For those who have been in on the "discussion/argument" about the play-in game either being a state playoff game or not,,, look in the top left hand corner of the State 3A brackets. It says: Play-in games are not state games.
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However, even when not considered part of the state sponsored "Playoffs" they are still considered playoffs to everyone else, including the teams who are one loss away from elimination just the same as if it was the Quarters or Semi's.
Not really understanding your argument here. We are way past the 1-7 or 0-8 Wendell teams making it to the play-in games.
I completely understand what your saying with the way it has gone down in the past with teams like Wendell in 2A making the playoffs every year as a B seed out of their conference with a 1-7 or 0-8 record. But every team who has made it to the Play-in games this year in 2A and 3A are deserving of the right to say they made it to the playoffs except for Malad in 2A and maybe Cole Valley Christian (4-4, 1-4 in Conference but beat 3A Fruitland).
If your talking about teams like 2A Cole Valley Christian (4-4), 2A Aberdeen (4-4), 2A Nampa Christian (4-4), 2A New Plymouth (4-4), 3A Teton (4-4), 3A Kellogg (3-5), 3A Marsh Valley (4-4), and 3A Fruitland (4-5), then you are failing to realize that they had must win games to reach the playoffs. Wins that they acquired to have the right to say that they made the playoffs.
Aberdeen had to beat Malad and Soda Springs. It came down to that game for them to make the cut. Nampa Christian and New Plymouth had to beat both Marsing and Cole Valley Christian, Teton had to beat South Fremont, Kellogg had to beat both Bonners Ferry and Priest River, Marsh Valley had to beat American Falls, and lastly Fruitland had to beat both Parma and Payette, all to earn the right to say they made it to the playoffs.
Cole Valley Christian and Malad are the weakest links of this point. But the fact that they both made it in on at-large bids is why. So if I were to agree with your point, I would not consider teams who made it to the playoffs on an at large bid are deserving of claiming they made the playoffs, until the field of teams in 2A are brought down from 16 to a more deserving 12.
Until they fix the brackets at the state level, there will always be one of those bad teams that sneaks through the cracks.
What they need to do is go to a 12 team bracket in 2A. Conference champs have a first round bye with 1 of the 5 champs rotating each year to the first round, or the worst of the 5 according to RPI is sent to the first round. The other 7 teams are all at-large teams according to RPI. This rewards teams for either scheduling a tough schedule or winning their conference. Or take the B seed from each conference and add two at large teams.
@Coach Newell Value of play-in game was just demonstrated by Cole Valley's 37-0 (at-large team) victory over Grangeville (a conference champ). The problem with the game of football at the 2A level is injuries to key players at key times impacts outcomes at a more significant level than 4A/5A levels (i.e. 22 man rosters vs. 52 man rosters). Play-in games open the window for what appear to be "weak link" schools from a strong conference to demonstrate their abilities when healthy gain as a team. The Cole Valley defeat of Fruitland (3A) at Fruitland earlier this year was no fluke. Cole Valley is a dangerous #8 seed. However, the string of losses mid-season/lower RPI sets them up for a very tough ticket for Cole Valley against a talented and heavily favored Westside this week. But, as demonstrated by their dominance in Grangeville last week, Cole Valley will compete and deserves to be in the mix.
@2A-FB I am not a hater of the at large teams, just the opposite actually and I had alot of love for Cole Valley Christian at the start of the season especially with their win over Fruitland. You can see that love in the 2A thread. They fell out of light with their string if mid to late season losses.