From the Sports Desk

with Carey Phillips: 11/02/00

Responses were received from 219 schools or 64.8 percent of the NCHSAA's membership. Not all school answered all 30 questions on the survey.

Results will be presented to the NCHSAA board in November with the issue to be finalized in May.

Schools voted to subdivide the football playoffs as a two-year experiment by a margin of 140-80. That means eight state champions - two in each classification - would be crowned.

However, how the expanded playoffs would work has not been decided. In fact, the NCHSAA is conducting another survey to see if schools prefer from five to eight state champions. The NCHSAA apparently feels classifications as high as 8-A would be more acceptable than two champions in each class. That makes no sense as the number of state champions would expand under either plan.

As an indication of how up-in-the-air the proposal is, look at the results from the following questions. Schools voted 128-93 against subdividing for football only. However, when asked about subdividing sports other than football, the vote was 133-75 against. That's a clear contradiction. Smoky Mountain voted against subdividing.

"I just think you water it down if you go to too many classes," Athletic Director Si Simmons said.

If you're confused about how this is going to work you're not alone. No one seems to have any real idea. That's scary considering the plan won't be finalized until May and football season starts in August.

The one good thing to come from more classes is one less week of the playoffs. When asked if they prefer a 32-team bracket, schools voted 112-96 in favor. They voted down a 64-team bracket 137-66.

One of the most lopsided votes in the survey was to lay the cheerleading issue to rest. The margin was 196-19.

Periodically through the years, a movement has come up to make cheerleading a sport. It has been voted down each time, and the NCHSAA continues to consider cheerleading a support activity.

The hope is the latest vote will settle the issue once and for all. Smoky Mountain voted with the majority.

Changes could be coming to volleyball after a vote of 125-65 in favor of rally scoring in the fifth game of varsity matches. Rally scoring is a speed up rule that awards a point on each possession regardless of which team is serving.

The Western Athletic Conference has used rally scoring in the third game of JV matches the past three years. The varsity used it for the first time last week in the third game of a best-two-of-three game tri-match at Enka.

Smoky Mountain voted against rally scoring.

Schools voted against continuing with three soccer officials by a 105-91 count. Smoky Mountain voted with the majority.

"The number of quality officials is the main concern," Simmons said. "I don't think it's been as bad here as it has been other places."

He noted that violence at soccer matches in other parts of the state was the main reason for going to three officials in the first place.

Back to Sports: 11/02/00.