New Math: Division & Multiplication Problems
July 25, 2017
By Jack Roberts
MHSAA Executive Director
This is the second part in a series on MHSAA tournament classification, past and present, that will be published over the next two weeks. This series originally ran in this spring's edition of MHSAA benchmarks.
High school tournament classifications went viral before there was social media and most of us knew what “viral” meant.
Much as a virus infects computers today or has created epidemics of disease around the world for centuries, high school tournament classification – once introduced – tends to spread uncontrollably. Once started, it tends to keep expanding and rarely contracts.
While we are still some distance from providing every team a trophy as a result of expanding high school tournament classification across the country, there is criticism nevertheless that we are headed in that direction – a philosophy which is supposed to exist only in local youth sports for our youngest children.
Michigan could be blamed for all this. Michigan is generally accepted as the first state to provide different classifications for season-ending tournaments for different sized schools. It started a century ago. Today, every state has various classifications for its tournaments in most if not all sports. And it is a bit ironic that Michigan – creator of the classification chaos – more than most other states has kept the number of tournament classes or divisions under control.
Yes, there is evidence that tournament classifications have expanded over the years in Michigan, especially with the relatively recent introduction of tournaments in football and the late 1990s’ move from classes to divisions in most MHSAA tournaments. But the MHSAA Representative Council has held true to its word when it expanded the playoffs for football from four classes to eight divisions: this is needed because of unique factors of football, factors that exist in no other sport; and all other sports should be capped at a maximum of four classes or divisions.
Kentucky is the preeminent defender of single-class basketball. All of its 276 high schools compete for the single state championship for each gender. In Indiana, there are still open wounds from its move in 1998 from one to four classes for its 400 schools in basketball.
Multi-class tournaments have tended to increase the number of non-public school champions, which some states are trying to lower through enrollment “multipliers,” and also tend to increase the number of repeat champions, which some states are trying to affect with “success factors” which lift smaller schools into classifications for larger schools if they take home too many trophies.
While there is considerable evidence that state tournaments do as much bad as good for educational athletics, state associations persist in providing postseason tournaments because, on balance, the experiences are supposed to be good for student-athletes. And once we reach that conclusion it is just a small leap to believe that if the tournaments are good for a few, they must be better for more – which leads to creating more and more tournament classifications. One becomes two classes, then three, then four and so forth.
While the argument is that more classifications or divisions provides more students with opportunities to compete and win, it is undeniable that the experience changes as the number of tournament classifications expands. It is not possible for state associations to provide the same level of support when tournament classifications expand to multiple venues playing simultaneously. For example, there is less audio and video broadcast potential at each venue, and less media coverage to each venue. Focus is diluted and fans diminished at each championship.
No one can argue reasonably that today's two-day MHSAA Football Finals of eight championship games has the same pizazz as the one-day, four-games event conducted prior to 1990.
In some states the number of divisions has grown so much that it is difficult to see much difference between the many season-ending state championship games and a regular-season event in the same sport.
It is a balancing act. And Michigan has been studying that balance longer than any other state, and charting a steadier course than most.
Addition by Division
The shift to Divisions for MHSAA Tournament play in numerous sports has added up to a greater number of champions for teams and individuals across the state. Following are the sports currently employing a divisional format, and the procedures for determining enrollment and classification.
In 23 statewide or Lower Peninsula tournaments, schools which sponsor the sport are currently divided into nearly equal divisions. They are:
- Baseball - 4 Divisions
- Boys Bowling - 4 Divisions
- Girls Bowling - 4 Divisions
- Girls Competitive Cheer - 4 Divisions
- LP Boys Cross Country - 4 Divisions
- LP Girls Cross Country - 4 Divisions
- LP Boys Golf - 4 Divisions
- LP Girls Golf - 4 Divisions
- Ice Hockey - 3 Divisions
- Boys Lacrosse - 2 Divisions
- Girls Lacrosse - 2 Divisions
- Boys Skiing - 2 Divisions
- Girls Skiing - 2 Divisions
- LP Boys Soccer - 4 Divisions LP
- Girls Soccer - 4 Divisions
- Girls Softball - 4 Divisions
- LP Boys Swimming & Diving - 3 Divisions
- LP Girls Swimming & Diving - 3 Divisions
- LP Boys Tennis - 4 Divisions
- LP Girls Tennis - 4 Divisions
- LP Boys Track & Field - 4 Divisions
- LP Girls Track & Field - 4 Divisions
- Wrestling - 4 Divisions
Lists of schools for each division of these 23 tournaments are posted on MHSAA.com approximately April 1. Listings of schools in Upper Peninsula tournaments for their sports are also posted on MHSAA.com. The lists are based on school memberships and sports sponsorships in effect or anticipated for the following school year, as known to the MHSAA office as of a date in early March.
In football, the 256 schools which qualify for MHSAA 11-player playoffs are placed in eight equal divisions annually on Selection Sunday. Beginning in 2017, the 8-player divisions will be determined in a like manner on Selection Sunday as well, with 32 qualifying schools placed in two divisions.
Schools have the option to play in any higher division in one or more sports for a minimum of two years.
The deadlines for "opt-ups" are as follows:
- Applications for fall sports must be submitted by April 15
- Applications for winter sports must be submitted by Aug. 15
- Applications for spring sports must be submitted by Oct. 15
Subsequent to the date of these postings for these tournaments, no school will have its division raised or lowered by schools opening or closing, schools adding or dropping sports, schools exercising the option to play in a higher division, or approval or dissolution of cooperative programs.
When the same sport is conducted for boys and girls in the same season (e.g., track & field and cross country), the gender that has the most sponsoring schools controls the division breaks for both genders.
Playing 'Goodrich Football' at its Finest, Martians Make Title Dream Come True
By
Brad Emons
Special for MHSAA.com
November 29, 2024
DETROIT – Over his 32 years as head football coach at Goodrich, Tom Alward had come close once but was never able to hoist a state championship trophy.
But that all ended Friday as his Martians invaded Ford Field and rolled to a 35-6 victory over Niles in the Division 4 Final.
After falling 22-0 to Grand Rapids South Christian in the 2022 D4 championship game, Goodrich put on an impressive display in all three phases – offense, defense and special teams – to finish a 13-1 season and earn its first Finals title.
“I never gave up on a dream, and these guys are the ones that made it come true,” Alward said. “We tell the guys we want to get better every year. And I’ve had 32 of them get better. It’s been a great ride.”
To show how dominant the Martians were, Goodrich outgained the Vikings 424-96 in total yards.
And it all started up front.
“That’s Goodrich football,” Alward said. “That’s the way we play, that’s the way we coach it and we teach it, and what these guys bought into. We need to own the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball, and when we do, good things happen.”
Goodrich showed great balance offensively as junior quarterback Tanner Mazich was 6 of 9 passing for 168 yards and a touchdown, while senior running back Chase Burnett rushed for 157 yards on 28 carries and a pair of TDs. Junior Jakoby Lagat contributed 76 yards on 12 carries along with another TD run.
It was all Goodrich in the opening half – and then some.
The Martians took a 7-0 lead with a 10-play, 68-yard drive resulting in a Mazich 21-yard TD strike to senior Max Macklem with 4:38 to go in the first period.
“It’s amazing when you have five or seconds to get open,” Macklem said. “He just gives me time back there. I find open grass and just throw the ball.”
Burnett then scored on a 1-yard TD run with 9:49 remaining in the second quarter as the Martians marched 74 yards on 11 plays to make it 14-0.
“I just always follow my blockers,” said the 6-foot, 200-pound Burnett. “I’m not going to go down with one tackle. I’m going to bounce off them, keep following them and run through tackles.”
Goodrich’s Zaiden Hall then came up with an interception at his own 49 with 6:27 to go in the half to set up Burnett’s six-yard TD run just 78 seconds later for a 21-0 advantage following Landon Williams’ third straight PAT. (A 41-yard pass from Mazich to Macklem set up the score).
“We liked the matchups with Max (Macklem) and we took shots, and that’s what happened – it worked,” Mazich said.
Goodrich was poised to go up four scores at the end of the half as Mazich hit Lagat on a 34-yard pass to put the ball on the Vikings’ 11.
But the Martians – out of timeouts – couldn’t spike the ball in time before the half ended following a five-yard run by Burnett down to the Niles 1 as the score remained 21-0.
The Vikings, making their first Finals appearance, had only 34 yards of first-half offense while Mazich himself was 4 of 5 passing for 130.
Goodrich got the ball to start the second half, and the Martians used 7:50 to score on a 16-play, 73-yard drive culminating in a Colton Burnett one-yard TD run to go up by 28 points. On the first play of the fourth quarter, Lagat scored a 12-yard run as the Martians pushed the lead to 35.
Niles, a winner of 12 straight after losing its season opener 30-7 to St. Joseph, couldn’t find any bargains offensively against the Martians’ suffocating defense. If there was any consolation for the Vikings, it came with 1:02 remaining when Peyton Gordon rushed 35 yards for the game’s final score.
Meanwhile, with his ability to make throws on the run and extend plays, Mazich proved to be a major thorn in Niles’ side.
“We had a great season. I’m proud of these guys,” Niles fourth-year coach Scot Shaw said. “They (Goodrich) are good; they obviously have to be to be here. (Mazich) did what he did and did well. We couldn’t stay in front of receivers, and we couldn’t have an edge on that kid. They controlled both lines of scrimmage, and they’re well-coached, played hard. I don’t know if we got caught by surprise ... take nothing away from them, but we didn’t play real well. But that’s part of it. Probably because they played better than we did.”
Shaw said Goodrich’s team speed was somewhat deceiving.
“They’re quick,” he said. “They probably didn’t look that quick on film. Their alignment really didn’t surprise us because they had shown that, but I think they were stronger and faster than probably we gave them credit for.”
Goodrich’s first championship run began during the offseason.
“I believed in these guys all season; they’re an incredible group,” Alward said. “They started workouts at 5:30 in the morning on January 8 of this year. And these guys, along with many others, didn’t miss workouts. They’ve worked that hard to get to this point. They deserve all the success that they have achieved. I can’t tell you how proud I am of them, how physical they play and just how much they embrace what we’re trying to do. And that’s gotten us to where we are right now.”
It was only two years ago when Mazich, then a freshman, was serving as a scout team quarterback during the Martians’ 2022 tournament run.
“I got to experience it,” the 5-foot-10, 165-pound junior said. “I just remember how disappointed everyone was with the loss and obviously we got our butts kicked pretty good, but I think it helped us win this game today. They came out strong and owned us the whole game, and that’s what we had to do this game and we did. Obviously Max Macklem is a great receiver, and we have three great running backs. It’s kind of hard to stop the offense with a bunch of weapons like that.”
PHOTOS (Top) Goodrich football coach Tom Alward hoists his football program’s first championship trophy as players rush to him Saturday at Ford Field. (Middle) The Martians’ Thomas Niles (15) works to pull away from a Niles defender. (Below) Jakoby Lagatt (24) enjoys a replay on the scoreboard. (Photos by Hockey Weekly Action Photos.)