For several area high school football programs, success on the field has created an enormous headache off it.
Because the TSSAA’s new playoff format puts so much emphasis on overall record for seeding purposes, it doesn’t benefit teams to play tough out-of-district games. That has created scheduling holes for programs such as Boyd-Buchanan, Cleveland, Polk County, Signal Mountain and South Pittsburg, each of which won at least a district championship. Two won state titles.
“It’s been the worst year I ever remember trying to find games,” Cleveland coach E.K. Slaughter said. “I contacted more than 80 schools in Tennessee trying to fill our scehdule. We offered money to schools our size or smaller, but there weren’t many who would even return my calls.
“To say it was tough finding teams to play would be a big understatement. It was nearly impossible to find games with local teams. I don’t ever remember still looking for games this late in the offseason, and a lot of that is because of the TSSAA’s playoff system.”
While coaches at premier programs know they won’t receive sympathy, they are torn between having to play much larger schools or potentially losing $7,000 to $10,000 for an open date that could be filled with a home game. Complicating the situation is the fact that high schools in Georgia, Alabama and North Carolina are on a different scheduling cycle: They make their schedules during odd-numbered years, while Tennessee schools make theirs in even-numbered years.
Slaughter finally agreed to travel to 2004-10 state champion Alcoa and Knoxville Catholic in the first two weeks of the 2011 season. Similarly, Polk County coach Derrick Davis said he had to add four playoff teams, including two state champions, to his team’s nondistrict slate or he still would have half his schedule empty.
When Boyd-Buchanan was 4-4 last season, it already had a full schedule for 2011. But after the Buccaneers’ run to the Class 2A semifinals, two teams backed out of playing, waiting until just last week to inform coach Grant Reynolds.
“It’s been the most frustrating thing I’ve experienced in coaching, just trying to find games,” Reynolds said. “It all traces back to the new playoff system. I had one coach tell me that was the sole reason they were backing out on us, because they had to get a more winnable game. Once teams outside the area find out you’ve had some success, they won’t even call us back.”
Much of the problem for the small-school programs like Boyd-Buchanan and South Pittsburg is that both play in four-team districts, which means each must find seven nondistrict opponents. South Pittsburg athletic director and head coach Vic Grider has had to resort to more drastic measures trying to fill the final three open dates on a schedule that already includes Signal Mountain, Polk County and Boyd-Buchanan.
“There are a couple of teams that have either backed out of playing us or their coach has lied to my face about not having open dates,” said Grider, whose program has played just one nondistrict 1A opponent in the last 10 years. “So we’re making a policy to not play those schools in any other sport beginning right now. We won’t play them in the basketball games we were scheduled to, and we won’t keep them on our baseball or softball schedules, either.
“It’s fine for them to beat us by 30 points in basketball, and we’re just supposed to smile and take it. But they won’t play us in football. How do you expect your program to ever get better if you don’t play good competition your own size? There’s a whole other district of teams our size in Chattanooga, but Boyd-Buchanan is the only one of them that will play us. The people dodging us better hope they don’t meet us in the playoffs, because I have a long memory.”
While Signal Mountain just finished its second varsity season, the meteoric rise to the Class 2A state championship has meant coach Bill Price doesn’t get as many willing opponents as he did two years ago. Despite the fact the Eagles will move up to compete in the 4A playoffs, Price said he still hasn’t had much luck filling the schedule.
“I’ve called or e-mailed just about everybody in Chattanooga,” said Price, whose nondistrict schedule includes Polk County, South Pittsburg and Tyner, as well as East Hamilton. “I’ve checked the TSSAA calendar every day. We’ll find a game somewhere. If you win, having a tough time scheduling is part of it. If we have to play nine games, we’ll play nine.
“We might just try to play South Pittsburg twice. If Vic would do it, I’d do it.”
Contact Stephen Hargis at shargis@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6293.