Week 8 Matchups

[wgarlick]

Friday
Bishop O'Connell at St. Mary's Ryken (Md.)
Brunswick at Blessed Sacrament-Huguenot
Covenant at Fishburne Military
Fork Union Prep at Liberty Christian
Grace Christian at Hargrave Military
Greenbrier Christian at Bishop Sullivan
Isle of Wight at Fuqua
Kenston Forest at Richmond Christian
Norfolk Academy at Nansemond-Suffolk
North Cross at Hampton Roads
Quantico HS at Rappahannock County HS
Randolph-Macon at Massanutten Military

Saturday
Bishop Ireton at Benedictine
Bullis at Episcopal HS
Christchurch at Blue Ridge
Fredericksburg Christian at Virginia Episcopal
Landon at St. Stephen's & St. Agnes
Northern Valley HS-Demarest at St. John Paul the Great
Paul VI at St. Christopher's
Portsmouth Christian at Broadwater
Potomac at Flint Hill
Trinity Episcopal at Woodberry Forest

 

[D4ball]

I'm probably preachin' to the choir here, but the two year cycle VISAA uses for enrollment and division classifications seems odd. Not picking on IWA... just using them as an example: With this current cycle, IWA is classified in D4 for football based on enrollment numbers from 2013 (two year cycle). But their current 2015 enrollment numbers for boys has them at 110 male students, which is well above the 94-or-below cutoff for playing in D4. So, based on the current numbers right now, IWA is playing for a 2015 D4 state championship when their enrollment numbers for male students clearly put them in the D3 classification. I know the two year enrollment cycle is for scheduling purposes, but it doesn't seem fair that a team with D3 enrollment numbers gets to compete for a smaller D4 state title.... Does this kind of thing come up regularly regarding other schools and fluctuating enrollment numbers?

 

[rocketballz]

Quite sure it happens often. VISAA will allow you to drop down if your numbers fall below, but will not move schools up if their numbers rise. NSA who petitioned to move to D3 from D2, currently has more male students than Fishburne Military, who remained silent and did not petition the committee to move down a division. Fishburne still plays in D2 but NSA now plays in D3.

 

[D4ball]

Thanks for the response. You kind of make my point with this statement... "VISAA will allow you to drop down if your numbers fall below, but will not move schools up if their numbers rise." Why? Why will VISAA allow schools to drop down if their numbers fall below, but they won't move schools up if their enrollment places them in a higher division? To me, that's crazy and unfair. So, we have an IWA team that has the enrollment of a D3 school...yet they are playing as the juggernaut in the smaller D4 division. How is that fair to all the other D4 schools that have much smaller enrollments than IWA? If they win a D4 state title while having the enrollment of a D3 school this year, it sounds like that would be a tainted title...

 

[catholicfootball101]

Here is an easy way to solve the problem. Don't let any school move between the divisions during the 2 year period. This will ensure that teams can't move down a division just to compete for a state championship and also that if a school receives a spike for one year enrollment they aren't penalized into moving up to a new division. The real problem is who have to know who is manipulating and actively involved in the VISAA.

 

[ncsraider21]

Catholicfootball101 your comment makes entirely too much sense. I sincerely don't understand or can't fathom why the VISAA allows teams to move during the two year period. For those that move down, I can't think of any other logical reason for their choice other than to win a championship. Schools are going to have the ebs and flows, the ups and downs and the in's and outs in enrollment, I get it and don't think anyone will dispute this is normal year to year business. However, when you are locked in for the period, there should be no movement regardless. These actions (movement) kind of taints or has one question the decisions made by the VISAA. Is this a common practice with the public school governing body?

D4Ball - Unfortunately, I think IWA should finish out the period and be repositioned when the new cycle comes. During this cycle the VISAA should not allow anyone to move (up or down) or reposition themselves. I have said this before and will say it again, the team will just have to pull together and figure out a way to beat the bigger school. Your team put there cleats on just like IWA. They can do it!!!!

 

[D4ball]

Thanks for the positive vibes, ncsraider21. I get what you're saying regarding just having to lace up the cleats and play the game. But it's much easier to do that, and lose, if you know you are losing to a school that is properly aligned in your division. But that isn't how it should be when it comes to playoff time. Losing to a school that should be playing up a division because of their large enrollment just seems unfair. And I have no doubt that next year, somehow, miraculously, IWA's enrollment will magically fall below the D4 threshold. Funny numbers and such...

 

[LetsSee]

D4ball. If IWA stays in D4 next year there should be some type of investigation. No way can a school with 700+ kids not have at least 95 boys in grades 9-12. Time will tell!

 

[ncsraider21]

D4Ball - I hear you loud and clear. North Cross and D3 are faced with a similar issue with Nansemond Suffolk moving down to D3 from D2 during the middle of the cycle. The VISAA approved it. Now grant it, NC a school with with D4 numbers (90 or so), is choosing to play up in Division 3 and will just have to deal with. Its not an ideal situation but hey, they will just have to deal with cards dealt them. What more can one do but "Win Baby...Just Win".

I am not completely sure but I think NSA has approximately 145 boys. I guess their enrollment dropped and they asked to move down. Someone who knows maybe you can assist me on the numbers. Howerver, the fact is they moved down from D2 and will vie for a D3 championship this year.