Superintendents nix football plan

The football committee of the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference (CIAC) thought it was a good idea, as did a majority of football coaches. But as a proposal to expand the state high school football playoff format climbed the ladder, it ran into resistance.
The top rung of that ladder decided that it, as it stands now, will go no further.
CIAC Executive Director Michael Savage said on Wednesday that he had met with the executive board of the Connecticut Association of Public School Superintendents last Thursday and the superintendents expressed reservations about the plan.
The idea, devised by a group within the CIAC football committee, called for an expansion of the high school football playoffs from 24 teams to 48 by adding a quarterfinal round that would take place the Thursday prior to Thanksgiving.
The committee decided that Thanksgiving Day football rivalries are sacred to many and that those games should continue in the midst of the new playoff system. The semifinals, as is the case now, would be held the Tuesday after the holiday and the championship games on the following Saturday.
According to Savage, the Superintendents took exception to the plan based on three issues:
— The physical toll on high school players of playing four games in 16 days.
— The impact on Thanksgiving Day games
— Shortening the regular season for all to lengthen the playoff season for fewer teams
“The superintendents sent a letter to the Board of Control asking to postpone any decision on this matter until the superintendent’s concerns were addressed and that no action be taken until after the 2009 season,” Savage said.
The death knell of the plan is in the details, as the superintendents made it clear these issues would have to be dealt with without any discussion of extending the football season, according to Savage.
“Everyone, including the superintendents familiar with the situation, is pleased that the football committee discussed the extension of tournament play for the last 18-24 months and commend them for their work,” Savage said. “If there are ways to address these concerns without extending the season, everyone is open to listen to those recommendations.”
Supporters of the plan such as Ledyard High School coach and football committee member Jim Buonocore felt the new system was the way to go.
“I felt we had a viable plan that met the needs of the coaches and the powers that be,” Buonocore said. “I was satisfied with the effort that we made, disappointed that we didn’t get a full vote, but I support and respect the decision of the superintendents.”
The CIAC Board of Control meets on March 19 and will likely follow the superintendents’ recommendations and table the proposal. Savage said in his 30 years with the CIAC, he has never seen the Board of Control not follow the superintendents’ advice.
“It’s a dilemma to get more games in and deal with issues concerning the safety of the kids. Four games in 16 days is significant,” Windham High principal and Board of Control member Gene Blain said. “It’s a concern and I think we need to have some medical opinion on that before moving forward.”
Savage said the proposal had the “overwhelming support” of coaches. Athletic directors were less enthusiastic, but still “reasonably supportive.” As you went up the ladder, however, principals and superintendents were much less enthusiastic.
“You try to get as much feedback as possible,” Blain said. “This was precedent setting and you need to have everybody on board. Everything had to be perfect for it to happen (this fall); that wasn’t likely.”
Savage said one alternative to the plan could be increasing the number of divisions from six to as many as 10. That could give more opportunities to more teams, but Blain said he felt coaches may feel more divisions would dilute the field too much.
Cochran to be discussed
One issue the Board of Control will take up on March 19 is that of former New London baseball and current football coach Jack Cochran.
Cochran resigned last Friday before he even coached a baseball game after the school self-reported to the CIAC that it had evidence of a minimum of three rule violations regarding offseason practice for the baseball team.
Cochran said Friday that resigned so the kids on the team will not be punished for his actions, which included facilitating the use of the gym for baseball practice by players and parents.
Savage said the Board of Control has the “authority to do whatever it wishes” as far as Cochran is concerned, including taking disciplinary actions. That discipline could include fines or sanctions such as suspension or probation against the school, coaches and players.
New London was fined by the CIAC this past fall after Cochran allowed eighth graders into preseason practice with the high school varsity football team.