Okay so normally, Good Afternoon South Dakota! is published around 3 o’clock in the afternoon, but I wrote this at 2 in the morning so I figured I would publish it this morning. Enjoy the read!
PROBLEM? YES. SOLUTION? NO.
The SDHSAA has made a couple highlight plays in the past year. It sanctioned girls’ wrestling, and managed to host both a state football and state volleyball championship in a pandemic. However in a time when the public is shouting for a change in the number of classes in football, the Board of Directors decided on January 13th that they were going to stick with 7. It’s also the one thing everyone agreed that they shouldn’t do. This is because it’s obvious to reporters, fans and coaches alike…7 classes just isn’t working.
So the question remains…Why did the state not move to 5 classes?
Don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t from a lack of feasible options or great ideas, the state itself even looked deeply into a few of them, but it was because the state couldn’t decide which classes to cut. I will give the Board some credit, it’s not easy trying to decide which teams to move around, and no one is going to be happy. But also, it’s the Board’s job to make these decisions.
Below, I give my thoughts to what classes they could have cut, and an option I believe could thrive in South Dakota.
9-MAN
Think about it like this:
South Dakota currently has 3 classes of 9-man for a state that hovers around 800k people. Iowa has 1 class of 8-man, and 3.1 MILLION PEOPLE! What’s crazier is the fact that the number of schools who play 9-man in South Dakota and 8-man in Iowa is nearly the same, AND their enrollment sizes are extremely similar. However, many school districts in Iowa pull from multiple towns, creating larger schools, while South Dakota schools are still kept pretty well to their individual towns. This is the most likely reason for the similarity of the teams in both class and size even though the states differ in population.
Now, I have said that Iowa needs to split its’ 8-man classes into 2, but there is no reason for South Dakota to have 3 classes of 9-man football. 50-point mercy rules in the playoffs should be a fairly rare occurrence, but instead have been common throughout the years. Move to 2 classes in 9-man and that right there eliminates half your problem. Let’s move to part two.
11-MAN
The obvious issue everyone wants to address is Class AA. I think most people can agree that it should not exist. Either move up with Class AAA schools, or move down to Class A. So what’s the problem?
I think a lot of people want to see the AA schools move to AAA, but the schools themselves want to move to A. Personal opinion, leave Class AAA how it is, and combine the AA and larger A schools, while moving the smaller schools to Class B.
I think the best idea is right here:
It’s the Steve Moore/Kim Nelson modified plan as reported on by Brian Haenchen during the October 30th advisory meetings, and I think it is very solid. You could go to a 6-team playoff in Class 11AA, a 8-team playoff in 11A, and a 8-team or 16-team playoff in 11B, though preferably 8, because the reality is this. No one wants to see playoff blowouts every year.
FIXING THE PROBLEM
Making the playoffs is a reward, and it’s awesome to see the communities embrace the teams. But a team who has a losing record and then loses by 50 (Or 103) in the first round isn’t competitive. In fact, the 103-point loss in 2019 only amplifies the need for a more competitive playoff.
The SDHSAA has done some very good things this year. They sanctioned girls’ wrestling, which is a fantastic and brilliant move that I will highlight when the state tournament arises. The state also managed a great football season along with being able to host all the state championships at one location and see them played out, which is an absolute win.
But the 7-class issue still remains and needs to be addressed with a change to 5 classes. It’s something the whole state wants, and the solution is there before them when the state is ready to take that step.
Let’s just hope that’s sooner, rather than later.
This article is written by TK. To contact TK, email digitalzsports@gmail.com