What if White Plains wins?
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- October
- 26
White Plains takes on New Rochelle in the Class AA semifinals on Saturday. New Rochelle beat White Plains 28-7 when they met three weeks ago, a game White Plains was leading 7-0 in the third quarter.
Although the Tigers are underdogs, there’s a chance they could pull off the upset. And if they do, another one of the area’s best football traditions will be eliminated:
There would be NO White Plains vs. Stepinac on Thanksgiving Day.
If White Plains wins, it will obviously advance to the Section 1 championship, which will be its NINTH game of the season. The section does not allow a member school to participate in more than nine games in a season unless it advances into the state tournament. Win or lose in the championship, White Plains could not play another game unless it’s in the state tourny.
What does this mean? Well, there will be a lot of upset people in White Plains. That game is potentially took on greater meaning to the city than the Iona Prep-New Rochelle game did to the city of New Rochelle back in the early 2000s.
White Plains has already said that, if it loses this weekend, it would not accept an invitation to a consolation bowl game (against the North Rockland-Arlington loser) in order to keep that ninth game available to play Stepinac. So one of those teams will be impacted by this, too.
Also, if White Plains does lose this weekend, it will have 25 days off until Thanksgiving, a span where Stepinac will likely play four games.
White Plains is in a no-win situation here. The NYSPSAA really handcuffs teams with this unnecessary rule. If they violate it, they lose postseason eligibility in that sport for one year. That’s a hefty penalty.
What can White Plains do? Well, I’m going to throw something out there that a lot of people aren’t going to like. But, if you’re White Plains, or any other school that’s fed up with the buracracies of the state and/or Section 1, it’s something to at least consider:
Go independant.
Trust me, this isn’t my idea. This has been talked about by a lot of people. Thing about the benefits: Don’t take part in Section 1 or the NYSPHSAA. You can make your own schedule, play 10-12 games against whoever you want, travel where ever you want, start the preseason later, and not be confined to the rules and regulations.
The drawback is that won’t be eligible for the sectional or state tournament. Is it worth the sacrifice? I think the postseason is too great to pass up. But some don’t share my enthusiasm.
It’s just something to consider.
This entry was posted
on Monday, October 26th, 2009 at 1:41 pm by Kevin Devaney Jr..
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White Plains has played 7 games, their 8th is against New Ro, and hypothetically their 9th could be the section championship or the bowl game against North Rockland or Arlington. And then their 10th game will be Stepinac. What’s wrong with that?
Stop me if I’m wrong, but this weekend is their 8th game, the championship is the 9th. IF THEY WIN AT MAHOPAC, THEN THEY ARE IN A DILEMMA BECAUSE 1ST RD. OF STATES IS GAME 10.
Opponents/Score
9-11/07/09 CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
8-10/31/09 White Plains VS. New Rochelle
7-10/23/09 White Plains 27 Suffern 14
6-10/16/09 North Rockland 10 , White Plains 7
5-10/09/09 New Rochelle 28 , White Plains 7
4-10/03/09 White Plains 28 , Mount Vernon 0
3-09/25/09 White Plains 41 , Scarsdale 13
2-09/17/09 Lincoln 14 , White Plains 41
1-09/12/09 White Plains 27 , Gorton 0
Normally there’s 7 game regular seasons this year its not. Normally this would be a problem but this year as long as they don’t reach states the turkey bowl is still on
Kevin,
I think Coach and Pelham are correct with the number of games, it shouldn’t be an issue.
Kevin,
What is the punishment if they were to play more games? Forfeit? Their season is over already anyway!
Loss of their wins? The seasons over and if they can play against Stepinac that means they didn’t win the state championsip.
I say they should play New Ro this weekend, Play whatever bowl they get in if they lose, or play the section championsip if they win. And then go an play Stepinac and just forget about the 10 game limit, of course this all depends on what the punishment is
Have the loser of a Class A Semifinal take WP’s place. AA and A are not far apart, especially this year- That kind of crossover will make things interesting and bragging rights will be on the table.
I do think they need to look at this rule though. What is there justification for not being allowed more than 10? If they believe its too much to handle then their being unfair to the kids that play in the state tournament. I dont really see how they justify the rule.
That being said, thank god white plains wont beat new ro and north rock this year. It lets us put the issue off till next year.
This was an issue this year from the very beginning in AA. I remember a bunch of posts on this when the whole issue of cutting games came out. Section 1 was different than the rest of NY State. The rest of NY State voted that the 2009 & 2010 seasons would consist of 9 games, with teams petitioning the Section for a 10th game. How ever Section 1 said their season was 9 games period. So NO TEAM in Section 1 can play a 10th game, unless it’s a state tournament game. So, win and White Plains can only play a 10th game in the state tournament, lose, and they have to leave the Arlington-North Rockland loser high and dry to play Stepinac. The penalty as Kevin said would to lose playoff eligibility in 2010.
heres a suggestion… if white plains makes the state tournament (although very unlikely), how about stepinac play iona on thanksgiving since they havent played this year for the first time in i cant tell you have many years. Thats a win win for everyone. White Plains is happy because they are in the playoffs, Stepinac is happy because they get a shot at their rivals, and Iona is happy because for the first time in many years they get to play on thanksgiving as they did years ago against new rochelle.
Section One should go back to the good old days. Drop out of the State playoffs. Every team in Section One plays a nine game regular season. A handful of teams(league winners) play a tenth game(Bowl). All the old rivalries will be re-instated as well.
sunshine, that’s brilliant! Kevin, PLEASE MAKE THIS HAPPEN!!!!
I love sunshine’s idea…...although i suddenly have a bad feeling for Iona in that game
THIS YEAR THE WHITE PLAINS VS. STEPINAC SHOULD BE A CLASSIC AND IT WOULD BE A SHAME IF IT DID NOT OCCUR
Oh Please!
I agree, the hell with the state playoffs.
I don’t think dropping out of state playoffs is smart, it takes a lot away from the kids to not be able to play in the state playoffs. I think the playoff system should be altered tho to where PSAL, CHSAA, Long Island, and NYSPHSAA all play for one state champ in each class. It may completely revamp our current system but it makes for a legit state champ and a much more exciting playoff.Also I think the section should do away with the games limit and just let the kids play if the schools allow them to within their budgets. They’re killing so many traditions and rivalries this way. Let New Ro, Iona, Stepinac, White Plains, and whoever else has thanksgiving day games participate in them as well as the new state tournament granted they aren’t still competing for state championships.My other thing is I don’t know how much they limit schedules but if a team wants to play a school from CT, MA, NJ or outside the section they should be able to. Every team should have the opportunity to play whoever they want in their crossover games.
I have stated many times that in light of these rules limiting teams in section 1 that eventually you will see the WP-Stepinac game follow the same path as Iona – NR. It was only a matter of time before White Plains was going to contend for a section 1 Class AA championship.
I believe you will see Iona and Stepinac play on Thanksgiving in the near future. Iona and Stepinac have for the most part played a non league game to open the season so this would make it a seamless transition.
IonaPower, that would be sad if that happens. The Thanksgiving Day Game is a great tradition and I’d hate to see it cancelled.
I agree; forget the state playoffs. Sure losing them denies something to the kids that deserve to be there, but those kids are about 3-5% of all the HS players in the section. The rest are denied a full season so that a handful of elite teams can seek a meaningless title (it’s not even the full state). I only got to play 8 games my senior year and I still have not forgotten it; Dobbs Ferry got to play 12 that year, and 13 the year before.
If anything, maybe try to have a downstate title against the LI champs or a northern suburbs title against the Fairfield CT champs (both are probably equally impossible). State titles got popular in sparsely populated southern states. In the big ones like Texas or PA or FL where the tournaments have to be longer, all the teams still get full seasons (at least 10 games). In a state with 19 million people, we don’t need a state title (otherwise why stop there and not have a national tournament?).
Section 1 should go independent, make power leagues with about ten teams based on 1/2 record (1/2 from previous year, 1/2 from previous three years) and 1/2 enrollment. (I’d actually make the power leagues groups of 20 or so and then divide them again based on geography). Play a ten game season, 8-9 league games plus 1-2 to play whomever you’d like.
Then take the top 32 teams based on the MaxPreps computer rankings (if you’re not top 32 you can’t complain), divide them into four classes by enrollment, and have three rounds of playoffs. A similar division could be done for non-playoff teams to give them a consolation game or two. Championship and rivalry games would all be played on Thanksgiving day. There you go: every team has a full season, every team has a legitimate chance at winning games, every major rivalry game is kept. Teams that would have a legitimate shot of competing for state titles could use their open dates during the season to travel upstate or to Long Island to play powerhouse teams, then hope for the best in rankings (either in polls or computers). It’s not unheard of for Long Island teams to split the NYSSWA state title with a tourney champ.
I like Kevins Post. Its not a bad Idea.
Small schools
I like your idea, though i doubt the powers that be t hat govern section 1 would agree to doing that. The only way i could possibly see that happening is if a bunch of schools drop out of section 1 all together, at the same town. But that is most likely is out of the question too because that would affect all the other sports as well. So we’ll probably be stuck with this lackluster system for the foreseeable future.
same time*
BillyBarty
I agree- The Powers never understood or respected the Traditional Local High School rivalry gaems played on Thanksgiving.
My liver bone is very agitated at this present moment. Why will the section 1 footyball doodles not allow us to eat our turkey poodles and jello goo goo berries for this holiday the snooty politicians call “Thanks Carl Malone ”!!!? All of my Koo Koo friends want to see this footyball game with the Stepinac Amish Polar Bears versing the Dallas Cowmen Milkers. And then my Dragon peeps want to switch on to the White Plains Baby Back Whales against the Detroit Slappy Whacks. The Cowmen Milkers are deploying their 17th round pick from 1999 Jerkin Mooper the studly 6 year old. This man runs a 9.0 40 with a 80 inch vertical leap. When he tried to bench 225 the bar fell straight on his chest and he broke his sternum
. Jerkin has stellar focus when he once cried to his coach that he had a paper cut on his elbow. The coach started crying and bought my boy Mooper a teddy bear and a milk duds. As for the Slappy Whacks, they must listen to their favorite song 5 times Frosty the Snowman by the Wu Tang Clan. If they do this they will win 53-52 with 9 two pointers and and 3 sixer double slides. If they do this they must watch the majestic film A Beautiful Mind as Tino Martinez, Angelina Jolie and the Acadamey Award Winner for best actor in “Ferris Buelers Day Off” Tony Saragussa travel to San Antonio to visit their Grand Daddy. Their Grand Daddy makes Tino and Angie walk his pet turtle and makes Tony eat a whole Zeebra and Bluberry CREAM CHEESE. They then proceed to purchase a back scratcher for Angie’s itchy back..WOW OUTSTANDING FLICK..47 STARS!!!!!!
sunshine makes a great point, but believe me, it would be a shame to not see the wp-step game. My uncle played for Stepinac as well, and every year, he and his old teammates meet on thanksgiving morning and reunite before watching the game. This was something I always looked forward to doing one day with my teammates, and it would just be a shame to lose out on the Turkey bowl.
Have Stepinac Play IONA
I remember the debates on this blog in early september/late august…
“FIVE SEASON GAMES!!
ALL FIVE are LEAGUE GAMES?!?
BAAHHH”
Then after those five games week six was the hand picked opponents, including the play in game for third place teams 8 and 9…then everyone complained about that game…throw in 3 more playoff games from 8 to 4 to 2, and the ninth game this year will be the Sectional Tourney Finals. I always thought the powers to be were full of s***, and this year just proves the point even more. To make the season the entire league, shortened by about a game, then hand pick a sixth game, throw in the playoffs, they are most likely aware of the thanksgiving game, but won’t make an exception for the matter. Stepinac if all goes well will be at about 11 games or so (I dont remember the schedule off hand but i know its like an 8 game season plus three playoff games). Though the tourney lasts and ends closer to thanksgiving, they are practicing throughout until the turkey bowl. They have a few less games, pretty much like winning sectionals but not having the state tourney.
White plains could lose, and not have a game that mattered (like an actual game game) from the end of playoffs to the turkey bowl. They could win and make the tourney, and hell maybe even win it (just saying, no need to attack me for an optimistic neutral approach). Just think if the season was the five games this wouldn’t be a problem…unless they did indeed win and go on. But Then theres no game-no non section I game. It seems like the Section is trying to do away with these classic games because they’re at the end of the tourney and involve the “other leagues”. Talk about your childhood jealously reenactments.
Every team is allowed 9 games. I remember when a team would go 2-4 in the season and NOT have any more games once playoffs started. First round losers were done, only the semi final losers would have a third place bowl. Now the non playoff AA and A play in Division B playoffs and the rest of the teams play non playoff games just to reach 9. To have a season max of 9, but a rule stating no more games after 9 unless it was their own tourney is a bit communistic. But I guess thats the rules. Every team gets 9 except the five winners that go to states.
I feel that everyone should get the 6-7 season games and ONE to TWO more non playoff games-unless that team has a traditional game like the Turkey Bowl. Special rules could be set up for those teams to make sure that if they don’t win sectionals they have their exhibitions (aka games after states) while the rest have their 7-9 games despite being 0-9 (hey it happens!)
But the easy way out is 9, unless you advance, and no you can’t have your classic games. No ifs ands ors buts.
The state tourney started legit in 1993…before that teams had a season and a bowl, then the traditional games would take place…I hate to see tradition be destroyed all for this tourney of a NON Undesputed State Champion-At least XC and Track have States and Federations (all winners of their respected league’s state finals compete for a BEST NY title). Even Basketball has a tourney to take place…
Step should play IONA if there is no WP game…it would be huge ..thousands of people and a rivalry that many fans would love to see since Iona backed out of it this year…
so will new ro white plains be broadcast live??????
i would to like see stepinac and iona for turkey day
guys relax! new ro is going to win and we will get to see wplains / stepinac. i think everyone is jumping the gun. just because “they” ruined the iona/new ro tradition, doesn’t mean they will ruin the one in wplains!
i understand what ionapower is saying but i just don’t think wplains will ever get to the status of new ro and win sect. 1 almost every year, hence why iona lost the turkey bowl with new ro.
sect. 1 now has 6 regular season games in football and 18 regular season games in basketball. what a disgrace!
One day at a time,
Even if White Plains doesn’t eclipse New Ro, according to Kevin’s article even in White Plains advances to the Section 1 final they wouldn’t be able to play the Turkey Bowl. Your right in the last 10 years New Ro has been better than White Plains, but before that there were many seasons that White Plains was the best team in Section 1, so I’m sure it can happen again.
You’re absolutely right that the powers that be in Section 1 are a disgrace. Cutting back the number of games a team can play and limiting who they can play is absurd. It only hurts the kids.
What Section 1 should have done was to lower the lower level games & leave the Varsity number of games alone. They could have cut costs but let the Senior & Juniors play the right number of games allowed. You still would have saved Money but not hurt senior having a chance to play one more game.
The NY State playoffs are to blame for this entire mess. Teams all over Westchester will be putting pads away this week [ on OCT 31st???} You here all the conversations & blogs about football 24/7 all summer long camps & training & then kids have a two month season. It is a shame. People who run HS sports should look at the real value that sports teach these kids. How many kids lives are saved or molded by the sports they play. Keep the kids busy , they have a better chance of staying out of trouble. Who benefits form the Semi-State playoffs that don’t include NY City, LI , PSAL & CHSFL& Preps & Buffalo catholic schools?? The four lucky teams from our section that make it ?
Everyone knows that the Stepinac – WP game will probably end at some time because of the short sightedness of NY State [ they did not want Rye – Harrison to play a few years back- what possible good reason would you want to cancel Rye & Harrison?]. Iona & Step have been talking about this possible game for years from what I have been told. Never know what may happen if the tradition ends this year it could be a start of a brand new one.
Let me get this straight: No playoffs takes away from the kids?
Really?!?!?
The state playoffs have been around for how long now? 15 years, right?. Ask anyone who played football in Section 1 for the 60 plus years prior to state playoffs if they felt cheated because they were not allowed to participate in a state playoff.
I am surprised that the people running New York State football and more so the people running Section 1 put such a big emphasis on the State Playoffs. They have done everything they possible can to decrease the local rivalries, the number of games and pretty much everything associated with football in the state and section.
Oh please, I can understand your frustration with the Section 1 leadership, but I don’t see the need to deprive Section 1 football teams which don’t have a traditional Thanksgiving Day game of a chance to compete for a state title. Yes, we all know the current state football championship is flawed (thank you Long Island), but it is what it is…
lifootball:
the problem is that the powers to be that make these decisions are probably a bunch of dorks who never played sports in their life! it’s to bad. now i can see why parent/s want their child in a catholic/private school!
Crazy Dragon
Your posts remind me of things my brother would say when we were kids. I can’t stand my brother and to this day don’t talk to him, but cherish the memories of kicking his arse when he would annoy me as much as your posts do.
LI Football:
While I agree with the solution of cutting lower level games to preserve varsity contests, I cannot agree with your statement about NY State’s role in interupting the Rye/Harrison rivalry football game in the 2004 season.
In 2004 I lobbied in Rye and Harrison, generated petitons and letters from the two Boards of Education, the City of Rye, the Town of Harrison, the Rotary and Lions Clubs of each town, the RHS and HHS Student Government organizations and many, many other interested citizens and alumni. In person I made a presentation to the Section One Football Committee comprised of sectionwide ADs, superintendents and principals. In that presentation I was supported by the Rye and Harrison Superintendents, Athletic Directors and Football Coaches. The final appeal was made by me and the Rye Superintendent directly to the Executive Director of the NYSPHSAA (N. VanErk).
I can tell you personally that the one-year interuption of Westchester’s finest football rivalry was not precipitated by New York State or anyone at the state level. Rather it was the short-sightedness of the Eastchester and Ardsley Atheltic Directors and the Section One Class B football committee in doggedly adhering to the Piner Sytem that caused the one year hiatus.
In fact, although I did not hear it directly, I learned following the appeal process that word came down to Section One (Class B in particular) that there was a “problem” that needed fixing, and miraculously the game was reinstated for 2005. Thereafter whether Rye and Harrison were in different classifications (Harrison – A, Rye – B) or now together in Class A for 2009 the game has been scheduled annually. Next season (2010) will be the 80th contest going back into the 1920s.
If you are looking for the reason for the cancelation check with Kurowski of Eastchester and Roth of Ardsley, but don’t lay it at the feet of New York State of the NYSPHSAA.
“or” not “of” in the last line above
The state has made this mess with the NY State playoffs. It has been kind to program of high caliber football like New Ro, Rye , Harrison, Dobbs ferry & so on. But what about the other 98% of Public HS players in area. They are putting pads away, cannot play rival games so a few very good teams get to go up state & play in the Semi states.[ No LI, NYC , PSAL, No CHSFL , No Buffalo Catholic or Preps} It is a state championship of about 1/4 of the state in population. Then they want to cancel New Ro – Iona game. It was Westchesters 2nd biggest rivalry other than Harrison & Rye. The WP- Stepinac game is now in jeopardy.
I do agree that a few years ago it was a few ADs[ from a few schools] who caused the Rye Harrison non game. But it was all because of the amount of games the state allows. The CHSFL for example allows all teams a bye week so they can play a rival or a team out of state or just play an extra scrimmage.
The CHSFL by the way follows the same state federation rules as section 1. But the CHSFL counts there playoff tournament as one game. [ which is perfectly fine]. The State will not allow section 1 to do the same. For some reason they don’t think having 5000 + alumni , friends , family & locals come watch football on thanksgiving morning to be important & part of tradition. It is being very short sighted. I hope they don’t kill public school football;l with stupid interpretations of a rule. New Rochelle – Iona should be playing regardless of states. [Conn does it]they stop playoffs to allow it to happen for a week.
lifootball,
I couldn’t agree with you more. I do think the state playoffs are a good thing and I remember before the state playoffs started what an uproar there was for it. It just seems so obvious that every school should be allowed at least one open date to schedule anyone they want – I don’t know why NYPHSAA and Section 1 don’t get it. If the state doesn’t want to allow an open date during the regular season, maybe they can create a Thanksgiving Day exception which would allow teams to schedule a game against a rival that doesn’t count towards the state limited # of games. That might spur new Thanksgiving Day rivalries around the state, which I think can only be a good thing.