The Central Coast Section board of managers at its meeting today approved a change to this season's football Open Division, adding a consolation round to the eight-team bracket. But the move has not been universally applauded.
The thinking is that if the CIF-State eventually allows non-section champions to be considered for regional games (which it has not yet) then more than one CCS team may qualify for the regionals.
Serra coach Patrick Walsh, whose team won last season's Open Division title, is not pleased.
"I think it's unacceptable," Walsh said. "It serves no purpose. The intent makes sense, but the CIF(-State) is not honoring it (this year) so what's the purpose? If we lose in the first round, I need someone to come motivate my team that next week because I don't know what I'd tell them -- that we're practicing on Thanksgiving. Why? That they're practicing after school. Why? That they're taking finals in a few weeks and they're going to miss more class. Why? It's just another game at the expense of the kids and their time."
Added Walsh: "I don't get it. Our game this week against Riordan means something. Our game against Mitty on Halloween means something. But that game wouldn't mean anything. It makes no sense to me at all. If we lose in the first round then we're out and let us go home and do our homework and get in the weight room and have our Thanksgiving and enjoy life."
Walsh also wondered aloud what would happen if Serra and Valley Christian met in a consolation game and each team took a knee every play and someone wound up winning 2-0. He didn't say he'd do that, he just wondered what would happen if he did.
At Pioneer, Mustangs coach Eric Perry -- whose team was routed by Serra in last year's Open Division first game -- sounded a little more on the fence about it.
"I'm not sure," he said. "I think it's a double-edged sword. It's cool that we get another chance (to play) if we're in the Open Division and lose our first-round game. It's an opportunity to play again and get better. The only thing is they're making a big deal out of it and it's not going to matter this year. It's just kind of a trial run. But I'm going to do whatever they tell me to do. If we get another chance to play a game then so be it, we'll play it and see what happens."
Rewinding, last spring the CCS football committee recommended the consolation round regardless of what the CIF-State did. Said the report:
--“This better honors the high quality of (the teams’) season-long success and provides another opportunity to those that lost in the first round of Open play to continue on for at least one more round.”
--“Having it in 2014 gives us a season of experiencing this format in anticipation of CIF allowing non-section champions to be considered for (regionals) of 2015.”
--The Open Division was recommended (last winter) for elimination by the football committee. That proposal failed, so rather than just keep the former Open Division format, which obviously was not fully supported by the CCS football committee, this consolation round allows us to keep the good parts of the Open Division and to mitigate the negative aspects for those schools that lose in the first round after having been an outstanding team ... they have another opportunity to play again to honor their season-long success.”
According to the format, the four first-round losing teams will be re-seeded according to their power points, with the semifinal losers playing for third place. Then the consolation winners will also meet.
"It (this season's change) is somewhat of a drive run in hopes the CIF Federated Council passes the proposal of the commissioners to all non-champions from the Open Division to represent their sections in a CIF regional game," said CCS assistant commissioner Steve Filios. "It's too late for this year, but that proposal is on the docket and will be decided this year (for future years)."
The CCS' vote can be considered a prelude to the CIF-State's future decision about moving to 13 divisions for state football. It would jettison the scenario where a team gets sent to the Open Division after winning its league and loses in the first round, only to see a league runner-up win a section title in its enrollment division and then gets picked for a regional game -- as happened last season with league champ Terra Nova and runner-up Sacred Heart Prep. The Gators lost to TN in league and went to the CIF-State regional bowl game in Division III and eventually made it all the way to the state playoff bowl title game.
Woodside athletic director Chuck Velschow (a former Serra player) won't see his Wildcats in the Open Division, but he did speak of the change.
"It's sort of the Terra Nova rule," Velschow said. "Last year Terra Nova lost in the Open Division and then Sacred Heart Prep -- a team Terra Nova beat during the season -- went to the state title game. I know (former TN coach) Bill Gray was not happy with that. He didn't think it was fair."
Velschow said he understands Walsh's point, but also gets the wishes of CCS to move forward with the plan.
You have to start at some point," he said. "It will be a one-year sacrifice for down the road."
