I know nothing about the teams in the West but is anyone out there going to challenge Anselmo? I see the East as having 7 teams that are better than anyone in the West other than A-M and possibly even better than them, too. FCSH had a player go down during the EM game and EM came from behind to win that game more easily than they might have otherwise. I see EM and FCSH playing for the East side championship berth and play Anselmo-Merna for the title. I know Giltner, Randolph and HSF might have a say in that though, too. I don't know much about Stuart. Someone help me out here. What are your thoughts??
Class D-2 imbalance
- Thread starter sakhusker
- Start date
Ya this east west thing is a load of crap. In any tournament, no matter what sport or what level, the goal should be to always get the best teams to advance to the next game, resulting with the best two teams into the finals. The east bracket is obviously loaded with those best teams and now the best teams are just going to be eliminating each other, instead of moving forward and creating the best games. Stuart is very solid. Not big, but you don't always need size when you have good team speed, effort, desire, physicality by all eight players and a very impressive coaching staff that can make in-game adjustments to counter what the other team is doing. They also find creative ways to get the ball into the hands of the playmakers that will bring them victories. That's why they're undefeated. There are no more second chances, it's win or go home. If you got a couple studs, now is the time to find creative ways to get the ball in their hands and let them make plays so you can advance and also get your entire team motivated and amped up to make plays on every play. It's football, how can you not give everything you got on every play? I talked to an assistant coach that coaches for a larger school, that said he thinks Randolph has had plenty of ability and talent on the field to have been state champion material, this year and last year, but you have to be able to put it together on the field and from the sideline.
Thanks for the comments on the North teams... I suspected they were both talented teams. This East bracket is going to have some crazy good games. And typically playoff experience comes into play when teams are evenly matched. This bodes well for EM, Giltner, FCSH, Randolph, HSF and Stuart. Gonna be some 2nd round games with semifinal-type teams squaring off this year. The 2nd season will be awesome in D-2. (not trying to sleight the West, I just know nothing about them)
Every so often the West has a team that can run with the top boys in the East, ex: Sargent (I think 3?) years back. But I am not sure they have that team this year. Here is my post from a couple days ago in another thread which at the beginning eludes to An-Merna being the #7 overall:
"I am not sure all the way down to #7, but I agree the East is stacked and they have the favorites. It is very hard to compare as there aren't many common opponents. One I noticed right away is #5 in the West Elwood lost to #3 in the East Kennesaw tonight by 1 point. Merna killed that Elwood team 80-52."
As for Stuart, they were in the Championship game last year and have a talented QB..but that's as much as I know about them.
It's very hard to gauge teams like Garden County and Maxwell as: 1) They are rarely seen play. 2) They don't play many high quality/common opponents with the rest of the state. Looks like they had a very close game when they played each other.
"I am not sure all the way down to #7, but I agree the East is stacked and they have the favorites. It is very hard to compare as there aren't many common opponents. One I noticed right away is #5 in the West Elwood lost to #3 in the East Kennesaw tonight by 1 point. Merna killed that Elwood team 80-52."
As for Stuart, they were in the Championship game last year and have a talented QB..but that's as much as I know about them.
It's very hard to gauge teams like Garden County and Maxwell as: 1) They are rarely seen play. 2) They don't play many high quality/common opponents with the rest of the state. Looks like they had a very close game when they played each other.
Anselmo-Merna has played some good teams from the west. They are a hell of squad with a ridiculous offense that is very hard to contain. They scored over 50 points in all of their games except one. This team could be a team that is very special, and the teams in the east my beat themselves up so bad, A-M could have an advantage if they take care of business on the west.
I don't see a challenge for A-M until a possible rematch in the quarters with Sandhills-Thedford (who they beat 34-29) or Elwood (who they also beat, 80-52.) Both games were on the road too.
Maxwell and Garden County should play each other in the other west quarterfinal. They met already this year in the regular season at Garden County. Garden County won 30-27.
If A-M doesn't get in their own way, they should be fine.
Possible great second round games in the east.
Falls City Sacred Heart at Stuart in round 2.
Giltner at HSF in round 2.
Randolph at Kenesaw in round 2.
This post was edited on 10/27 10:17 AM by northeastNebraska
I don't see a challenge for A-M until a possible rematch in the quarters with Sandhills-Thedford (who they beat 34-29) or Elwood (who they also beat, 80-52.) Both games were on the road too.
Maxwell and Garden County should play each other in the other west quarterfinal. They met already this year in the regular season at Garden County. Garden County won 30-27.
If A-M doesn't get in their own way, they should be fine.
Possible great second round games in the east.
Falls City Sacred Heart at Stuart in round 2.
Giltner at HSF in round 2.
Randolph at Kenesaw in round 2.
This post was edited on 10/27 10:17 AM by northeastNebraska
I grew up in Class A ball a while back, so I always thought the 32 teams thing was pretty weak.
Now that I have some friends that are coaching class D football, I understand why you have to do it. One of my friends that coaches had his only loss go to the defending state runners-up, and he won the rest of his regular season games. But the way things shook out, at 7-1 if 32 teams weren't allowed to be in the playoffs they would have been staying home for the post season. Now, I don't think they should have had to go no the road either, but at least they got in. They proceeded to wax some team and then lose to the eventual state champion at home.
It should just be slotted 1 - 32, and if you have to travel a far distance that's what you have to do. But, it could penalize some really good teams in the second round I suppose. But looking at this year, I think you guys are right that possibly 4 teams could be better than what's coming out of the west. That stinks and didn't it work out that way last year too? Didn't Falls City struggle with a couple teams and then blow the doors off the west opponent in the finals?
(I use struggle loosely)
Now that I have some friends that are coaching class D football, I understand why you have to do it. One of my friends that coaches had his only loss go to the defending state runners-up, and he won the rest of his regular season games. But the way things shook out, at 7-1 if 32 teams weren't allowed to be in the playoffs they would have been staying home for the post season. Now, I don't think they should have had to go no the road either, but at least they got in. They proceeded to wax some team and then lose to the eventual state champion at home.
It should just be slotted 1 - 32, and if you have to travel a far distance that's what you have to do. But, it could penalize some really good teams in the second round I suppose. But looking at this year, I think you guys are right that possibly 4 teams could be better than what's coming out of the west. That stinks and didn't it work out that way last year too? Didn't Falls City struggle with a couple teams and then blow the doors off the west opponent in the finals?
(I use struggle loosely)
You seem to forget that Giltner was on the west in 2012 and Sargent was on the west in 2011. As I recall both State Champions!
I am a dummy when it comes to lower class football, I will admit that. And I knew of how good/great the Giltner team was, so I hope my next statement doesn't diminish what they did because from what I heard and the minimal I saw, they were the best team that year. That being said, it would be nice if the east wouldn't just beat up on each other and limp into the finals against a west team that has a clear easier path is what my argument is.
Teams recently in the west that are in the east now, Stuart, Kenesaw, Giltner.
Those teams are right on the line and just happen to be real good right now.
I don't think having teams from the pan handle travel to near Omaha for a first round game is a solution.
The last 6 years it is 3-3 east vs west in title games.
Those teams are right on the line and just happen to be real good right now.
I don't think having teams from the pan handle travel to near Omaha for a first round game is a solution.
The last 6 years it is 3-3 east vs west in title games.
Garden County and Bacroft Rosalie make the playoffs fairly regularly, that's about a 6 hour drive. Imagiane the rage we would see if one of them was say a 3 seed and one was a 14 seed in this second round scenario, and the 3 seed had to travel because the 14 seed had to travel in round 1.
The East-West talent divide has not been that big over at least the last 6 years, the system has been working.
Here's an even sillier suggestion, why not just cut out the last 8 teams on each side of the bracket and only have a 16 team playoff. 32 teams are too much IMO and you could have 9 games for the regular season. You could then have 4 non district games to get in more common opponents. I believe that we worry so much about making everyone a "winner" that we ignore good quality competition. The extra game in playoffs is just a way for the NSAA to make more money. As far as the east/west thing goes, the same thing was said about the west 3 years ago when Sargent came out of the west to beat the mighty Howells Bobcats in a good contest. The year before, they played in the championship and Howells beat that same Sargent team handly. Can you really say that the east is so much more dominant over the west? Stuart was also in the west last year. There are quality teams throughout the state not just the east. That's why a 16 team playoff is the most ideal way to do it by using the points right off the bat and mixing all of the teams across the state beginning in round one. Again this is only my opinion.
16 team playoff favors the east. They are more likely to get a D1 team for that 9th game. the current format works, its been even in recent years, this year the line just happened to be a few miles further west than usual. we could have giltner kenesaw and stuart all go west next year.
No, the second round where you re-seed is a new bracket. So you theoretically have the best 16 teams in D2. A team that is top 8 for the second round wouldn't have to travel again, your regular season would would guarantee you two home playoff games. Now, if a team with low wild card points beats a team on the road with the re-seeding, they would get a home game for the third round just like normal.
I would disagree with the east west divide not being that big. The top 8 teams in D2, usually 6 of them are in the east from what I have seen.
Can't have just 16, and I explained why in an earlier post. My friend coaches a team that went 7-1, only losing to the state runners-up from the year before, and the team that beat his team went on to the semis the same year. He would have been left out in your scenario as he had to travel for his first round playoff game where he was up like 60 points on a team at halftime. The scenario you suggest doesn't allow the best teams in. I could understand if my friend lost two games in a season, then you can blame it on not being ready. But one loss shouldn't mean you are left out of the playoffs, and especially when you go on the road and dismantle someone, makes me know a 16 team playoff wouldn't work.
Now, you could probably do 24.
I would love to see something like this in D1 and D2.....District champs get a first round bye.....then line up the rest. Puts a little more emphasis on the district actually mattering. Or if you win districts you get an extra 1/2 point added to your power points. ? Just some thoughts.
