The North Coast Part is shifting to a competition-based mannequin for its playoffs beginning subsequent faculty 12 months.
The adjustments grew to become official Friday when the ward’s Board of Trustees permitted the proposal by a 30-13 vote.
With Mike Lefkow, Joseph Dycus and I criticizing the earlier sectional format in soccer, declaring the imbalance within the brackets and the detest of placing groups into divisions earlier than the season with no wiggle room, we acquired collectively on Tuesday for an emergency . video chat
For background, this is the gist of the adjustments in soccer:
The brand new mannequin begins with seven core divisions decided by enrollment. Groups shall be ranked utilizing the MaxPreps laptop generated rankings. The highest eight certified groups, no matter whether or not they’re in Division VII or Division I, shall be within the Open/Division I bracket.
The remainder will largely comply with in seeding order, as many sections and the state CIF have executed to seed the playoffs. NCS will proceed to have an allocation committee, which might transfer groups if there are direct outcomes and energy of schedule elements to think about.
The NCS will get rid of pre-determined divisions, which triggered some deserving groups to overlook the playoffs final season. However within the new format, groups aren’t allowed to maneuver up or down greater than two divisions from their base, except positioned in Open/Division I.
So Lefkow, what do you consider the adjustments?
“I like what they’ve executed,” he stated. “It’s not good. However it’s a lot better than it was. I checked out among the mock brackets I ran. You have a look at Division I, whether or not it was an El Cerrito-San Ramon Valley first-round sport or a Cal-Pitt rematch, these are some good video games. You have a look at Division II, you might have Las Lomas-Campolindo and Acalanes-Liberty, which might have been a really attention-grabbing first spherical sport. They did it a lot better. Even in case you ditch the decrease divisions, there are some good matchups in there. It should profit different sports activities as effectively.”
Dycus, is that a thumbs up or thumbs down?
“To place it merely, it is a thumbs up,” he stated. “I am again with our Monday Morning Lights column on what the info says concerning the CCS and NCS playoffs. Within the NCS, 31 of the 48 video games (65%) have been determined by at the least 20 factors. this new format, I do not assume there shall be that many explosions. There is no such thing as a approach. It is only a good factor.”
Knowledge: “It is a good factor. I will play Satan’s Advocate right here. I personally like the brand new format. I pushed for it. I believed the earlier NCS format had too many embarrassing mismatches that you simply should not see in a playoff part . However I will play Satan’s Advocate right here. I’ve seen some voices on Twitter or X. It’ll have an effect on some groups. There are some groups that historically do effectively in a few of these different divisions that may now should face the likes of De La Salle.
“There are solely two (regional) spots obtainable in that Open/Division I bracket, which is an eight-team bracket. The NCS went to that format that enables a group to succeed in a regional with out having to beat De La Salle, which hasn’t misplaced to an NCS group since 1991. I believe you have heard that earlier than. Should you have a look at that (faux) Open/Division I class, De La Salle made it final 12 months because the Open champion and Pittsburg made it to the Division I champion. However you even have Marin Catholic in there, who was the D3 champion in NCS final season and you’ve got El Cerrito who was the D2 champion. I am not a math knowledgeable, however I do know 4 groups will not be capable of make it out of that Open/Division I bracket. Simply two. So lots of people are saying, “Effectively, that is going to influence NCS going into regionals, the place you are not going to place your strongest groups there. They may all be moved to the Open/Division class.’”
Lefkow, how do you assume the adjustments will have an effect on NorCal’s choices? Will NCS ship groups that do not belong?
“Effectively, that is a chance,” he stated. “I believe it is extra vital to go about it that approach and have good playoffs than to fret about which groups may advance in NorCal after which how they’d do in NorCal. I like this format. Once more, such as you stated, it isn’t good.”
Dycus: “There’s the argument that I’ve heard that in case you’re a extremely good Division VI or Division VII group and the pc says you are one of many eight finest groups within the NCS, you are punishing that Division VII group that realistically. I am unable to compete.”
Knowledge: “We do not know if realistically they will or not. I assume I am unable to. Everybody says depth stage or no matter. However when you’ve got 40 good footballers in a faculty with 200 pupils, you’ll nonetheless be excellent.”
Lefkow: “I believe Joseph raises a superb level. these mock divisions, I am unsure what the San Marin Excessive College enrollment is. I might be a bit reluctant to see San Marino in Division I, as I talked about Campolindo in Division I (final 12 months). You are punishing a terrific coach for being profitable. That is the one downside I’ve with it.”
Our closing ideas.
Knowledge: “Hat tip to NCS. I believe this has been lengthy overdue and I am wanting ahead to seeing the way it all performs out. And as Commissioner Pat Cruickshank advised me Friday, if changes must be made going ahead, changes shall be made.”
Dycus: “I’ve been right here for 2 years. We talked about it each years. I did not assume something would change in NCS. So I used to be fairly stunned after I heard. However let’s go to a different sport right here. You talked about in your story (information) that this does not simply have an effect on soccer. Final 12 months in girls’s basketball, Piedmont went 27-1 and so they have been down in Division IV taking part in a complete NCS playoff beating groups by 40 factors. If this method had been in place earlier than, Piedmont would have been within the NCS Open.”
Lefkow: “Nice recommendation to Pat Cruickshank and the NCS Board. I believe they’re actually making an attempt to create a format that advantages everybody, and that is vital. His remark that they may make extra changes in the event that they should, I believe he’s listening to the coaches and athletic administrators on the completely different excessive colleges and I believe they need to make issues higher. This can be a large step in the fitting route.”