Local SE Texas Coaches vary on 4A adding fourth playoff team

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Coaches vary on 4A adding fourth playoff team

Van Wade
The Orange Leader

Let there be four.

That looks to be the case as the University Interscholastic League recently announced the votes of the Conference 4A Referendum Ballot question regarding adding a fourth team to the playoffs in team sports were announced.

By a whopping 186-38 margin, 4A superintendents overwhelmingly voted in favor of adding a fourth team to the playoffs beginning in the 2008-09 school year.

This change will take effect Aug. 1, 2008 if approved by the Commissioner of Education.

For Orange-area athletes, it will definitely pay dividends for both Little Cypress-Mauriceville and Vidor.

LC-M Athletic Director Todd Moody is certainly in favor of the idea.

“It’s a win for kids across the state,” Moody said. “It seems like Texas gets more and more schools every year and that means bigger districts. Four teams making it in a six-team district isn’t good but with likely bigger districts coming, can see it working.”

Many fans complain that the system will become too watered down. Then you look at a school like Converse Judson (11-5), which fought off injuries early during the last football campaign, finished fourth in its district and advanced all the way to the Class 5A Division I State Championship Game in which it fell to Euless Trinity 13-10.

“You never know what can happen with a team,” Moody said. “Injuries can always be a factor. Some districts are much tougher than others too. The district we’re in (22-4A) certainly has enough talent to deserve a fourth-place team in the playoffs while others may not.”

Vidor Athletic Director Jeff Mathews is definitely kind of torn with the whole issue.

“It has good points and bad points,” expressed Mathews. “If you have an eight-team district, maybe four teams are deserving. If you have a six-team district, I don’t like the idea at all. That’s where it becomes watered down.”

Mathews and Moody both feel like 22-4A is one of the most competitive districts in the state in football.

“I look at it like this,” said Mathews. “Nederland had a 7-3 football team this year. They played a big game at Reliant Stadium and won. They beat a Waller team that went far in the playoffs. Coach (Larry) Neumann and his kids stayed home by finishing fourth in district. Then you look at the district right next too us, their teams that made the playoffs (Çrosby, Galena Park, Houston Smiley) last season, Nederland could’ve handled each one of them. Heck, even with the young team that we had, we would’ve been right in the thick of that race.”

“Our district is so darn competitive,” Moody said. “Some districts look to be more deserving of others. Some districts may have only deserved three teams when you take a serious look at it. What I’d like to see the UIL make happen is making all of the districts as close to eight-team or seven-team districts as they can.”

Long-time West Orange-Stark Athletic Director Dan Hooks is against the concept. Coach Hooks’ Mustang teams in their last two years in Class 4A, placed fourth and were a play here and a stop there from winning the district championship in both those seasons before dropping to the Class 3A ranks in 2004.

“To me, you have to earn it on the field and fourth-place isn’t exactly what you’re shooting for,” Hooks said. “It’s becoming way too watered down. I think 3A will be next and I don’t like that idea at all either.”

A lot of fans feels like a lot of it boils down to money.

“You know, the UIL gets about 50 percent of the money off the top of each playoff game so they know what they’re doing,” Hooks said. “It’s a shame to have so many teams make it. District champions don’t get rewarded at all, they’ll just be right in the mix with the fourth-place teams. It’s really not a good deal, it’s becoming like the NBA, everybody makes the playoffs.”

Mathews is certainly “old school” in some respect.

“I didn’t like it when they went to three teams way back when,” Mathews said. “I really think kids need to earn what they achieve and strive to reach higher goals. That’s one angle. Then you look at the district we’re in. We’ll probably have teams in the state that are 2-8 and make the playoffs and then you’ll also have teams like Nederland was last season, sitting at 7-3 and in, and that’s a good team getting in.”

Moody feels everything will come out in the wash.

“As coaches, we just have to realize it’s just a part of change,” Moody said. “If the UIL wants more teams in the playoffs, we’re going to have to stick by that. Besides, when all the dust is settled the best teams are still going to win, no doubt about it.”