[know1]

Of course it's easier. Then again, there are very few teams that can even begin to argue that it's too easy. At most, only 6. Those 6 that win state. As to every one else, I ask the question: if it's so dang easy, why didn't you win it? It sure wasn't too easy for all the schools other than the 6 that actually won state.

Looking at those 6, which ones could truly say it was easy? Trinity can the last two years and such is likely to be the case this year. But it wasn't too easy for them in 09 as they didn't win it. Highlands? Perhaps, based on the fact that they've won the last 5 in a row. But if we would have had 4 classes during those years, I'm very confident that they'd have still won state in 07, 08, 09 and 10. As for 11, if BG had been in Highlands class and not in the largest classification, a Highlands BG state final would have been one heck of a game and I'm really not sure who would have won that game.

Central? Again perhaps. But they missed a year and they were fortunate to get out of BG last year with a state title. It was a very hard fought game and it sure wasn't easy for them. So it's not exactly been a walk in the park for them every year.

No denying that we do have some early round blowouts. But I've seen early round blowouts for a long time and certainly before we went to 6 classes. For example, when I played back in the 70's, under the 4 class system I might add, when people hardly knew what the forward pass what and low scoring games were the norm, in 1975 we won our first playoff game 49-22 and the second playoff game 36-6. I and the other starters didn't play in the second half of either playoff game and every point scored by our opponents was in the second half against our 2nd and 3rd string. They were blowouts. There were blowouts then and there will be blowouts now.

I ask you to consider the impact that the changing offenses have had on the scores also. The development of the spread offenses with their quick strike and high scoring capabilities may be more of a factor than anything else in the blowout scores we are seeing today. When one team is considerably better and that team passes the ball, they can rack up huge amounts of points quickly. Back in the day when you ran the ball 90 plus percent of the time, it still took a fair amount of time to score even when playing a weaker opponent. A team might be able to drive the ball down their opponents throat, but generally, it takes more plays to score which means more time coming off the clock while in the huddle and during the action. Now, a deep pass for a score takes 15 seconds off the clock. Today's offenses have many, many more possessions to score.

Again, I respect and understand folks unhappiness with the 6 class system. I'd like to see it given some more time before it's abandoned. The every team or almost every team making the playoffs situation doesn't bother me at all however. That is the norm for every other sport that I can think of, so why should football be different? Because back in the day when the critics played, not everyone got in is not a good reason for me. Sorry.

I didn't say "easy", I said "easier". There's a difference.

Boyle Co. won 2 state championships during Highlands' recent run that they wouldn't have otherwise.