New 4 Divisions of MVAL

[CoachSpongeBob]

I could have put this anywhere, but since we're in indoor, and it will pertain to indoor next year, take a look at the new MVAL Alignments for next year in a 4 division format. Can't say I am looking forward to it. A smaller version of counties:

MVAL 2007-09 Conference Re-Alignment 12/15/06

1A	1A-2A	2A/3A	3A/4A
Boonsboro	Century	Frederick	Gov. TJ
Brunswick	FSK	Middletown	Linganore
Catoctin	Liberty	North Hagerstown	North Carroll
Clear Spring	South Carroll	South Hagerstown	Tuscarora
Smithsburg	Winters Mill	Walkersville	Urbana
Williamsport			Westminster

[CoachSpongeBob]

I'm not particularly fond of these new alignments, so a question to see if anybody has any ideas:

If you could change the alignments, how might you change them?

I am going to make them under the assumption that they open a new school called Manchester High School, giving Carroll County 8 schools. I will also devide it into 4 divisions just cause that sounds fun. This is how I might do it, but I'm not a football coach, or soccer coach, I'm a track & xc coach, and this might not be fun for other sports, I don't know.

Conf 1	Conf 2	Conf 3	Conf 4
SC	Winters Mill	FSK	NC
Manchester	Liberty	Century	Westminster
Brunswick	Frederick	Middletown	TJ
Catoctin	Walkersville	Tuscarora	Urbana
Williamsport	Clear Spring	South Hagerstown	Linganore
Boonsboro	Smithsburg		North Hagerstown

Why did I do this? Cause then it mixes it up. Each school gets to see a couple teams from the other county teams. It's not like a county championship AND the smallest school in a county doesn't compete against the biggest school from another county. The two smallest schools in each county are in the smallest Conference.

Nothing will ever be perfect, but I would have fun with that one.

[nsnyder]

Those aren't so bad. Each division has its share of strong teams and weaker teams.

[l2mmcoach]

this is unbelievable. it makes a mockery of a conference "champion". looks like nothing more than an oversized "quad" meet now. So we go from two conferences (CMC and old MVAL) to four conferences in only four years, but only two schools have been added.

can someone explain the real reason for the dilution of competition? are some school AD's so hard up for a championship banner they want to keep making the conferences easier and easier? i mean, why have the MVAL at all? what is its purpose now? if schools change sizes with reclassification just change around who's in Antietam/Piedmont/Chesapeake. imagine how "crowded" HCC will be next winter for the 1A/2A and 2A/3A indoor "championship" meets? They'll be over in two hours.

Really now, which AD's proposed this change and how was it voted on - by committee or by all the schools?

this is not good.

bring back the good ol' CMC.

[CoachSpongeBob]

Actually, the Carroll County Schools pushed it, and in my opinion are the ones that get screwed because of it. The first re-classification they did was for 3 divisions, and SC was moving down to the smallest one (because of their size). There was an article in the carroll county times about this (a few weeks back), about how the county was upset about this, that Jim Rodriguez was going to fight this. Said that football wouldn't be able to have a county champion next year with this (cause SC would be required to play all the teams in their conference, and wouldn't have enough games available to play the county teams). It actually said in the article that the county was pushing to have one division be just carroll county schools. Why - I have no clue? It certainly takes out any value to winning a conference championship now. Another issue was SC having to drive all the way out to Western Maryland for all of their games.

They had a special classification for field hockey. To me, wouldn't it had been easier to just have a special classification for football then to change them all like this.

That's why I liked my proposal. The purpose of a conference is to have a champion of something different. See teams schools don't always see.

[nsnyder]

I really don't like the idea at all (Bob's conferences are better than the official ones). CMC's were before my time so I can't comment on that part but it really does amount to a slightly oversized after school meet. Why not just get rid of the conferences all together? That would clear out a championship meet and open up another date for an off week or other meet before championships?

It isn't like SC doesn't ever have home games though that they would always have to drive to Washington Co. Get over it and stop being selfish. It isn't all about football, that may be hard to convince some people of though.

[nsnyder]

Here is the story from the FNP concerning the new arrangement.
www.fredericknewspost.com/sections/sports/display.htm?storyid=55038