Letter I wrote to the WIAA a couple of months ago

My name is Adam Slind, and I have been a fan of high school football since my father took me to my first Kingbowl in 1981. In fact, I am such a fan of high school football that most UW Husky fans I talk to do not consider me a "true dawg fan" since I am also a fan of the WSU Cougars as well. This is due to the fact that as much as I love the Dawgs, my passion for high school football leads me to root for the Cougs due to their roster containing a significant amount of players from the state of Washington. How can appreciate the performance of someone like Marshall Lobbestael and then turn around and root against him in College? No chance of that happening.
Another year is here, and the playoffs are already as exciting as ever. I first of all wanted to share how much I appreciate the WIAA for expanding the high school playoffs. When I think of some of the great high school playoff games I've seen, unfortunately something that also comes to mind are some of the great teams that didn't make the playoffs. The 2 that stand out to me are the 1984 Gonzaga team and the 1987 Interlake squad. I felt that both of those teams were among the top 5 teams in the state, neither one had a chance to prove it. The WIAA now ensures that it is possible for teams like that to challenge for the state title. I was especially excited to see Woodinville challenge for the state title 2 years ago. Before the playoffs were expanded, they would not have even gotten in. And by adding an extra week, the WIAA has made it possible for them not to burn themselves out with that 3 games in 9 days format that was so common before 2005. I look at the brackets now and am very pleased to see the 4A include 3 teams with 4 losses and 4 teams with 3, and the 3A include 3 teams with 4 losses and 3 teams with 3. This is something that would not have been possible 15 years ago. Now teams that either play in tough conferences or take a little longer to jell will no longer have to suffer the consequences of that.
That being said, though, there does seem to be some room for improvement. In looking at the brackets I can't help but notice that several teams from the same league are either playing each other in the first round (Bellevue vs. Newport & Kennewick vs. Kamiakin in the 3A) or will have eliminated themselves by the quarterfinals (the bottom quarter of the 4A bracket includes 3 teams from the Wesco). In my opinion it would be much more exciting to spread the teams out more and make it so teams do not have to play each other until it is mathmatically neccesary. For example, if a league has 6 teams that qualify for postseason play then they would not be forced to play each other until the quarterfinals. If a league has 3 teams, then they wouldn't have to play until the semifinals. The Wesco, for example, has 5 teams in the round of 16. The way those teams are bracketed, it is impossible for all 5 of them to make it to the quarterfinals and for more than 3 to get to the semis. Spreading them out more could not only give a better perspective of who the top leagues in the state are, but also ensure that the teams are progressing according to their level of play. Kamiakin & Kennewick could very be the 2 worst teams in the field of 16, but one of them is certain to make it to the quarterfinals. One the other hand Cascade, Snohomish, and Edmonds-Woodway could be the top 3 teams in the state but only one of them has a chance to make it to the semifinals. Please know that I do not have a dog in this fight. I do not care who the best team or league is. I would just like to see a format that is more indicative of showing who that actually is.
Something else that could be improved upon is the seeding of teams. I realize the format is decided upon long before the season ever starts, but it sure would be nice to see the teams who are presumably the best teams in the state not meeting until they have to. The most obvious example of what I'm referring to is the matchup between Skyline and Lakes in the first round of the 3A tournament. I think most people are disapointed that matchup cannot take place in December. Perhaps having the AP rank the 32 teams that qualify for the tournament could provide an oppurtunity for this. If there is still a mid-week play-in that takes place (as is the case with the SPSL and Seamount league), then the winner of that game can automatically be the 32nd seed. Something like this could easily cancel out the suggestion made in the previous paragraph, so it may be a vain point. Given the choice, I think it would be much more beneficial to spread the leagues out than put too much emphasis on an AP poll. Most of the people who vote in that poll have not seen a majority of the teams play.
Lastly, I was wondering if something could be done about home field advantage in the playoffs. I think a neutral site for the game would not only improve the chances of determining who the better team is, but also limit the travel done by one of the teams. As great as the 9 overtime playoff game between Bothell and Pasco was last year, I can't help but think that Bothell had the advantage in that game playing at Pop Keeney stadium that they wouldn't have had in some place like Longview. In 2004 I couldn't help be feel sorry for all those Evergreen fans who had to travel all the way to Spokane for the semifinals. Having the game at Lampson stadium in Kennewick would've not only shortened travel time, but also made for safer trip back home. I wouldn't change anything about having the title games in the Tacoma Dome. That's a standard that shouldn't be touched.
As I said earlier, the WIAA has made some tremendous changes in the last few years that are very beneficial. So encouraged I am be your vision, that I'm inspired to write this e-mail. Regardless of what the WIAA thinks of this of my suggestions, I look forward to cheering on high school football for the rest of my life and appreciate everything you do to make the experience as positive as possible.

Sincerely,

Adam B. Slind