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Saturday, January 10, 1998
Superintendents vote to add playoff teams in
2A and 3A
By CHIP BROWN / AP Sports Writer
AUSTIN (AP) -- If high schools in Classes 5A and 4A can have
three teams in the playoffs, then superintendents from 3A and
2A want it, too.
The University Interscholastic League announced Friday that
3A and 2A superintendents supported a referendum to qualify a
third team for the playoffs in all team sports. The State Board
of Education will have the final say this spring, but approval
is not expected to be a problem.
Every 2A and 3A school would be required to reduce schedules
in basketball, volleyball, softball and baseball by one game to
accommodate the expanded playoff and avoid cutting into class
time by lengthening the season.
The biggest change would be imposed on football. To make room
for the added teams, 2A and 3A would be forced to break their
playoffs into two divisions, as 5A has done since 1990 and 4A
has done since 1996.
As a result, the UIL would then crown 10 state football champions
-- two each in classes 2A through 5A, with 1A titles split between
11-man and 6-man divisions.
"Every third place team saw the chance to be in the playoffs,"
said UIL Executive Director Bill Farney. "There is an argument
about watering down the playoffs with more teams. But La Marque
was third in its district and won the state football championship
in Conference 4A.
"In some years, you just have strong teams, and that third
place team has a shot to do well in the playoffs."
La Marque finished third in its district before going on to
defeat Denison 17-0 for its third straight 4A title this season.
The 3A superintendents voted in favor the proposal 140-55;
it was a more-narrow 108-89 in 2A.
Football coaches, however, had mixed reactions about the news.
G.A. Moore of 2A Celina said he was for the expansion "because
they're doing it in 4A and 5A."
"It seems like they're watering it down and it doesn't
mean quite as much as it used to, but there's also getting to
be more and more people in Texas," said Moore, the state's
winningest active coach at 328-68-9.
Class 3A Cuero coach Mickey Finley said he's against having
two champions in the same class.
"I wish somehow they could tie it together and end up
with one state champion," Finley said. "Two state champions
in the same classification just doesn't seem right to me."
This season, eight teams with losing records made the football
playoffs in 5A, while 11 teams with losing records made the 4A
playoffs. Another 12 teams reached the 4A and 5A postseason with
marks of .500, meaning 23 of the 96 teams in the 4A and 5A playoffs
didn't have winning records.
Sealy coach T.J. Mills, whose team has won an unprecedented
four straight 3A titles, said dividing the playoffs into two divisions
will "cut the competition in half."
"It's got to be easier," Mills said. "One of
my assistants said we may win four more now."
In other developments:
--4A superintendents in Regions I, III and IV voted 74-67 to
create a regional basketball tournament. Region II superintendents
voted 28-23 against the measure.
Currently, schools in 4A schedule games according to brackets
to determine regional champions. The two schools choose the site,
time, admission price and officials.
Every other class holds a tournament of four schools to determine
the regional champion.
If approved by the State Board of Education, 4A regional tournaments
would begin in February 1999.
--1A superintendents voted to create an area track and field
meet. Pending State Board of Education approval, the meet would
begin in the 1998-99 school year.
The top four representatives in each event from each district
will advance to the area meet. The top four in each event at area
will advance to the regional meet.
As a result of the new format, student-athletes will be limited
to participating in seven invitational track meets as opposed
to eight for all other conferences.
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