I counted 317 VHSL schools... if you go to 8 classes that is roughly 39-40 schools per class. Sorry, not a fan. I could play with this in the offseason to see what those classes would look like and how you divide it but I think six classes is as many as we should go.
Guys, I’ve been around a lot longer than most of you. I’ve seen every configuration of playoffs, divisions, classes, regions, districts, groups, conferences, and God Knows what else.
Some were awkward, some were blatantly unfair, some were almost irrelevant, and some worked pretty good.
But nothing, and I mean nothing, was ever perfect and satisfactory to everyone. Because that perfect scheme doesn’t exist.
Look at the diversification across our fair state. Tiny schools, giant schools, rich schools, poor schools, 30 schools in one county, I school a million miles away from everybody in a county.
Strong athletic programs, virtually no athletic programs. Shrinking schools, schools growing so fast they can’t build a new school fast enough. And a ton of other less obvious differences.
I’m telling you from a perspective of been there, done that, that the current system is pretty damn good. Do we always need to look at tweaks that will make it better? Of course we do. But making wholesale changes is not going to fix anything, just ship the shortcomings from one group to another.
And all of us are guilty of the same thing. Me included. We look at the format thinking about nothing but football. As important as football is to us and to most schools, it’s only one piece of the high school athletics picture. I don’t have to list all the different sports played in our high schools for you guys. You know them better than I do. So keep in mind when you start throwing out ideas for how to make it “better”, how does better affect girls basketball in Windsor, or competition cheer in Annandale, or swimming in the Richmond area, or golf in Abington?
