New CIAC hoop format a good start
I t is something of a pastime around high school sports in the state to criticize the governing body, otherwise known the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference. I'm among the league leaders, if for no other reason than its benign neglect of equity within state tournament divisions.
Translation: Schools of choice — drawing students from numerous communities or from outside their district's boundaries — maintain a perpetual competitive advantage over public schools and thus should not compete in the same state tournament divisions.
It's the concept of equity, a fair baseline, the same opportunity to achieve. We should all agree that choice school Sacred Heart, once with state Player of the Year Mustapha Heron, shouldn't play for the same trophy as Wheeler and Tourtellotte (Yes that happened a few years ago).
Today, however, we come to praise the CIAC for its new five-division state tournament basketball format that — finally — protects small public schools from choice school brethren. And while the format still needs some tweaks, the CIAC is closer than ever to achieving equity.
And this is where we begin. Small public schools. They needed relief the most. Divisions IV and V are mostly about keeping small public schools competing with only each other. Equity. Bravo. Still, though, the CIAC has come under criticism for the new format. I find the thinking a bit narrow, but then, this is how it works any time there is change:
If it benefits your school, it's a great idea.
If it hurts your school, it's a lousy idea.
Maybe it's time, though, we
started to think a bit more globally?
The schools that most needed the relief finally have it. It's a good start. Now Valley Regional doesn't have to play Sacred Heart. Westbrook doesn't have to play Trinity Catholic. Why did this take so long? The wheels grind slowly. But they are grinding.
Now the focus shifts to other divisions, where criticism is more warranted. The CIAC used the following formula to determine divisional alignments: recent success in state tournament and league championship play, the overall strength of the league in which they compete and their power point ranking over the past three seasons, determined by sum of wins of opponents they defeated.
Hence, Division I consists of many of the state's heavyweights (It might be more competitive than the American Athletic Conference already). Most of the state's choice schools are in Divisions I and II. Where they belong. A few thoughts: • Xavier of Middletown belongs in Division I, not II. Xavier has one of the state's top male enrollments. It draws in excess of 60 towns. It should compete at the highest level.
• Southington, with roughly 1,000 boys, needs to be in a higher division than Division III. I don't care much about its history. If you can't find five kids among 1,000 who can bounce a ball and chew gum at the same time, you need to hire a new coach. But you do not belong competing with the Waterfords of the world and its 400 boys.
• Ledyard, with 383 boys, has appealed its Division II status. Athletic director Jim Buonocore and coach Dave Cornish think the placement is unfair. It's a tough call. Ledyard is the defending conference champion and has done well in previous state tournaments competing in Class LL. It is also a school of choice, although drawing kids from 12 towns isn't quite Xavier territory.
Still, the 383 boys would make it the smallest Division II school. Buonocore said Monday the appeal has been submitted. He's waiting to hear the decision from CIAC officials.
Seems to me that switching Southington and Ledyard would make sense, no?
Again, though: The CIAC's willingness to address the issue — and at least now protect Wheeler from Sacred Heart — is noteworthy. Now it's time to address the same issue in other sports.
Like football. I asked this before, I'll ask this again: Why was 11-time state champion St. Joseph, the Class M runner up last year, dropped to Class S this year? What does St. Joe's, whose website trumpets its ability to get kids from 30 towns, playing for the same trophy as Montville?
So we ask the football committee to be as diligent as basketball. And we ask other committees in other sports to do the same. Get the choice schools away from small public schools. It's called equity. This is the opinion of Day sports columnist Mike DiMauro