Lysander

That would require folks actually paying attention. Apologies for really getting away from the subject....but since we have a whole week, I'm curious, just what years do you contend the top of 3A was better than 4A? I have my own opinions.

To repeat myself a week or so back....with a stolen quote Genius is seldom recognized in its own time.

Don't now the point you were making but I'm totally down with anybody referencing "Occam's Razor"....that's heavy duty.

All that said, I apologize for being a bit "chippy" today which is huge fun for me and I reserve the right to get chippy in this very next sentence. I apologize to the extent needed...which I think is very little. I truly do respect Snider to be clear but have, in fact, truly, truly expected them to win 5A in most every year they found themselves in class. That said, I will be rooting like Hell for them this weekend.

There is a certain “perfection” in the match that largely represents (in the broadest sense) the last 20-24 years in 3A….not to belittle many other great teams but it is hard to think of Chatard without also thinking of a Heritage Hills over the last 20 years.

I’ve always said this about 5A….nothing new here. Do you really disagree? That’s why I pick Snider every year…it should easy pickings for them. Yet it rarely seems to be.

….and Snider isn’t already? 5A is the literal “short bus” of Indiana HS football.

“Snider is relevant….almost every year.” Not sure I can add to that. Nothing like being relevant.

Err….I’m just looking SOLELY at CalPreps (I kind of rule out Sagarin these days). Chatard is in the mix as a Top 10 team….it’s rare that a 5A team even sniffs that Top 10 is unless it’s a bumped 4A. Regardless, the best Chatard can claim is 3A Champ…if they are so fortunate to do so. I will admit some degree of bitterness as regards Snider because I pick them year after year, after year, after year, after year…ad nauseam to win 5A . Outside of here, I oft complain to my football buddies that I listen too much to the Ft. Wayne fanboys when I pick Snider year after year……..AFTER YEAR. To a point, unless a 4A team is involved, one just generally need show up to win 5A. Still amazed Snider hasn’t actually been able to push up to 6A. It’s been 11 years at this point….in the easiest Class in the State. ……and yet I pick Snider EVERY darn year. Dude, you should be thanking me for supporting a losing cause.

They are, almost undoubtedly, the best team from 1A - 5A. We all pretty well know that much...at minimum (maybe Chatard might throw some shade) but I, legitimately, think they are one of the Top 2-3 teams in Indiana this year. Admittedly, they can only and potentially ever be 4A Champ. With that, for the record, its hardly assumptive that 6A represents the best team in the State by default. God forbid, we already know 5A rarely is the best team between 3A-5A..proved particularly in those 70% of the time years when a 4A team wins in 5A.

Heritage Hills is, frankly, one of the greatest 3A programs in Indiana HS football history. Anyone unaware or disrespectful of this, is apparently one of those "expert" Facebook posters....or much worse. With that, this is a pretty darn good Chatard team. Although known for their defense, they scored 4 TDs - 28 pts on only 9 offensive plays v. Knox and 35 pts on 14 offensive plays v. Knox prior to half time.

Everyone assumes another 4A sized INDY school (Cathedral) can arguably be the best team in the State almost ANNUALLY but hardly anyone is willing to grant that another 4A sized school (East Central) which is actually a Cincinnati suburban school (when you drill down just a bit....where some of the best football in the country is played) can't EVER possibly be the best team in Indiana...or, at least, contend for it. Let's be clear, CalPreps has them #2 in Indiana currently. 4A New Pal was more than likely the best team in the state just a few short years ago - Indy suburbs. God forbid a smaller school outside of the Indy metro might be any good. Most everything I read here (and from the peanut brains on Facebook) reflects the overall myopia towards 6A, Indy, Ft.Wayne and the Region (God forbid). An added irony is that those in the Cincy Metro most likely chuckle at we Indiana hayseeds when we scoff that a Cincy suburban team...the best team in the Cincy tri-state (who's address just happens to be in Indiana) somehow just doesn't measure up.

42-14 Chatard Final

Chatard 42 Knox 14 3:06 left in 4th

Chatard 35 Knox 0 Half Chatard will be receiving at the start of the 3rd Q

I think Lakota knocked out Elder last week.

Me too.

I think the justification for only needing 1 point to stay up is, generally, that if you are good enough to win a Sectional 50% of the time (once per 2 year cycle) thereby earning 1 point over a 2 year period then that would seem to demonstrate your ability to compete effectively in that class. Again, just my opinion.

I thought it was 4 points originally to stay up…..then moved down to 2.

He’s like Taylor Swift over on Facebook.

So your read on it (I have yet to closely read it) is that it “rolls” year to year and if over ANY two year period a team acquires 6 points they will bump up the following year. If so, that is a very good change. I do think, though, that they should have decreased the number to stay “up” to 1 point rather than increase it to 3 points. As big of a deal as all of this is I’m still just gobsmacked it’s been so seemingly under the radar until now.

….and it’s not always like this every time the two “C” word Indy P/Ps are in the subject heading? It’s looking more like Facebook here every day.

Hmmmm….odd that the IHSAA seems to have quietly changed it to 3 points this time around. I’m sure it’s a coincidence.

Kind of earthshaking for it to have been changed with so little ballyhoo. I know you may disagree but I thought it should have gone in the other direction.

I’m not necessarily arguing with you as much as I’m positing a question myself. It can’t solely be explained by student body makeup alone when all the other sports are VERY normal. Maybe it’s all about emphasis. With that, I wholly disagree with a mandatory bump in all sports. The “targeting” of the Success Factor strikes me as the best way…it just needs more refining and the IHSAA needs to factor it into Sectional makeup. I’d start there. The mandatory bump strikes me as overly simplistic and unfair to other sports AND unfair to P/Ps that aren’t that extraordinary in ANY sport. It’s a sledgehammer in place of a scalpel. I think it was Tom Sowell that saiid, “There are no solutions. There are only trade-offs.”