4A Playoff Seedings(with old point system)...

[screwloose]

By now, you all know I'm constantly crunching numbers. And since I'm bored and I don't have an article to write for the local radio website, nor any FCS Power Ranking spreadsheet work, I figured I'd pull this together.

For those who don't know the old IHSAA point system, it works like this...
== Each team received 25 points for playing a game.
== Each team received 20 more points for winning a game.
== Each team received 5 more points for every opponent they played who finished above .500.
== Each team lost 5 points per class lower for any opponent below 4A; eg. 3A would cost a team 5 points, 2A would cost a team 10 points and A would cost a team 20 points.
== Teams were then averaged out by the number of games they played. In this instance everybody except WDM Dowling played nine games, so I'm just using the whole number of points. WDM Dowling is slotted by where their average would have left them.
== Teams were then bracketed on a strict 1-16 playoff tree in regards to each half of the state.

Here we go...

WEST
Points.....Team(Record)
395.....West Des Moines Dowling(8-0)
410.....Ankeny(8-1)
400.....Waukee(7-2) [wins tiebreaker over Johnston by head-to-head]
400.....Johnston(7-2)
390.....West Des Moines Valley(7-2)
385.....Ankeny Centennial(7-2)
380.....Urbandale(6-3) [wins tiebreaker over Fort Dodge by head-to-head
380.....Fort Dodge(7-2)
360.....Council Bluffs Lewis Central(6-3) [wins tiebreaker over Des Moines Hoover by opponent's record, 39-41 to 28-53]
360.....Des Moines Hoover(6-3)
355.....Southeast Polk(5-4)
350.....Indianola(5-4)
340.....Sioux City East(5-4) [wins tiebreaker over Des Moines East by opponent's record, 34-46 to 29-52]
340.....Des Moines East(5-4)
335.....Ames(4-5)
330.....Des Moines Lincoln(4-5)

305.....Marshalltown(3-6)
290.....Sioux City West(2-7)
280.....Des Moines North(1-8)
270.....Sioux City North(1-8) [wins tiebreaker over Council Bluffs Lincoln by head-to-head]
270.....Council Bluffs Lincoln(1-8)
265.....Mason City(1-8)
260.....Des Moines Roosevelt(0-9)
250.....Council Bluffs Jefferson(1-8)

EAST
Points.....Team(Record)
425.....Cedar Rapids Kennedy(9-0)
420.....Bettendorf(9-0)
405.....Cedar Rapids Washington(8-1)
380.....Pleasant Valley(7-2)
365.....Cedar Falls(6-3) [wins tiebreaker over Iowa City High & Muscatine by the other two losing to a team involved in the tiebreaker]
365.....Iowa City High(6-3) [wins tiebreaker over Muscatine by head-to-head]
365.....Muscatine(6-3)
360.....Cedar Rapids Jefferson(6-3)
350.....Dubuque Hempstead(6-3)
340.....Iowa City West(3-6)
335.....Linn-Mar(4-5)
330.....Clinton(5-4) [wins tiebreaker over North Scott by head-to-head]
330.....North Scott(4-5)
325.....Cedar Rapids Prairie(4-5)
320.....Dubuque Senior(4-5)
315.....Ottumwa(4-5)

305.....Waterloo West(3-6)
300.....Davenport West(3-6)
270.....Davenport Central(1-8)
265.....Davenport North(1-8)
255.....Waterloo East(0-9) [wins tiebreaker over Burlington by opponent's record, 49-32 to 35-46]
255.....Burlington(1-8)

PLAYOFF TREE
-] #16 Des Moines Lincoln @ #1 West Des Moines Dowling
----------] SECOND
-] #9 Council Bluffs Lewis Central @ #8 Fort Dodge
-------------------------] QUARTERFINAL
-] #12 Indianola @ #5 West Des Moines Valley
----------] SECOND
-] #13 Sioux City East @ #4 Johnston
----------------------------------------] SEMIFINAL
-] #14 Des Moines East @ #3 Waukee
----------] SECOND
-] #11 Southeast Polk Ankeny Centennial
-------------------------] QUARTERFINAL
-] #10 Des Moines Hoover @ #7 Urbandale
----------] SECOND
-] #15 Ames @ #2 Ankeny
-------------------------------------------------------] 4A CHAMPIONSHIP
-] #16 Ottumwa @ #1 Cedar Rapids Kennedy
----------] SECOND
-] #9 Dubuque Hempstead @ Cedar Rapids Jefferson
-------------------------] QUARTERFINAL
-] #12 Clinton @ #5 Cedar Falls
----------] SECOND
-] #13 North Scott @ #4 Pleasant Valley
----------------------------------------] SEMIFINAL
-] #14 Cedar Rapids Prairie @ #3 Cedar Rapids Washington
----------] SECOND
-] #11 Linn-Mar @ #6 Iowa City High
-------------------------] QUARTERFINAL
-] #10 Iowa City West @ #7 Muscatine
----------] SECOND
-] #15 Dubuque Senior @ #2 Bettendorf

 

[KidSilverhair]

Your point system is automatically invalid because it did not include obvious playoff contender Davenport North.

Also you still have all three Cedar Rapids teams at home in the first round. However shall the state figure out playing sites? Can't have the kid$ mi$$ing $chool, you know.

Nice work, screwloose. I miss playing around with the point system, too.

 

[paxregis]

I think the playoff points system (applied to district games only) would be the best way to determine wild card teams in each class.

 

[screwloose]

I think the playoff points system (applied to district games only) would be the best way to determine wild card teams in each class.

So you're in favor of just throwing those first two games away? If they don't count, why even play them?

 

[KidSilverhair]

So you're in favor of just throwing those first two games away? If they don't count, why even play them?

That's the way the state wants it. Whether to encourage teams to play outside their class for a game or two, or to allow teams to save travel by playing outside their class against schools right around the corner, or maybe they have some other reason - but the IHSAA is adamant that only district games are going to count for figuring playoff berths.

If you include points from non-district games, nobody is going to schedule a team in a lower class, because of the hit in points they'll take. This is the district system. It's also a great argument for increasing the number of district games and making every class - even 4A - play at least seven games that count, instead of six or (in some cases) only four.

That said, using the point system to determine wild cards may be a decent idea, but using just seven games is probably going to end up with a lot of ties in points, especially since you'd be using it statewide. So tiebreakers become a big deal, and since we're just using district games and there's no likely head-to-head component, what are doing then? The alphabet? Hardly seems like the best way to determine how the final two teams from the entire state make a 16-team field.

Not that I have a great idea myself. But as long as we're using a district system, the IHSAA has made it clear non-district games will not be considered in figuring out qualifiers.

 

[makelovenotwar]

Guys, I think you are missing the point here regarding the point system. Some big schools will want to only play other big schools, but some big schools will want to play smaller schools in hopes of getting a win. One of the advantage of a system like this is that the teams have some (not total) input on the games they set up. For example, Assumption will want to play some 4A teams. The 4A teams in the Davenport area may agree and request the match-up or they can try and avoid it. Look at the Xavier program. The second Xavier went 3A the Ceder Falls schools ran from the match-up. While I disagree with their hiding from Xavier, it is their choice. I bet if they Cedar Rapids teams stay playing better football (a big if) they will start searching out a game against Xavier as a way to help them get ready for the harder 4A teams.

 

[ORSKY1]

Guys, I think you are missing the point here regarding the point system. Some big schools will want to only play other big schools, but some big schools will want to play smaller schools in hopes of getting a win. One of the advantage of a system like this is that the teams have some (not total) input on the games they set up. For example, Assumption will want to play some 4A teams. The 4A teams in the Davenport area may agree and request the match-up or they can try and avoid it. Look at the Xavier program. The second Xavier went 3A the Ceder Falls schools ran from the match-up. While I disagree with their hiding from Xavier, it is their choice. I bet if they Cedar Rapids teams stay playing better football (a big if) they will start searching out a game against Xavier as a way to help them get ready for the harder 4A teams.

There's also the team like Burlington, who has natural 3a rivals locally of interest to play. The only natural 4a rival is Muscatine.

 

[paxregis]

In the absence of head-to-head, the old playoff points system used opponent's record as the next tiebreaker. That would reward finishing third in strong districts.

 

[screwloose]

I've mentioned this in the past, but as far as 4A football qualifying goes, there's really only one answer - A "Rivalry Waiver". Each team, if they elect to, can play one team from a lower class and not get penalized those playoff points. With this, a school could ask the state to play two lower class opponents, but one of them will get penalized. There's nobody so isolated, even Burlington, that wouldn't have at least one non-district 4A team that's with 100 miles or so. Even the Sioux City schools will have each other or Council Bluffs for non-district games.

 

[DarkThunder#61]

Hmm....with this information in hand.....I call for a redo of the first round in this format. Do it.

 

[woodsiding]

Guys, I think you are missing the point here regarding the point system. Some big schools will want to only play other big schools, but some big schools will want to play smaller schools in hopes of getting a win. One of the advantage of a system like this is that the teams have some (not total) input on the games they set up. For example, Assumption will want to play some 4A teams. The 4A teams in the Davenport area may agree and request the match-up or they can try and avoid it. Look at the Xavier program. The second Xavier went 3A the Ceder Falls schools ran from the match-up. While I disagree with their hiding from Xavier, it is their choice. I bet if they Cedar Rapids teams stay playing better football (a big if) they will start searching out a game against Xavier as a way to help them get ready for the harder 4A teams.

I'm glad the Cedar Rapids schools will never play Xavier again. It is an awful place to watch football. Obviously, Xavier would like that gate revenue, but there are 5 4A metro schools for CR schools to get intercity crowds without having to spend money getting into Xavier. Opponents at Xavier were given a locker room the size of a broom closet for their sophs and varsity to share, it's just an awful place to play football. There is a reason why Regina and Dowling are both on Xavier's schedule, and that's the fact no one wants to play at Xavier, not just the Cedar Rapids schools.

In terms of 4A scheduling you make valid points. I think you can put the turnaround at Jefferson squarely on the fact they utilized the freedom of making their own schedule to ensure some wins, which lead to a changed team.