Competitive Balance Initiative Pays Off for HS Football

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Copyright 2017 Dayton Newspapers, Inc.

Dayton Daily News (Ohio)

 

Marion Local coach Tim Goodwin on the sensitive competitive balance issue: "We really are isolated from that whole debate ... It really just doesn't affect us."

It might be just a coincidence, but the Ohio High School Athletic Association's competitive balance initiative seems to have made an impact in its debut this fall, especially in the high school football state championships.

Fourteen teams will vie for seven divisional state championships this week at Canton's Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium. Of those, all but one are public schools. That's significant, because competitive balance has its roots in a disproportionate amount of private schools winning state championships over about a 10-year period, particularly in football and boys and girls basketball.

All head coaches who participated in Monday's statewide media conference call to address championship week were asked about that. Most dodged the private vs. public issue.

"We really are isolated from that whole debate," Marion Local coach Tim Goodwin said. "We just don't have the types of privates around us that are going to pull kids from other schools. ... It really just doesn't affect us."

Last season six of the 14 participating finals teams were from private schools. All but Cleveland St.

Ignatius won, with Cincinnati St. Xavier defeating St. Ignatius in the D-I title game.

This season, Akron Archbishop Hoban (13-1) will be the only private school to play for a state title, against Cincinnati Winton Woods (13-1) during Thursday's 7:30 p.m. game. Hoban defeated Trotwood-Madison 30-0 last year to capture its second straight D-III championship.

Competitive balance is a numerical formula that accounts for students who reside outside a designated school district and all enrolled students. That combined number determines playoff divisions for most sports and will be annually revised by the OHSAA each spring.

* Four area teams advanced to Week 15 games: Trotwood-Madison (GWOC American South), Clinton-Massie (Southern Buckeye Conference), Marion Local (Midwest Athletic Conference) and Minster (MAC).

Saturday's state-title triple-header is loaded with area reps. Defending champ Marion Local (14-0) will play Kirtland (14-0) in a D-VI showdown of the state's top-ranked teams at 10 a.m. At 3 p.m. it's Clinton-Massie (13-1) vs. No. 1 Steubenville (14-0) in the D-IV championship. Trotwood (14-0) is paired with Dresden Tri-Valley (13-1) in the seven-game finale at 8 p.m.

* Six of the chosen 14 are making a return to the title games. Besides Trotwood and Hoban, Steubenville was D-IV runner-up to Columbus Bishop Hartley in 2015-16. Marion Local is the defending D-VI champ. The Flyers defeated Cuyahoga Heights in the championship last season. Heights dropped a division and will play Minster for the D-VII title. Minster lost to Warren John F. Kennedy in the D-VII title game last season.

* Top-ranked Marion Local and No. 2 Kirtland is the only 1-vs.-2 game. Three other teams were declared Associated Press state poll champs: Trotwood, Steubenville and Pemberville Eastwood (D-V). Tri-Valley and Minster were the only unranked teams to qualify.

* The return to Stark County for the state championships ends a three-year run at Ohio Stadium in Columbus. Massillon's Paul Brown Tiger Stadium will no longer be the site of any games. The Benson complex was built on the site of former Fawcett Stadium next to the NFL Hall of Fame. Championship weekend will eventually toggle between Columbus and Canton, although a specific timeline has not been announced.

* Marion Local is making its 12th title trip, the most of all participating teams, and is No. 5 all-time in the state. The Flyers are 9-2 in title games. Tri-Valley and Pemberville Eastwood are making their first appearance.

* All the games will be televised live on Spectrum Sports and broadcast by the OHSAA Radio Network.

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November 28, 2017
 
 
 

 

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