Ok, the numbers are out for the 2010 and 2011 seasons (click classifications above), and there were some changes that led both the Philly Public League (Pub) and the Philly Catholic League (PCL) to once again align their divisions and playoff formats.
Pub Realignment and Playoff Format.....
In the Pub, after two straight years of teams making the playoffs with zero league wins, the Pub seems to have corrected that problem for good (let’s hope). You see, in the AAAA class, the league has two 7 team divisions; Gold and Silver. In the Gold Division, where the "better" teams play, 4 teams will make the playoffs. In the Silver Team, the "B" division of the Pub, 2 teams will join the 4 Gold teams to fill out the playoff bracket. The League has done away with their “A” division, as the charter schools have grown a bit since the last classification scramble. Now, the AAA will be an 8 team division, with the top 4 making the playoffs. The AA division will be a 7 team division, also with the top 4 teams making the playoffs. The Pub playoffs will almost certainly have teams in the playoffs with at least 1 win, but count on more.
PCL Realignment and Playoff Format....
I wish I could say the same about the PCL. With 2 AAAA teams dropping to AAA, 2 AAA teams moving down to AA, and three teams leaving the league, the PCL will still have three divisions, but the AAAA division will consist of 5 teams, four of which will see post season play. In the AAA division, there will be only 4 teams, but all 4 will get a shot at the title. In the AA, the most sensible division strategy, we’ll see a 5 team division, with only the top two playing for the championship.
If you’ve been keeping count, that’s 16 of 29 teams (55%) making the playoffs in the Pub, and 10 of 14 (71%) in the PCL. Overall, that’s 26 of 43 teams, or 60% of the city teams playing in the post season.
What does all of this mean?
Well, to me it means that the league championships, in both leagues, have been devalued more than the dollar in China. Back in the day, a Pub or PCL championship meant something. Hell, the regular season meant something too. Back in the day, a team had to earn a playoff spot, or spot in the championship game. Now, it seems that some teams pretty much just have to field a team in order for them to make it to the playoffs. There was a time when a team being a “playoff team” meant something.
If I were King of the Forest....What I would do if I were King of the Forest? It might sound drastic, but I would blow up the Pub and PCL and create a real District. Gone from the district would be all of the suburban teams; Conwell-Egan, Lansdale Catholic, Archbishop Wood, Archbishop Carroll, Bishop McDevitt, Monsignor Bonner, Cardinal O’Hara and La Salle. All Gone! The district would be made up of just teams actually within the physical limits of the city. The Pub teams would play the PCL teams and the best teams would make it to the playoffs, and then represent the district at states. The AAAA division would consist of 18 teams (14 Pub and 4 PCL), the AAA would have 8 (all Pub) and the AA would have 8 teams (6 Pub and 2 PCL). Break the classes into multiple divisions, with the best 4 from the AAAA making the playoffs, and the top 2 in the other two classes. Drastic? You betcha! But, it would bring the district in line with the way both leagues conducted business for the first 50 or 60 years of existence.
Some History for you…..
From 1916 until 1968, the Pub consisted of one division. Some years, that one division had 18 or 19 teams. But, in the end, the division winner was crowned champion. In the PCL, the league crowned the division champ as League champion from 1920 through 1962. For a few years, both leagues split into 2 divisions, with only the division winners playing for their respective league title. The PCL didn’t start a real playoff (quarter finals) until 1973, with the Pub following suit in 1976. From there, it exploded over the years, especially when both leagues decided to regroup based on enrollment (PCL in 1999 and the Pub in 2005 with entry in the PIAA). But, the Pub still held only one playoff each year (until the PCL joined), and resisted the urge to have multiple championship. The PCL gave up on the single champ in 1999 when they went to the Red/Blue format. The Pub reached it height in playoff teams in 2009, when 20 of their 29 teams (69%) reaching the playoffs. The PCL will reached it’s zenith in the Red/Blue years, when 12 of 16 teams (75%) made it to the post season.
So, there you have it. In Mike’s World, high school football would have regular seasons that mattered. Teams would need to win, at least, 1 game to qualify for post season. Only the best teams would compete for the district titles (there would be 3), and only schools that truly represent the best of the district, would go on to the state playoffs.
District 12 Quarter-Final Games
Jun 30, 2010
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District 12 AAA Championship - Wood 44 - Dobbins 7
6 comments:
I think it makes sense in bringing the Pub and PCL together. I don't see why you would kick the teams outside the city out of the league. We all are apart of district 12. Divide 4A into 3 divisions based on strength. Gold: SJ, lasalle, FJ, FKD, WASH, NE. Silver: Roman, Ryan, Bartram, Brook, G'town, Central.
Bronze: Olney, Fels, Furness, Mastbaum, Lincoln, Edison, S.Philly
Have 5 teams from gold, 2 from silver and 1 from bronze.
In the other 2 levels you would have 12 teams just divide them equally into 2 divisions and have 3 from each make the playoffs with byes to the division winners. I broke them up in 3A like this: Bonner, O'Hara, U.City, W. Philly, Gratz Rox. and Wood, Carroll, Dobbins, King, Franklin, Boys latin.
In 2A neuman, mcdevitt, w. catholic, Future, imhotep, comm. tech, and bok, egan, lansdale, prep charter, fitzsimmons, del val.
Anyway thats my idea. Love the new site and the blogs looking forward to the upcoming year.
Thanks coach. My thinking was that District 12 should be like most of the rest of the state, by geography. The burb teams are physically within the boundaries of District 1. It's not like there's a long history of these teams in the PCL. The oldest burb team is, I believe, Bonner. The newest to the PCL is LC, which has only been in the league for a couple of years. Send them all to District 1 and have a real city title (or three).
I agree with what you are saying. I just can't see district 1 taking lasalle. Those schools wouldn't want to give a playoff spot to a perennial power. It would be even worse for 3A with Wood, O'Hara, and Bonner. I couldn't see the Central League wanting O'Hara and Bonner it is already one of the toughest divisions in the state. I do understand what you are saying and I agree but I can't see it happening.
I don' know what happened to city football but the leagues are so weak it's disapponting. You see for yourself how weak the city teams when you start talking about combining the once powerful Catholic league with the once very competitive Public league.
In the pub there just is not enough solid teams and the PCL is no where as powerful as it once was even though LaSalle won the state championship.
I have seen city football for over 50 years and there is no comparision to what the city used to be.
To my anonymous friend, I think you missed the point of what I wrote. I didn't write that I thought the leagues were weak, which I don't believe. In addition to La Salle winning the state title, both Wood and West made it to the title game two seasons ago. I'd put the PCL up against just about any league in the state.
Here's my point: With joining the PIAA and the classification by size system, the city went from 2 league championships and 1 city title to a high of 7 league championships and 3 city titles last year. My point is that there are too few teams (the exception being the Pub AAAA) to call the leagues an actual league. The PCL AAA division has a total of 4 teams, all of whom make the playoffs. My point is that there are too many playoff teams and too many "championships". Merging the leagues would knock the total championships to 3, which would put a little more value. Plus, the best teams (not one from each league that is in place now) would move on to the state playoffs. Back in the day, there were fewer playoff teams in both leagues. Almost every playoff game meant something, and most were competitive. Some of the playoff games in the past few years, because of the large number of qualifiers, has left a lot to be desired, and in my humble opinion, devalued the entire playoff system.
How about a simple, common-sense change... if each AAA PCL team makes the playoffs regardless, why not dissolve the division and move two to up to "Red" and two down to "Blue". Each division has a six-game regular season. Then when the playoffs start, go back to three three brackets based on PIAA enrollment levels. At least this way it will be difficult (but still not impossible) to have a winless playoff team.
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