The BCS is bad, but VHSL figured out how to ruin playoffs too

News, notes and musings as we make the transition from the fall to winter sports seasons…

We should give the Virginia High School League credit for actually having a football playoff, which is one step better than the highest level of the college game. But the ridiculous way the VHSL crunches numbers to determine the playoff teams is just as flabbergasting as the BCS.

First of all, it’s hard to understand why the VHSL doesn’t make all its regions go to the same playoff system and legislate a universal start and finish date for the regular season.

Last week, Louisa and Liberty were facing off in a playoff game while just down the road in Culpeper, Eastern View and Culpeper were finishing the regular season. That’s because Region II, home to Liberty and Louisa, invites six teams in each division to the playoffs. Region I, which CCHS and EVHS play in, only takes four, though word is that’s going to change in two years.

In case you are wondering, if Region I took six teams to the playoffs, both Culpeper and Eastern View would have been in the postseason.

In the Region B, Division 2 playoff there has been some controversy over whether Clarke County — which finished the season 10-0 after thumping Madison County for the Bull Run District title on Friday — or Gretna (8-2) should have been the top seed.

Gretna was originally thought to be the region’s No. 1 seed because they finished the regular season with 24.22 power points. Clarke had 24.2. But the VHSL decided that power points were to be rounded to one-tenth of a point and Clarke’s perfect record broke the tie and gave the Eagles the No. 1 seed.

Of course more miniscule decimals figured in last year when Madison County missed out on a playoff berth by 0.05 points. So much for consistency. There’s got to be an easier, better way of determining who makes the postseason and avoid confusion.

LIKE THE JACKETS: Speaking Madison and the playoffs, the Mountaineers don’t have too far to look if they are searching for inspiration heading into the postseason. Madison finds itself in a similar situation to the 2008 James Monroe team.

JM finished the regular season 9-1, but lost the Battlefield District title to Chancellor, who went on to the Division 4 playoffs. The Yellow Jackets earned a berth into the Division 3 playoffs and cruised all the way to the state title.

Madison will try to do the same thing in a different division. Friday’s loss to Clarke County gave the Eagles the Bull Run District title and left the Mountaineers with a 9-1 record. But Madison moves on to the Division 1 playoffs and won’t have to face Clarke again. The Eagles are the No. 1 seed in Division 2.

TURNED DOWN: And speaking of James Monroe, the Yellow Jackets aren’t going to be able to defend that state title after forfeiting six games because an ineligible player mistakenly made it onto the roster.

JM filed an appeal with the VHSL to be allowed to play in the playoffs anyway, but it was denied. It was a real tough break for the Jackets and coach Rich Serbay, who was in charge of making sure the roster was in order and turned in his mistake when it was discovered.

But James Monroe did end the season on a positive note, beating Courtland on Monday.

GO WEST YOUNG MAN: Woodberry Forest linebacker Aramide Olaniyan was one of the most coveted recruits out of Virginia after he rescinded on a commitment to Duke. Now the 6-foot-2, 200-pounder has pledged to play at UCLA, according to reports by ESPN.

Olaniyan is now the second high-profile Woodberry recruit to choose a college. Defensive lineman Duke Mosby has already committed to Wake Forest. Safety Ed Reynolds is considering scholarship offers from Duke, North Carolina, Stanford and Michigan. Offensive tackle Chad Kolumber has an offer from Buffalo and defensive back Ade Oyalowo is being recruited by several Ivy League schools.

BIG TURNAROUND: And since basketball season is here now, I’ll close with a prediction that 2009-10 is a much better season for Culpeper County High School’s boys basketball team.

The Blue Devils have one of the best coaches around in James Thompson, though that wasn’t reflected in his team’s winless season last year. But that was a young Blue Devil bunch playing a tough schedule.

This year the Blue Devils should compete in the Battlefield District if they can catch a few breaks. Of course they’ve already had some tough luck with the team’s top big man from last year, Larry Ralph, transferring to Battlefield.

CCHS will still have plenty of backcourt players that can score, including Josh Majors, who was honorable mention all-Cedar Run District as a freshman last year, and 3-point specialist Bobby Zajkowski.

Look for the Devils to be in the regional tournament in February.