Arizona Interscholastic Association Looking At Changing Controversial Scheduling Plan

Schools like the idea of saving traveling costs, especially with gasoline prices rising to nearly $4 a gallon.

But when the Arizona Interscholastic Association spit football schedules out of a computer last year with the intent on saving gas money, it set off an alarm from one corner of the state to the other.

North Pointe Prep, a small charter school, canceled its football season for fear of serious injuries being pitted against bigger, more powerful schools, such as Glendale Cactus. Cactus was left with nine regular-season games.

Wickenburg football coach Bobby Gonzalo composed a letter to the Arizona Republic at season’s end, citing discrepancies in competition, breaking it down team by team in Division IV.

He noted that his team played four Division III schools, including Peoria, which has about 1,000 more students.

“We have had more kids hurt this year than ever before,” Gonzalo wrote in November. “Four knee injuries (0 last year) – four concussions (1 last year).”

Weekly mismatches and a general sense of inequity running throughout the state had school administrators coming up with alternatives, such as the one now on the table with the AIA that could come during the next two-year scheduling cycle, beginning with the 2013-14 school year.

That proposal basically would go back to the old way – with more sections and fewer schools in a section. It would also allow schools to schedule non-section games on their own, and allow the computer to schedule section games that would fall in the season’s second half.

“At first glance, I really like the idea of having six-team sections and actually playing every team in our section,” incoming Saguaro coach Jason Mohns said. “The way it’s done now, some schools play six or seven section games and some only play two or three. At least now you’d have a clear cut ’section champ.’ ’

While Mohns agrees with the idea of having a division chair or the school scheduling the non-section games, he knows how hard it is for a powerhouse program, such as Saguaro’s, to get people to play them.

“The only issue with that is it was very difficult to find two freedom games this past year,” Mohns said. “We contacted over 30 schools and the only ones that wanted a game were Desert Vista and Cactus. I imagine it would be difficult to find five games for some schools such as ours. The ADs would have to work something out to ensure that teams in that division were guaranteed up to five games within their own division. That way teams wouldn’t be forced to play up or down a division unless they chose to.”

Chandler Hamilton coach Steve Belles said he likes that the AIA is considering going back to smaller sections, but he is concerned about losing a rival or two in the school placements. For example, a preliminary section had Hamilton in the same on with Sierra Vista Buena, Phoenix Desert Vista but not Chandler.

“I like the fact they’re going to smaller ones and having a true region champ,” Belles said. “I have no issue with that. But you have to be careful where you put the Yuma schools and the bigger schools. For the travel, you could be right back where you were. I don’t mind playing the Tucson schools, but to have two playing in the same region, that would be ridiculous. It’s not fair to them. They’re already playing Hamilton and Desert Vista. It will be tough.”

Belles also would like to see it go back to getting the coaches and athletic directors in the same room to work out non-section schedules.

“If they say, ’You’re on your own,’ it’s going to be a nightmare,” Belles said.

Gonzalo didn’t feel the computer helped reduced travel for his school, which he said traveled 2 1/2 hours to Parker, 3 1/2 to River Valley and 3 1/2 to Yuma for games.

“In order to coach, the AIA requires of coaches that they take a CPR class, a coaching class and a concussion class,” Gonzalo wrote in November. “In the classes, it says never match smaller kids with larger kids when doing drills. I guess this is why we do it with schools?”

Another change that met the ire of coaches was no longer having a chance to earn a regional championship banner on the field. Going back to the old way will bring that back.

The AIA encouraged coaches to input information on its Web site to form all-section teams, but some coaches didn’t feel it was user friendly. Some felt it made no sense to select all-section teams when they didn’t see some of the teams in their second play.

Coaches were encouraged to watch films of other teams in their section that they hadn’t played. But coaches, who put in countless hours as it is to prepare their teams for games, felt it wasn’t possible when their team was in the playoffs and needed to focus on the upcoming opponent.

Some coaches took the all-section teams in their own hands, splitting the large sections in half and honoring players. Some put together all-city and all-district teams.

Phoenix Alhambra coach Frank Lautt said he would like to see the AIA take it another step during the next two-year block and get rid of power points.

“I personally am not in favor of power points in any way,” Lautt said. “I prefer the traditional division where the top two-three teams qualify for the playoffs.”

Buckeye coach Bobby Barnes saw his team reach the Division IV state quarterfinals, before losing to Lakeside Blue Ridge. He felt the AIA changes that included two fewer divisions and being placed in D.IV benefited his program.

“Our school had been playing other schools forever since I became head coach in 2003 that were 500 to 700 students larger at times,” Barnes said. “The change allows us to play teams now that have to play an equal numbers game. We still have had playoff teams in six of the last seven seasons. But now we expect to go further in the playoffs on a consistent basis.

“People talk more about our easy schedule than our talent. But playing Parker, Yuma, Desert Edge, Fountain Hills and Blue Ridge was not that easy. Two of our three losses were to eventual state champions.

“The only modification I would make would be to allow programs with three straight years of a losing record to drop down a class or have five games where they negotiate their schedule. I am not one of those coaches who believes the AIA is a bad organization. I believe they are trying to do what is best for high schools. They just don’t understand the theory of good public relations.”

In a recent e-mail, with more time to reflect on the football season, Gonzalo still felt the AIA’s changes “devastated small schools in football.”

“The disparity in football games has created more injuries – especially concussions, something they emphasized this year,” he wrote. “Some kids and schools do not have an opportunity to make the playoffs due to the schedules. Their all-conference and all-state teams were a joke. The schedules need to be reworked … start thinking what is best for kids.”

Scottsdale Desert Mountain coach Tony Tabor didn’t have a problem with his team’s schedule. But he said he welcomes any proposal that would benefit all schools.

“I kind of like the way it always was,” Tabor said. “You got pick some people you wanted to play. Everyone seemed to like that.”

Read more: http://www.azcentral.com/sports/preps/articles/2012/05/25/20120525high-school-football-aia-changes.html#ixzz1vto5cYik

Read more here: http://www.idahostatesman.com/2012/05/15/2117735/stay-and-play.html#storylink=cpy