High School Football Coaches meet in Greensboro and vote for change in playoff pod system

from Chris Hughes at www.carolinapreps.com:

Head football coaches from across the state met on Friday at the annual N.C. Football Coaches Association Winter Meeting held in Greensboro.

Two items dominated the business meeting and were a hot topic of conversation among coaches throughout the clinic, The POD system and going back to a 12-week regular season schedule.

When the POD system topic came up, the chatter in the room picked up as coaches started expressing their opinions and desire for change. When the vote was conducted, every head coach in the room voted against the POD system and some spoke out very much against the system.

In a surprising twist, even 1A coaches who in some cases are forced to travel hundreds of miles in the playoffs were very much against the current system that keeps schools from traveling as far in the early rounds and in many cases plays a current conference member in the first round.

“I understand the premise behind it (POD system)”, said Wes Mattera, the head coach at Edenton Holmes, “I think the premise behind it initially was a good thought but it’s essentially turned the playoffs into a conference tournament.”

Start polling coaches and you’ll find out that most of them feel the same.

“Two of the last three years, we’ve played rival Marvin Ridge in the first round of the playoffs which really just adds an extra week to the conference schedule.” Stated Anson County head coach Luke Hyatt.

Just bringing up the POD system with some head coaches immediately brings upon a look of disgust and very pointed comments. Some coaches even refuse to speak on the matter because they couldn’t find anything good to say about it and didn’t want to go on the record and portray the North Carolina Athletic Association in a negative light.

Two major issues are constantly brought up though when the POD system is discussed. Number one is fairness and number two is money.

“I think the overwhelming thing is the sense of fairness, and the sense of what the spirit of the playoffs is about,” said Richard Bailey, head coach at Fayetteville Britt. “That is giving the best teams that have earned the right to have the best seed and the best chance to advance the farthest, and the POD system doesn’t do that.”

Veteran head coach Hall Capps of Mooresville nearly echoed his thoughts and added that a straight ranking system should return to the high school playoffs.

“I don’t think it rewards you for your body of work throughout the season,” said Capps. “Teams that finish 3rd and 4th in a conference are going to have to travel, and you should have to travel far because you didn’t have a good season.”

CLICK HERE to read all from Chris Hughes at CarolinaPreps.com……