Think a true state football championship tournament in California is impossible

[Glenn]

Think a true state football championship tournament in California is impossible?  Think again.  Here's our proposal for how it could be done in a state as large as ours:

Using regular season power ratings, the top 64 teams in each of the five traditional enrollment divisions qualify, and are divided into four regions by north-to-south geography.  The teams are seeded 1-16 within each region.  [We list 1-16 seeds because they're fun to look at, but our original proposal actually calls for the 9-16 seeds to play against the nearest 1-8 school geographically.  Realistically, if this is actually implemented, we're sure the cutting-down-on-travel method would be the way it'd work.]

After four rounds, one team remains from each regional.  At that point, the top two seeds in each division (by rating) would "host*" semifinal games, and the matchups would be made to minimize travel.

The regular season would be reduced to nine games.  Teams which do not qualify for the playoffs would be allowed to schedule one additional game in Week 10 or Week 11 if they so chose.  The state tournament would take six weeks, making the entire season a manageable 15 weeks at the most (for just ten schools).  Some sections currently take 14 weeks, so this is not an increase, as the bowls are currently Week 15 for some teams.  Traditional section championships would be eliminated under this proposal, but we believe that would be a small price to pay for the ability to crown true football state champions in California for the first time in 90 years.  (Every state other than California and New Jersey have state championship tournaments.)

Instead of "baby steps" tinkering with the current bowl system, such as adding a division here or a round there, still allowing only a very few schools a shot, etc., every school in the state, including the very small schools which are not currently represented, can have a shot at the big prize with just the one sacrifice of the elimination of traditional section championships.  Also, it'd mean the elimination of problems with the bowl system, such as situations that just don't make sense.  [Every year, many of the would-be top bowl candidates become ineligible due to playoff losses to larger schools; can you imagine the outcry if in boys hoops, Price or View Park had to miss the state playoffs because of a loss to Westchester?].  Regarding the current section setup, we firmly believe that "because it's always been that way" is not a good reason to not make the move to the best system; if we were starting from scratch it'd be somewhat of a "no-brainer" to set it up this way.  It's time to start thinking outside of the (California) box.  Texas manages to get it done despite having 100+ more 11-man playing teams than we do.  Pennsylvania, another large state, has worked out a system to incorporate section championships into their state tournament to have the best of both worlds.  Several states play games five days apart instead of seven at playoff time (in order to get in more "weeks" in a shorter amount of time), numerous states deal with the Week 10 "if games" system mentioned above with little difficulty, etc.  It really can work, folks...

*Any game where the schools are more than 100 miles apart must be scheduled on Saturday instead of Friday if the visiting school so requests (in order to avoid missed school).  Any game where the schools are more than 250 miles apart, and all quarterfinal, semifinal, and championship games will be scheduled at a neutral site designated to minimize total travel.  (Championship games would likely be played in professional stadiums, one in the north and one in the south.  Depending on the geography of qualifying teams, between two and four games would be played at a particular finals site.)  The state would manage all games from the quarterfinals on and any neutral site games before that point.  When neutral sites are required, games may be scheduled as part of doubleheaders by the state.

Here's where you come in...  Disagree with aspects of how we've set it up?  Here's your chance to select criteria such as: league champions automatically in, winning records required for entry, etc. or even run the tourney after (see 8, 4 and 2 teams per division versions) traditional section championships.  It's all up to you!


Also see: We're often asked about an "open division" which schools could opt up to even if they didn't fall in the top division by enrollment.  Here it is   [Note: we did not attempt to do the other divisions in a scenario like this, as it's unclear how CIF would do them if a super division were created.  We're simply showing the top 64 teams, in a bracket, regardless of enrollment.]

it Divison 1 got 4 Part for State Playoff  here   

you got Divison 1 Bracket 1 to 4 

Bracket 1 

First round matchups:

#16 Logan [James] (Union City, CA) at #1 Bakersfield (CA)
#15 Oxnard (CA) at #2 Bellarmine (San Jose, CA)
#14 Amador Valley (Pleasanton, CA) at #3 California (San Ramon, CA)
#13 Bullard (Fresno, CA) at #4 Milpitas (CA)
#12 Central (Fresno, CA) at #5 Ventura (CA)
#11 Palmdale (CA) at #6 Merced (CA)
#10 San Benito (Hollister, CA) at #7 Clovis (CA)
#9 Sanger (CA) at #8 Franklin (Elk Grove, CA)

Bracket 2 from D1

First round matchups:

#16 South Gate (CA) at #1 Poly (Long Beach, CA)
#15 Millikan (Long Beach, CA) at #2 Crescenta Valley (La Crescenta, CA)
#14 Paramount (CA) at #3 Narbonne [Nathaniel] (Harbor City, CA)
#13 West Covina (CA) at #4 Valencia (CA)
#12 Cabrillo (Long Beach, CA) at #5 La Serna (Whittier, CA)
#11 Hamilton [Alexander] (Los Angeles, CA) at #6 Carson (CA)
#10 San Pedro (CA) at #7 Downey (CA)
#9 Lakewood (CA) at #8 San Gorgonio (San Bernardino, CA)

Bracket 3

First round matchups:

#16 Huntington Beach (CA) at #1 Centennial (Corona, CA)
#15 Los Osos (Rancho Cucamonga, CA) at #2 Upland (CA)
#14 Silverado (Victorville, CA) at #3 Trabuco Hills (Mission Viejo, CA)
#13 Cypress (CA) at #4 Rancho Cucamonga (CA)
#12 Etiwanda (CA) at #5 San Clemente (CA)
#11 Santiago (Corona, CA) at #6 El Toro (Lake Forest, CA)
#10 Edison (Huntington Beach, CA) at #7 Chino Hills (CA)
#9 Capistrano Valley (Mission Viejo, CA) at #8 Los Alamitos (CA)

Bracket 4  from D1

First round matchups:

#16 Paloma Valley (Menifee, CA) at #1 Vista Murrieta (Murrieta, CA)
#15 Grossmont (El Cajon, CA) at #2 Great Oak (Temecula, CA)
#14 La Quinta (CA) at #3 Poly (Riverside, CA)
#13 Vista (CA) at #4 Rancho Verde (Moreno Valley, CA)
#12 El Camino (Oceanside, CA) at #5 Eastlake (Chula Vista, CA)
#11 King [Dr. Martin Luther] (Riverside, CA) at #6 Carlsbad (CA)
#10 Chaparral (Temecula, CA) at #7 Heritage (Romoland, CA)
#9 Granite Hills (El Cajon, CA) at #8 Torrey Pines (San Diego, CA)

Divison  2  Bracket 1 to 4 

First round matchups:

#16 Modesto (CA) at #1 De La Salle (Concord, CA)
#15 Madera (CA) at #2 Pittsburg (CA)
#14 Antioch (CA) at #3 Foothill (Pleasanton, CA)
#13 Oak Ridge (El Dorado Hills, CA) at #4 Granite Bay (CA)
#12 Turlock (CA) at #5 Jesuit (Carmichael, CA)
#11 Clovis West (Fresno, CA) at #6 Monterey Trail (Elk Grove, CA)
#10 Freedom (Oakley, CA) at #7 Napa (CA)
#9 Liberty (Brentwood, CA) at #8 San Ramon Valley (Danville, CA)

Bracket 2 

#16 Stockdale (Bakersfield, CA) at #1 Edison (Fresno, CA)
#15 Buchanan (Clovis, CA) at #2 Westlake (Westlake Village, CA)
#14 Righetti [Ernest] (Santa Maria, CA) at #3 Ridgeview (Bakersfield, CA)
#13 Garfield [James A.] (Los Angeles, CA) at #4 Arroyo Grande (CA)
#12 Canyon (Canyon Country, CA) at #5 Loyola (Los Angeles, CA)
#11 Simi Valley (CA) at #6 Newbury Park (CA)
#10 Salinas (CA) at #7 Thousand Oaks (CA)
#9 Camarillo [Adolfo] (Camarillo, CA) at #8 Glendora (CA)

Bracket 3

#16 Garden Grove (CA) at #1 Mission Viejo (CA)
#15 Newport Harbor (Newport Beach, CA) at #2 Redlands East Valley (Redlands, CA)
#14 Valencia (Placentia, CA) at #3 Colony (Ontario, CA)
#13 Troy (Fullerton, CA) at #4 Hart [William S.] (Newhall, CA)
#12 Dominguez (Compton, CA) at #5 Serrano (Phelan, CA)
#11 Carter [Wilmer Amina] (Rialto, CA) at #6 Oak Hills (Hesperia, CA)
#10 La Mirada (CA) at #7 La Habra (CA)
#9 West (Torrance, CA) at #8 Villa Park (CA)

Bracket 4

#16 Murrieta Mesa (Murrieta, CA) at #1 Oceanside (CA)
#15 Elsinore (Wildomar, CA) at #2 Helix (La Mesa, CA)
#14 Steele Canyon (Spring Valley, CA) at #3 Tesoro (Rancho Santa Margarita, CA)
#13 San Marcos (CA) at #4 Mission Hills (San Marcos, CA)
#12 Murrieta Valley (Murrieta, CA) at #5 Norco (CA)
#11 Temecula Valley (Temecula, CA) at #6 Citrus Hill (Perris, CA)
#10 Hoover [Herbert] (San Diego, CA) at #7 Rancho Bernardo (San Diego, CA)
#9 La Costa Canyon (Carlsbad, CA) at #8 Palm Springs (CA)

Divison 3  1-4 Matchup

#16 Shasta (Redding, CA) at #1 Folsom (CA)
#15 Antelope (CA) at #2 Grant (Sacramento, CA)
#14 Roseville (CA) at #3 Elk Grove (CA)
#13 Wood [Will C.] (Vacaville, CA) at #4 Vacaville (CA)
#12 Rancho Cotate (Rohnert Park, CA) at #5 Rocklin (CA)
#11 Rio Linda (CA) at #6 Del Oro (Loomis, CA)
#10 Chico (CA) at #7 Inderkum (Sacramento, CA)
#9 Cosumnes Oaks (Elk Grove, CA) at #8 Pleasant Valley (Chico, CA)

Bracket 2


#16 Pioneer (San Jose, CA) at #1 Clayton Valley (Concord, CA)
#15 Tulare Union (Tulare, CA) at #2 Oakdale (CA)
#14 Las Lomas (Walnut Creek, CA) at #3 Tracy (CA)
#13 Manteca (CA) at #4 Los Gatos (CA)
#12 Downey [Thomas] (Modesto, CA) at #5 Hanford (CA)
#11 Concord (CA) at #6 Lemoore (CA)
#10 Mitty (San Jose, CA) at #7 Serra [Junipero] (San Mateo, CA)
#9 St. Francis (Mountain View, CA) at #8 Clovis North (Fresno, CA)

Bracket 3

#16 El Diamante (Visalia, CA) at #1 St. John Bosco (Bellflower, CA)
#15 Bonita (La Verne, CA) at #2 Alemany (Mission Hills, CA)
#14 Redwood (Visalia, CA) at #3 Paso Robles (CA)
#13 Monrovia (CA) at #4 Liberty (Bakersfield, CA)
#12 Golden West (Visalia, CA) at #5 Palos Verdes (Palos Verdes Estates, CA)
#11 Damien (La Verne, CA) at #6 Atascadero (CA)
#10 Centennial (Bakersfield, CA) at #7 Dinuba (CA)
#9 Crenshaw (Los Angeles, CA) at #8 Pomona (CA)

Bracket 4 

#16 La Jolla (CA) at #1 Mater Dei (Santa Ana, CA)
#15 San Juan Hills (San Juan Capistrano, CA) at #2 El Capitan (Lakeside, CA)
#14 Los Altos (Hacienda Heights, CA) at #3 Cathedral (San Diego, CA)
#13 Lincoln [Abraham] (San Diego, CA) at #4 Santa Margarita (Rancho Santa Margarita, CA)
#12 Charter Oak (Covina, CA) at #5 Servite (Anaheim, CA)
#11 West Hills (Santee, CA) at #6 Corona del Mar (Newport Beach, CA)
#10 Point Loma (San Diego, CA) at #7 Ramona (CA)
#9 Brawley (CA) at #8 Buena Park (CA)

Divison 4   Bracket 1-4 Match up


#16 West Valley (Cottonwood, CA) at #1 Enterprise (Redding, CA)
#15 Novato (CA) at #2 Sutter (CA)
#14 Placer (Auburn, CA) at #3 Marin Catholic (Kentfield, CA)
#13 Bear River (Grass Valley, CA) at #4 Analy (Sebastopol, CA)
#12 Vista del Lago (Folsom, CA) at #5 Cardinal Newman (Santa Rosa, CA)
#11 Orland (CA) at #6 Sacramento (CA)
#10 Sacred Heart Cathedral (San Francisco, CA) at #7 Justin-Siena (Napa, CA)
#9 Lassen (Susanville, CA) at #8 Paradise (CA)

Bracket 2

#16 Kennedy [John F.] (Fremont, CA) at #1 St. Mary's (Stockton, CA)
#15 Piedmont (CA) at #2 Campolindo (Moraga, CA)
#14 Los Banos (CA) at #3 Valley Christian (San Jose, CA)
#13 Alhambra (Martinez, CA) at #4 Aptos (CA)
#12 Escalon (CA) at #5 St. Ignatius (San Francisco, CA)
#11 Riordan (San Francisco, CA) at #6 Sierra (Manteca, CA)
#10 Terra Nova (Pacifica, CA) at #7 Burlingame (CA)
#9 Acalanes (Lafayette, CA) at #8 Sonora (CA)

Bracket 3

#16 Kerman (CA) at #1 Bishop Amat (La Puente, CA)
#15 Templeton (CA) at #2 Crespi (Encino, CA)
#14 Carmel (CA) at #3 Notre Dame (Sherman Oaks, CA)
#13 Morro Bay (CA) at #4 Lompoc (CA)
#12 Chavez [Cesar] (Delano, CA) at #5 Palma (Salinas, CA)
#11 San Marino (CA) at #6 Nipomo (CA)
#10 Kingsburg (CA) at #7 Monterey (CA)
#9 Nordhoff (Ojai, CA) at #8 Mission Oak (Tulare, CA)

Bracket 4

#16 San Dimas (CA) at #1 Serra [Junipero] (Gardena, CA)
#15 Muir [John] (Pasadena, CA) at #2 JSerra (San Juan Capistrano, CA)
#14 Salesian (Los Angeles, CA) at #3 Lutheran (Orange, CA)
#13 Dorsey [Susan Miller] (Los Angeles, CA) at #4 Chaminade (West Hills, CA)
#12 Paraclete (Lancaster, CA) at #5 St. Augustine (San Diego, CA)
#11 Harvard-Westlake (Studio City, CA) at #6 St. Francis (La Canada, CA)
#10 El Segundo (CA) at #7 Madison (San Diego, CA)
#9 Cathedral (Los Angeles, CA) at #8 Oaks Christian (Westlake Village, CA)

Divison 5  Bracket 1-4


#16 Fort Bragg (CA) at #1 Capital Christian (Sacramento, CA)
#15 Swett [John] (Crockett, CA) at #2 Salesian (Richmond, CA)
#14 McKinleyville (CA) at #3 Winters (CA)
#13 Maxwell (CA) at #4 St. Helena (CA)
#12 St. Patrick-St. Vincent (Vallejo, CA) at #5 Williams (CA)
#11 Middletown (CA) at #6 St. Bernard's (Eureka, CA)
#10 East Nicolaus (Nicolaus, CA) at #7 Stellar Prep (Oakland, CA)
#9 Ripon Christian (Ripon, CA) at #8 Bradshaw Christian (Sacramento, CA)

Bracket 2


#16 Mariposa County (Mariposa, CA) at #1 Sacred Heart Prep (Atherton, CA)
#15 Mission Prep (San Luis Obispo, CA) at #2 Liberty (Madera, CA)
#14 Sierra (Tollhouse, CA) at #3 Central Catholic (Modesto, CA)
#13 Kern Valley (Lake Isabella, CA) at #4 McClymonds (Oakland, CA)
#12 Immanuel (Reedley, CA) at #5 Central Valley Christian (Visalia, CA)
#11 Menlo (Atherton, CA) at #6 St. Mary's (Albany, CA)
#10 Pacific Grove (CA) at #7 Modesto Christian (Modesto, CA)
#9 Monte Vista Christian (Watsonville, CA) at #8 San Joaquin Memorial (Fresno, CA)

Bracket 3 

#16 Verbum Dei (Los Angeles, CA) at #1 St. Bonaventure (Ventura, CA)
#15 St. Genevieve (Panorama City, CA) at #2 Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth, CA)
#14 Viewpoint (Calabasas, CA) at #3 St. Joseph (Santa Maria, CA)
#13 Garces (Bakersfield, CA) at #4 Bakersfield Christian (Bakersfield, CA)
#12 Cantwell-Sacred Heart (Montebello, CA) at #5 Bishop Diego [Garcia] (Santa Barbara, CA)
#11 Heritage Christian (Northridge, CA) at #6 Poly (Pasadena, CA)
#10 Valley Christian (Cerritos, CA) at #7 Grace Brethren (Simi Valley, CA)
#9 St. Anthony (Long Beach, CA) at #8 Maranatha (Pasadena, CA)

Bracket 4 

#16 Ontario Christian (Ontario, CA) at #1 Christian (El Cajon, CA)
#15 Xavier Prep (Palm Desert, CA) at #2 Bishop's (La Jolla, CA)
#14 Capistrano Valley Christian (San Juan Capistrano, CA) at #3 St. Margaret's (San Juan Capistrano, CA)
#13 La Jolla Country Day (La Jolla, CA) at #4 Arrowhead Christian (Redlands, CA)
#12 Silver Valley (Yermo, CA) at #5 Parker [Francis] (San Diego, CA)
#11 Brethren Christian (Huntington Beach, CA) at #6 St. Paul (Santa Fe Springs, CA)
#10 Brentwood (Los Angeles, CA) at #7 Linfield Christian (Temecula, CA)
#9 Santa Fe Christian (Solana Beach, CA) at #8 Saddleback Valley Christian (San Juan Capistrano, CA)




COMPARISON TO CURRENT SYSTEM

Under This Proposal   
   Division 1   Division 2   Division 3   Division 4   Division 5   Total   11-Man Teams Currently Making Playoffs   Total Number Of Teams
Northern           3   6   4   13   26   43
North Coast   3   7   4   10   10   34   67   111
Sac-Joaquin   2   7   16   9   6   40   76   156
San Francisco                           4   8
Oakland                   1   1   4   6
Central Coast   3   1   5   10   4   23   40   94
Central   5   6   10   4   8   33   59   94
Los Angeles   5   1   1   1       8   36   70
Southern   39   34   17   22   26   138   208   404
San Diego   7   8   8   2   5   30   60   90
Northern California   8   15   28   35   25   111   276   512
Southern California   56   49   36   29   39   209   304   564
Totals   64 of 155   64 of 213   64 of 267   64 of 239   64 of 202   320   580   1076

i Bet  If southern Calif and Part of Northern calif  by Artheolic Dirocter and Head coach for football and School  Prinpcal   agree  have this better 

i see tons  Central  Valley team be  in State Playoff 
Of have valley champs Playoff game   it the same Many game for 16  games 

the 4 Winner will be Decide and thens  State champs Game would be  Neutairk Site   

[Ride4Fun]

I like the idea of having a Valley championship first then winners playing towards state.  However if this is the case then they have to fix each local Divisions so that they are all on even playing fields and possibly expand out the leagues and cut down on how many pre league games there are.  Major downside is that strong programs might run away with it every year which then they have to figure out how to collectively move all of them up state wide one division.

[Grizz51]

I like the idea of having a Valley championship first then winners playing towards state. To me we MUST have an area/section Champ first. What is wrong with having 5+ Champions per section?

However if this is the case then they have to fix each local Divisions so that they are all on even playing fields and possibly expand out the leagues and cut down on how many pre league games there are. I have outlined this before so I will try to keep this brief. 10 Week season, 2 pre-season games, 7 League/Conference games, Week 10 are cross-over games for those teams NOT in playoff contention and first round/play in games for those going into playoffs. The PROBLEM? every league/conference in the entire state must be aligned, with a little wiggle room, to meet the State Divisions. We cannot have D1 teams being playoff eligible based on wins over league opponents who are D3 or D4. Conversely we can't have D4 teams being eliminated because they are leagued with D1 and D2 schools. Advantage would be that we would have 8, yes 8, playoff teams which would take 3 weeks to decide and with it started in Week 10 so it would be completed in Week 12. This would allow for an 8 team State playoff in three additional weeks or if needed 16 team brackets played in 4 weeks. But keep in mind these are high school kids and personally I don't want to see ANY TEAM playing more than 15 games, so for me an 8 team State playoff Bracket would work.

Major downside is that strong programs might run away with it every year which then they have to figure out how to collectively move all of them up state wide one division. Yup, that is the fear and that is one of the reasons why the Private schools would have to be leagued together and have their own Champion

[Grizz51]