this year. Crossbracketing would not have put them in the championship. I like the idea of crossbracketing, but it doesn't always put the top 2 teams in the championship and it does create travel problems. Colonial Beach meeting Hurley in Salem for a championship is something a lot of us would like to see. Making the Drifters travel to The Cliff for a semi-final game is a little crazy. I know that's a worst case scenario.
You can never know year to year which side is going to be stronger. Since 1970 the west has won 29 state championship to 17 from the east.
No you cant, but at least the cross bracket takes some of the question mark out of it.
Is Chil and JI burton in the same region? To make it work, needs to go back to east and west, with top 12 from each, and top 4 buys
If it goes from 4 regions back to 2, the travel problem is magnified. First and second round games could become a burden. Most schools will gladly trek cross state to compete for a championship, but not so much for a first or second round game. I probably sound argumentative by now, but I'm only playing devil's advocate.
I'm happy to see the best East team face the best West team, even if there might be a couple of other East teams better than the top West team, or vice versa. If the championship ends up being the #1 in the state vs. #3 or #4, I'm ok with that. I've seen enough of these games to know that the #3 or #4 team can win, rendering the whole #1 vs. #2 debate moot.
SWVA will always have a team in the final game ! Someone has a lot of pull in that region .
We will never see two east teams in the champ game again ! jmo
We will never see two east teams in the champ game again ! jmo
I feel like this year might be as good as it gonna get if east is gonna play west for a ring. If it was east vs east or west vs west for the championship would you then change the location of the game? Does top seed get home field? Neutral? What about the current issues at Essex
i agree it would be fun to watch Galax vs GW. But you’ll never see that happen, that’s for sure. If Galax keeps pounding on the maroons the way they have been, GW will prob eliminate you from their regular season schedule.
Its just a message board. You can argue or debate as you see fit! Thats sort of why they exist. I enjoy others opinions, no matter if I agree
It could have happened under last year's format. If say, Galax was the #1 seed and GW was #2 in the West, they would have been in separate brackets up to the semi finals. If they won out, Galax would have played the lower seed from the East and GW would have played the higher seed from the East. If they won both of those, they would have played each other in the finals.
Yes I know but I was referring to GW taking Galax off their schedule...i should've clarified. I think he was just carrying on about anyway
I was just having alittle fun on that comment...those are definitely two of the better teams in the west as of late.
How about this scenario. When the 4 region champions are crowned-reseed based on power points. Play 1 vs 4 and 2 vs 3 and go at it that way.
This year's semifinals would have looked like:
Chilhowie (20.5) at Essex (24.6)
and
Galax (21.3) at Riverheads (24.1)
I know some will argue the travel card which I totally understand, but this ensures us of getting the teams bracketed correctly. Cross bracketing and alternating opponents doesn't accomplish this. The only way to do it, if its important to the VHSL, is to re-seed the Region champs.
Chilhowie (20.5) at Essex (24.6)
and
Galax (21.3) at Riverheads (24.1)
I know some will argue the travel card which I totally understand, but this ensures us of getting the teams bracketed correctly. Cross bracketing and alternating opponents doesn't accomplish this. The only way to do it, if its important to the VHSL, is to re-seed the Region champs.
I get that they are gonna be traveling a great distance for that game. IMO every ones of these teams would be proud to take that trip.
How does cross bracketing take some of the question out of it. Not trying be a jerk just trying to understand your point
No system is perfect but as a general rule, cross-bracketing does give you the best two teams playing for the title. Here are a couple of examples:
Last year Sussex was the number one seed in the East and Riverheads was number two. When both survived through the first few rounds, Sussex was given the privilege to host the number two seed from the west, whereas Riverheads had to travel to Galax, the top seed in the west. Riverheads and Sussex won those two games, which gave them the right to play each other for the state title, even though they were in the same region. If there had not been cross-bracketing, Riverheads would have traveled to Sussex for the semis, and one of them would not have had the chance to go to Salem. So in that case, it appears that cross-bracketing helped and that the top two teams really did make it to the final.
Then look at this year, even though it is not finished yet. But for the sake of discussion, let us say that Riverheads defeats Chilhowie and that it is not a particularly close game. If such a thing should happen, then the Essex folks might have every right to say "well wait a minute, we came within three points of those guys, so maybe we are the second best team in the state." My point being that if they had cross-bracketed this past weekend, then Riverheads and Essex might have each won, and therefore gotten to settle their differences in Salem.
A lot of what ifs I know, but the point is that if you do cross-bracket, you at least eliminate the issue of having the two best teams in the state coming from within the same region, but yet knocking one of them out in an earlier round. So all things considered, I favor cross-bracketing over not doing it, which is why I liked last year's system better.
Last year Sussex was the number one seed in the East and Riverheads was number two. When both survived through the first few rounds, Sussex was given the privilege to host the number two seed from the west, whereas Riverheads had to travel to Galax, the top seed in the west. Riverheads and Sussex won those two games, which gave them the right to play each other for the state title, even though they were in the same region. If there had not been cross-bracketing, Riverheads would have traveled to Sussex for the semis, and one of them would not have had the chance to go to Salem. So in that case, it appears that cross-bracketing helped and that the top two teams really did make it to the final.
Then look at this year, even though it is not finished yet. But for the sake of discussion, let us say that Riverheads defeats Chilhowie and that it is not a particularly close game. If such a thing should happen, then the Essex folks might have every right to say "well wait a minute, we came within three points of those guys, so maybe we are the second best team in the state." My point being that if they had cross-bracketed this past weekend, then Riverheads and Essex might have each won, and therefore gotten to settle their differences in Salem.
A lot of what ifs I know, but the point is that if you do cross-bracket, you at least eliminate the issue of having the two best teams in the state coming from within the same region, but yet knocking one of them out in an earlier round. So all things considered, I favor cross-bracketing over not doing it, which is why I liked last year's system better.
If cross bracket this year chil would have played essex and rh would played galax. I would not be wandering if essex and rh were the 2 best. That would answer the question, no?
Not really. What if the two "best" teams are Riverheads and William Campbell? Yeah they played, but not in the championship.
Politics , SWVA has made their statement . They will have a team in the Championship game regardless of how good they are ! For the past 25 years we have watched and after last year they felt left out . jmo
From what everyone is stating is you are trying to say that the teams form the east are better than the west. Or your argument for cross bracket makes absolutely no sense. In 2015 the two best teams in the state was Galax and Sussex and they played in the semi finals. Keep this in mind as well Since 1970 the West has 29 state championship to the east 17.
I dont think that is the point at all. The point is, last year the final 4 (2 east and 2 west) cross bracketed. Highest East hosted lowest west and vice versa. So that isn't saying East or West is better, it's saying that there is a greater chance of having the 2 best teams.
@obguthr in the old system, even with both Riverheads and William Campbell being in what is now Region B, if they weren't paired together in early round bracket, they could have played each other in finals. If I remember correctly the final 4 in points was in order Essex, Riverheads, Sussex, and William Campbell. So in that case, Riverheads and William Campbell could have played in championship before
Galax and Sussex did not play each other in 2015 or any other year that I can find. Galax beat Essex in the semis that year. RH was undefeated until final and Galax had already lost 4 games but won final. Two best that year were probably RH and Essex. JMO
Your right I transposed one with the other, after seeing both in action I believe essex was better than riverheads, , Galax beat essex and riverheads both so they might have been the best on the east side. In my humble opinion
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Galax started the year 1-4 but did lose to 2 1A schools, Radford 1A back then and also rival George Wythe 1A. Essex was 1 seed on East side and actually George Wythe was 1 seed on West side, that's why RH had to travel to GW. So ranking wise actually Essex and GW were the best but neither made final.
