I hate math.
My brain has never been hardwired for it. Or, if it ever was, those wires were short-circuited by weekly “timed tests,” on basic multiplication I had to take with groups of my first-grade classmates, including that one knee-knocking kid who would slam his pencil down in triumph — DONE! — completely unnerving this 7-year old into a nervous mathematical breakdown.
Nearly 40 years later, I’ve learned enough about physics where I can explain the concepts behind the theory of relativity, but my brain still freezes for a moment when I see 6 x 8. Thanks for that trauma, early 80s education policy.
I gravitated to the more subjective humanities for the remainder of my schooling and became the sportswriting behemoth in your local papers. Aside from tallying up batting averages or completion percentages, I live much of my professional life mathematics free.
Even now, staring at the who needs what averages, bonuses and guaranteed, strength-of-schedule modifiers, and if-game possibilities, my eyes glaze over this ancient and convoluted system. I see myself stare blankly ahead like Chevy Chase at Jane Curtin on old school SNL.
It was my understanding there would be no math…
Yet here we are, every year, using mathematical standings to determine which teams should be represented in our state playoffs.
Here’s how it works. Your team gets 100 points for every victory, and then 10 points for every victory by a team you defeated. If you play teams in larger playoff classes, you stand to get anywhere between 10-30 extra points depending on the class size. (A Class S or SS beating an LL school, gets 30 extra points; beating an L is 20 extra, and so on.)
At the end of the season, you divide the points accumulated by games played. The top 8 averages in each division qualify.
Previously, as the season reached its conclusion a handful of sportswriters, like the late Hal Levy, who kept the points until the CIAC took over in the late 2000s, put on their mathematician caps and combed through the divisions in an attempt to give accurate scenarios on who needed what to qualify.
In the final weeks of the regular season, teams could cross-reference their schedules to find out how many points were “guaranteed” to them — i.e. 10 points for when two teams they defeated were playing each other. Regardless of who wins, you’re getting 10 points. Then then they could determine how many “bonus” points they had available, i.e. 10 extra points for teams they beat playing teams they didn’t beat.
On Thanksgiving, figuring out whether you qualified was a lot like Election night: You waited to see if your return of bonus points were enough to beat the other guys for the best point average.
That’s how it worked for 45 years. It was a good formula to find playoff teams across 12-or-so insular leagues whose schools rarely played beyond their geographical areas.
But since the mid 1990s, many of those smaller leagues have been absorbed into seven superconferences. Inter-conference game arrangements are now more common, thanks to the CTHS Football Scheduling Alliance. Because of the risk programs were taking to play these crossover games, the Alliance successfully lobbied the CIAC to add a strength-of-schedule incentive to the playoff formula last year.
So now, in addition to getting 10 points for every vanquished opponents’ victories, you’ll get 5 points for victories accumulated by all of your opponents.
This is why, when you look at the CIAC playoff standings now, you’ll see Notre Dame-West Haven — which plays in the state’s toughest league, SCC Tier I — sitting high in the Class M standings with a 5-3 record. Or in Class LL, 7-1 Greenwich (FCIAC) ahead of 8-0 West Haven (plays in the second, weaker SCC Tier) and ahead of 7-1 Southington, which actually beat Greenwich. It’s because of Greenwich’s strength of schedule.
OK, so that’s fine. It seems to work. The extra math is annoying, but we figured it out.
But now the geniuses in CIAC and CHSCA leadership agreed that we’d be better off with six playoff divisions. Forget, for a moment, that they’ve watered down the postseason now to such a degree that there are teams with 5-5 and losing records in the hunt for state playoff spots. (I find it impossible to overlook that, stop treating football like basketball, CIAC).
Now we need even more math and more scenarios, and more head-banging nights when you realize you forgot to make a calculation. That’s when you realize: This is way more complicated than it needs to be.
Wouldn’t it be nice if the CIAC and its minion leagues got together and figured out a way to organize themselves into equal-sized leagues And, instead of calculating min and max point potentials and averages and worrying about strength of schedules like this is the NCAA, perhaps we take a more holistic approach and let the teams control their own destinies.
Let’s face it, the six state playoff divisions are only 23-24 teams each, which is about the size of most leagues. So let’s get together, find a way to make four or five universal playoff leagues. Let’s take those leagues, carve out four divisions and create a 7-to-8 division schedule, with open dates for coaches to schedule whomever they want and where the four winners by division record go to the state playoffs along with four at-large teams.
Eight playoff teams, determined on the field and only on the field, not with a calculator.
Imagine there’s no playoff math, it’s easy if you try. You may say I’m a dreamer, but I’m not the only one. I hope some day you join us, and the state will live as one.
Post-Tropical Cyclone Nicole knocked the state schedule on its head this week, so this time, here’s a look back at Thursday and Friday night in Week 10 of CIAC football around Connecticut:
THURSDAY-NIGHT NOTABLES
Aiden Avenia, Gilbert/Northwestern/Housatonic: One of five players with touchdowns, he ran for scores of 63 and 80 yards in a 55-6 win over Waterbury Career Academy.
Lincoln Cardillo, Southington: Ran for 247 yards and three touchdowns on 15 rushes, helping the Blue Knights rebound from their first loss with a 49-21 win over Conard.
Aaron Field, Fairfield Ludlowe: Ran for 130 yards and three touchdowns on just six carries in a 35-6 win over Bridgeport Central.
Gavin Hamilton, Stratford: His 30-yard interception return late in the second quarter broke open a 30-8 win over Bethel.
Jayden Johnson, Bloomfield: His second touchdown reception, a 16-yard catch-and-run with 3:05 left, broke a tie for a 40-34 win after Platt rallied from 27 points down.
Jayden Kennedy, Manchester: Threw for 237 yards and three touchdowns and ran for 83 yards in a 34-28 win over Enfield.
Tanner Langis, Fairfield Prep: At the heart of a defensive effort that controlled North Haven in a 17-14 Jesuits win.
Jamel Lee, Wilbur Cross: Scored three rushing touchdowns, gaining 211 yards on 17 carries, and completed three passes for 76 yards in a 24-6 win over Harding.
Patrick Matyczyk, Simsbury: Sophomore was 17-for-30 for a school-record 349 yards in a 26-24 loss to East Hartford. Austin Coiro caught eight of those passes for 237 yards.
Justin Morle, Windsor Locks co-op: Ran for 159 yards on 16 carries with two touchdowns in a 45-6 win over Old Saybrook/Westbrook.
John Neider, Law: The usual, three touchdown passes and a touchdown run in the first half of a 49-14 win over East Haven.
Jake Rand, Valley Regional/Old Lyme: Ran for 208 yards on 13 carries, including a 69-yard touchdown, in a 42-6 win over CREC co-op.
Zack Robinson-Smey, Windham: Quarterback completed his one pass attempt for 37 yards in a 35-6 win at Weaver. Oh, and he ran eight times for 169 yards and four touchdowns.
BABY, COME BACK
Nate Florio, Branford: His second touchdown run, a 60-yarder, capped a back-and-forth second half as the Hornets held off Lyman Hall 25-22.
Kamari Hayes, East Hartford: Caught four passes for 134 yards and three touchdowns, breaking a tackle on the last of them to go 87 yards for the game-winning score, in a 26-24 win over Simsbury.
Malachi Mapp, Rockville: Ran 21 times for 81 yards, 54 of them on the drive that set up Lexington Hunter’s game-winning touchdown as the Rams dealt Cromwell/Portland its first loss, 21-14.
Jack Petrone, Glastonbury: Ran for three touchdowns, one with 1:49 left that with the two-point conversion tied the game, and another 10-yarder in overtime to beat No. 1 Maloney 28-21.
TWO WAYS TO LOOK AT IT
Ben Jax, Killingly: Four catches for 133 yards and three touchdowns, plus an interception in a 65-19 win over Stonington.
IF THE RIGHT DON’T GETCHA
Will Attianese, Granby/Canton: Caught seven passes for 108 yards, and he ran for four short touchdowns in a 51-20 win over Capital Prep/Achievement First.
David Cassetti, Ansonia: Typical strong two-way evening in a 41-21 win at Seymour, with 236 yards and five touchdowns on the ground, to help keep the Chargers unbeaten.
Jason Champagne, Masuk: Ran for 161 yards and two touchdowns and caught two passes for 35 yards in a 45-23 win over Brookfield.
Simeon Doll, Darien: Threw for two touchdowns, then ran for two in the fourth quarter to put away a 42-21 win over McMahon.
Brayden Gambee, Watertown: Ran for a touchdown and threw for another in a 20-7 win over Wolcott.
Lorenzo Miele, Berlin: Threw for touchdowns of 46, 26 and 20 yards and ran for two more in a 55-7 win over Plainville.
OTHERWISE, QUIET
Tate Callender, Haddam-Killingworth: Ran for a first-quarter touchdown, caught Alex Phipps’ 61-yard touchdown pass in the second quarter and added another rushing touchdown before halftime, then took the second-half kickoff back 91 yards for the Cougars’ last score of a 35-7 win over the Coventry co-op.
James Cobain, Foran: His interception and 61-yard return in the last minute set up Vincent Hine’s go-ahead field goal, and he caught Jack Cushman’s fourth touchdown pass, the ultimate game-winner in a 45-41 victory over Amity.
HERE YA GO, COACH
Maxim Copeland, Windsor: Caught a touchdown pass and ran back a punt for a touchdown in a 44-0 win over South Windsor, the 200th in coach Rob Fleeting’s career. Fleeting is 200-58-2, including 122-25 at Windsor.
NOT-THURSDAY NOTABLES
Darnell Bronson, New Milford: Threw for two touchdowns, then ran for the winning touchdown in the third quarter of a 31-21 victory over Barlow to keep the Green Wave’s playoff hopes alive.
Adonis Fine, Fitch: On only four carries, ran for 111 yards and two touchdowns in a 34-20 win over East Lyme that earned the Falcons the ECC Division I championship.
Dylan Magazu, Newtown: Senior quarterback ran for three touchdowns in the rain in a 27-6 win over New Fairfield.
Jaylen Martinez, Naugatuck: His 68-yard fumble return gave the Greyhounds a 14-point lead in the first quarter, and they never looked back in a 41-0 win at Woodland.
Jeremiah Paul, Norwich Free Academy: Ran for a touchdown and had a long kickoff return to set up the winning score in a 21-17 win over Woodstock Academy.
Coaches/stat folks, next week send us your Thursday and Friday stars by Saturday morning at info@gametimect.com. Email us your Saturday stars at the same address on Saturday so we can get them in Monday’s weekly Top Performers. Better yet, send us box scores and highlights, and we’ll put them in the roundup.
LOOKING AHEAD
On (eventually) to Week 11, though we’re still calculating away here before a busier Saturday than usual (please append “appears to” or “looks like it” to all points-related notes. Five points for a loss? What is this, the NHL?):
O’Brien Tech at Thames River (Grasso Tech), Friday, 6 p.m.: Going into its game Saturday, Thames River controlled its own destiny in the still-murky Class MM playoffs race if it won its last three games.
Platt Tech at Northwest United (Nonnewaug), Friday, 6 p.m.: Ditto for NWU.
Capital Prep/Achievement First at Haddam-Killingworth, Friday, 6:30 p.m.: HK didn’t quite yet control its own fate in Class S as Saturday dawned, but two wins would get it pretty close. (The task on Thanksgiving Tuesday: Valley Regional/Old Lyme.)
Middletown at Berlin, Friday, 7 p.m.: Middletown had a chance to keep itself in the back half of the Class L playoff picture on Saturday if it beat Wethersfield. Even if it didn’t, a win here over Berlin, pretty ensconced in first in Class M, grabs a bunch of playoff points.
Windsor at Bloomfield, Saturday, 1 p.m.: Much bigger for Windsor, which needs every point it can scratch out in Class MM, than for Bloomfield, which by our math has already clinched in Class S but can secure at least one home game with a win in this, the teams’ regular-season finale.
Hall at Conard, Saturday, 1 p.m.: Like we were saying about Class MM, if everyone had everything go wrong and only collected the minimum possible playoff points (yeah, unlikely, but humor us), third and seventh would be separated by 55 points by our super-unofficial math. A Hall win here would be worth 15 to Wethersfield, jumping from seventh to a tie for fifth. Will it be this close? Probably not in the end. But it could be. Not that Hall and Conard care. Their finale means plenty to them.
Glastonbury at Simsbury, Saturday, 6:30 p.m.: After Thursday’s win over No. 1 Maloney, Glastonbury went into Saturday with a possibility of securing its first playoff spot since 2015 by evening if a couple of other scores fell right for the Guardians. If not, a win here in the season finale gets the job done.
SEE YOU NEXT WEEK
Of teams that received votes in the most recent GameTimeCT Top 10 Poll, only Berlin, Windsor, Bloomfield and Thames River play this week. Everyone else waits for Thanksgiving week.
