1a title game

[Uncle Ruckus]

Couldn’t listen to this one, but this is how I understand it went down

Biggersville was down 14-8 with less than a minute left in the 4th. Scored a TD. 14-14. Biggersville has not nary one kicker. Went for two. No good. Tie game. Less than a minute.
Without a kicker, they also suck at kicking off. Squib. Lumberton in prime field position. Hail Mary. TD. Game over. 20-14 Lumberton.

If Biggersville has a kicker they kick and exp and are able to kick it deep, keep Lumberton from throwing a bomb and winning a state championship.

Damn.

 

[MarkDallas]

That's why you should always have a girls soccer program.

 

[Bill Shankly]

Couldn’t listen to this one, but this is how I understand it went down

Biggersville was down 14-8 with less than a minute left in the 4th. Scored a TD. 14-14. Biggersville has not nary one kicker. Went for two. No good. Tie game. Less than a minute.
Without a kicker, they also suck at kicking off. Squib. Lumberton in prime field position. Hail Mary. TD. Game over. 20-14 Lumberton.

If Biggersville has a kicker they kick and exp and are able to kick it deep, keep Lumberton from throwing a bomb and winning a state championship.

Damn.

Lumberton didn't have a kicker either. They made one 2 pointer and failed the other two. I don't know how much 1A ball you follow but even a mediocre kicker is a luxury in that class. A good one is a WEAPON. Just being able to kick extra points is huge.

 

[garddog]

Coaching has suffered severely in 1a over the past 20 years. If they win at all they get an offer to move up and do so. In the 70's and 80's most 1a coaches stayed 10 plus years.

Winning at 1a is defense and ball control, but I see coaches trying to air raid with a kid that can't consistently hit a 5 yard slant.

Anyone that loses because of kicking should be fired. Get an old school snub nose kicking shoe and almost anyone can make extra points.

 

[patdog]

Just finished watching the game. Biggersville tried to get cute on the 2-point conversion and went with a pass by their QB. #23 had played QB most of the game and was clearly their best player and they took him out of that play completely. Probably should have gone really old school and just had him play QB all year. He's not a bad passer for that level at all, even though he only threw the ball 10 times coming into this game.

Edit: #23 threw the long pass that tied the game. But overall, Lumberton was the better team.

 

[Cooterpoot]

The move to 6 classifications killed 1A. You can't even schedule out of district but two games a season. Travel is long and expensive for the teams. It's a damn shame.

 

[patdog]

Yeah. It’s pretty ridiculous. Lumberton played Hallandale in the semifinals. WTF are they doing in the south? MS doesn’t have enough schools to have 6 classifications.

 

[Bill Shankly]

Yeah. It’s pretty ridiculous. Lumberton played Hallandale in the semifinals. WTF are they doing in the south? MS doesn’t have enough schools to have 6 classifications.

No we don't have enough for 6 classes. Next year in 1A Hamilton and West Lowndes return to the South half. The Delta schools are back in the north. We need to go back to 5 classes.

 

[MSUDC11]

No we don't have enough for 6 classes. Next year in 1A Hamilton and West Lowndes return to the South half. The Delta schools are back in the north. We need to go back to 5 classes.

I was out of the loop a decade ago when the switch was made from 5 classes to 6, but can someone explain to me why that was done? I agree with you guys that it really stretches schools thin in terms of travel and just generally having some districts that don’t make a ton of sense.

 

[Bill Shankly]

I was out of the loop a decade ago when the switch was made from 5 classes to 6, but can someone explain to me why that was done? I agree with you guys that it really stretches schools thin in terms of travel and just generally having some districts that don’t make a ton of sense.

My understanding was it was some borderline schools in some classes that complained they could never compete with the bigger schools in their class and that adding another class would make it more fair. In other words dilute the field so we can compete. It was nuts. We just don't have enough schools.

 

[Bill Shankly]

It wasn't in football but Hamilton, in Monroe County, actually had to play a playoff series against Ressurection on the coast. Not a state title series, an early round playoff series. That's just nuts.

 

[Villagedawg]

The difference in enrollment between the top and bottom of the middle classes especially was so wide it was almost criminal.

 

[Russ Wheeler]

Coaching has suffered severely in 1a over the past 20 years. If they win at all they get an offer to move up and do so. In the 70's and 80's most 1a coaches stayed 10 plus years.

Winning at 1a is defense and ball control, but I see coaches trying to air raid with a kid that can't consistently hit a 5 yard slant.

Anyone that loses because of kicking should be fired. Get an old school snub nose kicking shoe and almost anyone can make extra points.

Pretty clear you don't know what you're talking about. Hot air.

 

[RockKickinSandPoundinSOB]

Couldn’t listen to this one, but this is how I understand it went down

Biggersville was down 14-8 with less than a minute left in the 4th. Scored a TD. 14-14. Biggersville has not nary one kicker. Went for two. No good. Tie game. Less than a minute.
Without a kicker, they also suck at kicking off. Squib. Lumberton in prime field position. Hail Mary. TD. Game over. 20-14 Lumberton.

If Biggersville has a kicker they kick and exp and are able to kick it deep, keep Lumberton from throwing a bomb and winning a state championship.

Damn.

Thats pretty damn pathetic they couldn’t develop a single kid to make an extra point. About 10 dudes on my 3A high school team could easily make a 30-35 yard field goal because we would practice for fun.

 

[Maroon Eagle]

It’s not the move to six classifications that is hurting 1A. When it comes to football, its concerns are much more longterm.

1. Many 1A schools do not play football so the football playing schools are put in regions with usually eight and sometimes more schools like 5A & 6A.
2. Football in 1A needs to move away from the four larger regions and go to eight smaller regions.
3. Yeah, that means 1A is going to be like MAIS and everyone will qualify for playoffs but that can also make for better and more fluid scheduling. Schools can play more local teams.

 

[Bill Shankly]

Thats pretty damn pathetic they couldn’t develop a single kid to make an extra point. About 10 dudes on my 3A high school team could easily make a 30-35 yard field goal because we would practice for fun.

That is the norm in 1A. You don't see a team with a decent kicker very often. Out of a 10 game schedule you might see 2-3.

 

[Bill Shankly]

It’s not the move to six classifications that is hurting 1A. When it comes to football, its concerns are much more longterm.

1. Many 1A schools do not play football so the football playing schools are put in regions with usually eight and sometimes more schools like 5A & 6A.
2. Football in 1A needs to move away from the four larger regions and go to eight smaller regions.
3. Yeah, that means 1A is going to be like MAIS and everyone will qualify for playoffs but that can also make for better and more fluid scheduling. Schools can play more local teams.

One of the main reasons they went to a four region format was that so many 1A teams were having trouble scheduling games. I was pretty involved with a 1A team at the time.

 

[Maroon Eagle]

That’s par for the course with MAIS with all playoff teams being seeded according to power ratings.

And even before then, there have been some mighty long playoff trips in MAIS.

 

[Maroon Eagle]

And that makes sense that they would combine them in that instance.

Perhaps what the MHSAA should do is to make like the NFL and mandate that each 1A district have a buddy district and it rotates. Each 1A school is responsible for finding two to three opponents on its own.

That’ll be a 9-10 game schedule.

 

[patdog]

Simple solution. Play home & away for district games. That gives you 6 local games so you really only have to schedule 3 or 4 yourself.

 

[Maroon Eagle]

One huge problem with 1A though is that there are less football playing schools— around 30.

The competitive difference between 1A and 2A schools is about the same as if a 2A school were taking on a 4A school.

There won’t be many 1A schools that will want to play 2A schools and vice versa. 1A’s best competitive fit arguably is to play MAIS 3A and 4A schools.

 

[garddog]

Pretty clear you don't know what you're talking about. Hot air.

Insults without substance, pathetic.

I grew up in a 1a town, played there, and back living there now. Everything I stated is from first hand observation. You don't have to like it, but it is truth.

 

[IBleedMaroonDawg]

It wasn't in football but Hamilton, in Monroe County, actually had to play a playoff series against Ressurection on the coast. Not a state title series, an early round playoff series. That's just nuts.

Smithville is my high school and I remember Hamilton having to do that and said "what the hell" myself.

There have been so many 1A schools start and stop having football that it hurts trying to set schedules and playoffs up. Smithville has not been a serious contender in a while and I am hoping Toby Collums returning to coach will end that.

When I was playing before playoff Hamilton got kids from Aberdeen and Caledonia to play there and was a powerhouse. We were ****.

 

[Leeshouldveflanked]

Most of the 1A schools would be better off if they moved to MAIS....it would be better for MAIS, MISSHSAA and the the schools.

 

[Jeffreauxdawg]

I was out of the loop a decade ago when the switch was made from 5 classes to 6, but can someone explain to me why that was done? I agree with you guys that it really stretches schools thin in terms of travel and just generally having some districts that don’t make a ton of sense.

I remember thinking how weird I thought it was when MS added the 6A classification. I was living in TX at the time and TX still only had 5 classifications. (TX did add a sixth about 5 years later though.)

I decided to see what it would look like if you put Mississippi public schools into Texas classifications. Here's how it would look:

TX 6A (TX has 246 6A schools)
Enrollment 2220 + = 0 Mississippi Schools

TX5A (TX has 254 5A schools)
Enrollment 1230-2219 = 22 Mississippi Schools

TX4A (TX has 206 4A schools)
Enrollment 515-1229 =74 Mississippi Schools

TX 3A (TX has 205 3A schools)
Enrollment 230-514 = 79 Mississippi Schools

TX 2A (TX has 201 2A schools)
Enrollment 105-229 = 62 Mississippi Schools

TX 1A (Six Man) (TX has 218 1A schools)
Enrollment 0-104 = 6 Mississippi Schools

A few observations.

1. TX has a shitload of people. There are more 6A schools alone in TX than all the public schools in MS. Just browsing through the numbers there about 350 high schools in TX bigger than the biggest in MS (Tupelo-1907 students.) TX does break each classification into 2 divisions to crown 2 state champs per class, but it's still over 100+ teams per title.

2. MHSSA should really look at building a good 6 or 8 man football league for the smaller schools.

3. If you wanted to change from 5 classes, it would seem Mississippi could fit better in 4 classifications than 6.

 

[jakldawg]

8-man football is something the smaller schools should definitely look into. They have it up here (in Ohio).
https://www.toledoblade.com/sports/high-school/2020/08/24/8-man-football-preview-Northern-8-football-conference-to-make-debut/stories/20200823133
https://statelinesportsnetwork.net/2019/07/23/8-man-football-coming-to-ohio-thanks-to-low-numbers/
And in terms of classifications: somehow Ohio only has 3 divisions for over 800 schools.

 

[Bill Shankly]

Most of the 1A schools would be better off if they moved to MAIS....it would be better for MAIS, MISSHSAA and the the schools.

No they wouldn't. Nor would they want to.

 

[Cooterpoot]

Well, the team that just won 2A, and gave the 5A champs a tough game will be 1A next year. So will a damn good Bay Springs team that gave 5A Laurel a hard time. You guys are poor mouthing 1A too much. Collins, who has won 3A is likely 1A in two years. Small towns are dying but football really isn't. 1A will be just about as good as 2A next year. Scott Central should roll through 2A.

 

[Leeshouldveflanked]

No they wouldn't. Nor would they want to.

Well hello Mr Hinton.

 

[Maroon Eagle]

Most of the 1A schools would be better off if they moved to MAIS....it would be better for MAIS, MISSHSAA and the the schools.

No they wouldn't. Nor would they want to.

Bill Shankly’s right.

The 1A schools were upset with Greenville St. Joe, Cathedral, St. Al being in their class. You think they’re going to go to MAIS or be in favor of a merger & say Kumbaya with them?

No way that’s happening.

I’m just waiting for them to be upset at TCPS, Resurrection, Sacred Heart, Piney Woods, and French Camp.

Edit to add: I forgot to mention St. Patrick and St. Andrew’s.

 

[Maroon Eagle]

This made me laugh even though I know Hinton isn’t a State alum.

Oh. Congratulations on your appointment, Mr. President.

 

[Maroon Eagle]

I agree with you but with that said there are a lot of MAIS folks who think 8-man football is the worst thing to happen to the association.

 

[Bill Shankly]

Bill Shankly’s right.

The 1A schools were upset with Greenville St. Joe, Cathedral, St. Al being in their class. You think they’re going to go to MAIS or be in favor of a merger & say Kumbaya with them?

No way that’s happening.

I’m just waiting for them to be upset at TCPS, Resurrection, Sacred Heart, Piney Woods, and French Camp.

Edit to add: I forgot to mention St. Patrick and St. Andrew’s.

They have been upset with them for a while.

 

[Maroon Eagle]

I’m not surprised but are they at the point where the small public schools to want to kick them out like with the River Catholic Schools?

I know 15-20 years ago there was a huge reluctance by MHSAA coaches to play MAIS schools largely because MAIS schools don’t have to have the locally based student population (25 mile radius) that MHSAA schools have.

 

[IBleedMaroonDawg]

They have been upset with them for a while.

Yes they have. If my memory is correct, those schools don't have to play by the same rules as the traditional schools that were in 1A.

I would think they would have to fall under a different classification based on where their student can come from. I'm wasn't going to use the "recruit" word but you know they do it.

 

[garddog]

Recruiting goes on at a lot of public and private schools. Not getting into naming names, but know of 1 public school that has made it an art form.

 

[Bill Shankly]

How many of y'all in this thread are 1A people? I am.

 

[Maroon Eagle]

Nope. I’m a MAIS alum.

That said, the first game I covered as a freelance reporter many years ago was a 1A game.

 

[Leeshouldveflanked]

Both Kids 1A.... son is a senior in HS and plays baseball (if we have it this year) daughter played 3 sports in HS and is now in Grad School at MSU.

 

[Car Ramrod.sixpack]

I played 1A back in the day and we had one square toed kicking shoe that had been passed down for probably 20 years or so. It was like we drew straws every year to see who was the long snapper and the kicker / punter.

You can account for the absence of a kicking game to the availability of youth sports. Most small towns only have 2 rec. youth sports, football and baseball. You may find a church league basketball here and there. Without having any youth soccer leagues there is no outlet for a kid to properly learn those skills.