Regional Realignment

[aaacoach11]

Outside of a consolidation or closure has regional realignment changed on a non classification year? Any sport? Any know? 3 more years of these regions will be brutal.

[Bearhugger]

The regions could be changed in less than an hour. There is zero reason why anything needed change has to wait 3 years just because that is the way it has always been done.

A good place to start would be:

AAA:
1. Separate South and Parkersburg. These two schools have defined WV wrestling for decades. They do not need to be in the same region.
2. Slide Ripley back to region 3 to give region 3 some strength.
3. Move a few weaker Kanawha county teams to region 4.
4. Region 2 is a tough one to fix due to their location.
5. Somebody brought up going to three regions and taking more wrestlers. This isn't a bad idea either.

AA/A
1. A good place to start would be to pull the three Marion County Schools out of region 1 and put them in region 2. Region 1 is too tough. Region 2 is too weak. Quick fix.

The first thing that needs to happen though is to prepare plenty of data to provide to the WVSSAC to support the needed changes. I am working on this.

Anybody who wants to help, in box me.

Anybody who thinks it is a waste of time, state your case. Your comments will go in one ear and out the other.

I am marching forward like an unranked wrestler, seeded last, in the state tournament. Rankings means nothing. Seeding means nothing. On any given day, the right message can be presented to the WVSSAC and they will listen.

The cream always rises to the top.

[vortexfan]

Have a North Region and South Region open to JVers also; the Little Kanawha River is the cut off from North South Region that puts South and Parkersburg in different regions. Pick the top 8 finishers in both regions for the states. JV that makes it will be a separate team score from their respective schools. Ex Indy varsity and Indy B team.

[Jbee]

You don't put South and Parkersburg in different regions. that battle in the region is just as important as any other meeting.

Regions do need realigned but you can not separate those 2.
I do like the 2 region format with 8 from each region going. that will make for good regional tournaments. you would make more $$$ with 2 two day regionals than the 4 that you have now.

They need to put more schools back in AAA. There is no reason why classification can not be done by each sport and not the school.

[Jbee]

you have some consolidations going on down south in the next few years that will make at least 2 more AAA schools. The Eastern Panhandle is busting at the seams and growing everyday, you will have more schools opened over there in the next 4 to 8 years.

[Bearhugger]

You don't put South and Parkersburg in different regions. that battle in the region is just as important as any other meeting.

Regions do need realigned but you can not separate those 2.
I do like the 2 region format with 8 from each region going. that will make for good regional tournaments. you would make more $$$ with 2 two day regionals than the 4 that you have now.

They need to put more schools back in AAA. There is no reason why classification can not be done by each sport and not the school.

South and Parkersburg get to wrestle each other plenty of times. This season alone had the WV Duals, Winner's Choice and a dual. To fix the regions, these two schools need to be separated. They can meet up again in the states.

[Jbee]

You don't put South and Parkersburg in different regions. that battle in the region is just as important as any other meeting.

Regions do need realigned but you can not separate those 2.
I do like the 2 region format with 8 from each region going. that will make for good regional tournaments. you would make more $$$ with 2 two day regionals than the 4 that you have now.

They need to put more schools back in AAA. There is no reason why classification can not be done by each sport and not the school.

South and Parkersburg get to wrestle each other plenty of times. This season alone had the WV Duals, Winner's Choice and a dual. To fix the regions, these two schools need to be separated. They can meet up again in the states.

Never happen and they dont need separated to fix the regions

[Bearhugger]

You don't put South and Parkersburg in different regions. that battle in the region is just as important as any other meeting.

Regions do need realigned but you can not separate those 2.
I do like the 2 region format with 8 from each region going. that will make for good regional tournaments. you would make more $$$ with 2 two day regionals than the 4 that you have now.

They need to put more schools back in AAA. There is no reason why classification can not be done by each sport and not the school.

South and Parkersburg get to wrestle each other plenty of times. This season alone had the WV Duals, Winner's Choice and a dual. To fix the regions, these two schools need to be separated. They can meet up again in the states.

Never happen and they dont need separated to fix the regions

Do you have any suggestions?

[Jbee]

Region 1 - South, PHS, Brooke, JM, Morgantown, University, Wh Park, - 7 teams
Region 2 - same add Preston - 8 teams
Region 3 - Capital, Riv, GW, WW, Princeton, G. East, B. Upsher - 7 teams - by 2019 this region will have 2 more teams in Summers Co. and Oak Hill(from what I understand both of these consolidations will be AAA)
Region 4 - S. Albans, S. Char, C. Mid, Hunt, Hurricane, Ripley, S. Valley - 7 teams


If you went to 2 regions regions 1 and 2 together and 3 and 4 together.


2020 they will add back some of the AAA they sent to AA

[aaacoach11]

Those AAA regions look much better. Hope that you are right about Nicholas County and Oak Hill going AAA after they consolidate. That would be 31 total. With the loss of several class A schools by then, I'd say AAA would be hard pressed to take more than 34 schools when they do the next classification.

[Jbee]

Those AAA regions look much better. Hope that you are right about Nicholas County and Oak Hill going AAA after they consolidate. That would be 31 total. With the loss of several class A schools by then, I'd say AAA would be hard pressed to take more than 34 schools when they do the next classification.

Coach your right its Nicholas and Fayette. I changed to Summers, I think I saw where Summers is consolidating also but it would only be AA

[rodrego]

South and Parkersburg get to wrestle each other plenty of times. This season alone had the WV Duals, Winner's Choice and a dual. To fix the regions, these two schools need to be separated. They can meet up again in the states.

Never happen and they dont need separated to fix the regions

Do you have any suggestions?

Yes.......one state champion. 3 team trophys. Der.

[mattman]

You don't put South and Parkersburg in different regions. that battle in the region is just as important as any other meeting.

Regions do need realigned but you can not separate those 2.
I do like the 2 region format with 8 from each region going. that will make for good regional tournaments. you would make more $$$ with 2 two day regionals than the 4 that you have now.

They need to put more schools back in AAA. There is no reason why classification can not be done by each sport and not the school.

South and Parkersburg get to wrestle each other plenty of times. This season alone had the WV Duals, Winner's Choice and a dual. To fix the regions, these two schools need to be separated. They can meet up again in the states.

Hugger no way you can separate two schools that are a 10-15 minute drive apart. That rivalry has to live on. Minimum, the school hosting that regional tournament generates an extra 6-800$ From the wood county fans. Gotta keep those two together until the end of time lol

[vortexfan]

The 2 region format (whether North and South regions or combining some regions) really should be looked at, I think the WV Mat fans/coaches and WVSSAC need to figure the objective for the state tourney. Is it to get the best wrestlers at the states to compete? (whether JV or Varsity) Is it money?
I think it should be for the student athlete and to get the best wrestlers to compete. (a JVer who sticks it out all season deserves a shot, rather that quit the sport since he will not have the chance to compete for the title or place in the state). A lot of other things to do for a HS kid.
Some teams are better tournament teams than dual teams, may even have dual matches to crown the team title. Just thinking to help the sport not favoring any school or wrestlers.

[coach_williams]

I can't think of a single reason why two schools within 12 minutes of each other that are the 3rd and 5th largest schools in the state would be split into two different regions.

[KennyFPowers]

Indiana has over 350 teams competing in one class and does post season format of-a sectional, regional, semi-state, state. We have half the number of teams in our state. We eliminate the sectional and go to a regional, semi-state, state format. The regionals could rotate and the semi-states could held at the Raleigh County Armory and WesBanco in Wheeling. All individuals compete in one bracket, so there is one true state champion for each weight class, but crown a team champion for A,AA,AAA.

[rodrego]

KennyFPowers.........u complete me.

[Sally]

I firmly believe if you want the WVSSAC to listen, come up with a plan that gives them more money. Football and basketball are revenue sports.

Figure a way to make more money for the bosses and I bet they listen.

[Bearhugger]

I can't think of a single reason why two schools within 12 minutes of each other that are the 3rd and 5th largest schools in the state would be split into two different regions.

All of the dialogue about the current regional structure has been geared toward some regions are too strong and others are too weak.

The way you correct that is take 1-2 strong teams and throw them into a weak region.

Parkersburg and Parkersburg South have won almost all of the state team titles in history. Theses two schools have the strongest history and they are the top two teams in AAA now.

Leave one in region 4 and shove one back to region 1. Putting one in region 3 would be even better.

Kanawha county had high schools in two different regions for decades, some less than 12 minutes apart.

The existing regions were put together predominantly based on geography. This caused a strength imbalance. Now to correct the strength imbalance, we are bringing up geographical reasons to leave two schools together.

[sfc1]

Very good points Hugger. Hoover and Sissonville border one another and Hoover is the only Kanawha Country School not in AA Region 4. They are in 3 now. Seperating the Parkersburg schools is not unrealistic.

[Gator]

We've had a power shift from region 1 in AAA, to region 4. The two Wood County schools are the main reason for this.

One day we may see a power shift back to region 1 or maybe to region 2 or 3. I see more parity around the state and it makes for some great match ups.

In the mean time, they need to come up with some parity in the regions.

Send PHS to the eastern part of the state!

[TrueSouthFanInPburg]

i don't think even a helmet would help bearhugger. his ideas about the regions are the funniest things i have ever heard on here. he missed his calling in life, he should of been a stand up comic.

[vortexfan]

PROBLEM SOLVING STEPS:

1) IDENTIFY THE PROBLEM- (HAVING THE BEST (16) WRESTLERS GO TO STATE TOURNEY)
2) DEFINE PROBLEM- (A BETTER WRESTLER DEPENDING ON REGION NOT ON ABILITY GOES TO STATE TOURNEY)
3) SELECT STRATEGY- (HAVE TWO REGIONS NORTH AND SOUTH due to size of our great state TOP 8 PLACERS IN REGIONS ADVANCE TO STATE)
4) ORGANIZE INFO- (WHAT AREAS OR SCHOOLS SHOULD BE IN NORTH AND SOUTH REGIONS, HOW MANY CAN PARTICIPATE JVs or JUST VARSITY)
5) ALLOCATE SOURCES (LOCATION OF REGIONAL ROTATES OR WHERE LARGEST NUMBER OF FANS CAN ATTEND FOR THE MONEY SO SSAC WILL AGREE, POSSIBLY MORE THAN ONE DAY OF WRESTLING REVENUE FOR HOTELS,RESTAURANTS, CONCESSIONS ETC...INCREASE)
6) MONITOR AND EVALUATE (WILL THE PROOF BE IN THE PUDDING? I BELIEVE IT WILL MAY NOT BE PERFECT BUT BETTER THAN PRESENT SYSTEM)

[coach_williams]

I can't think of a single reason why two schools within 12 minutes of each other that are the 3rd and 5th largest schools in the state would be split into two different regions.

All of the dialogue about the current regional structure has been geared toward some regions are too strong and others are too weak.

The way you correct that is take 1-2 strong teams and throw them into a weak region.

Parkersburg and Parkersburg South have won almost all of the state team titles in history. Theses two schools have the strongest history and they are the top two teams in AAA now.

Leave one in region 4 and shove one back to region 1. Putting one in region 3 would be even better.

Kanawha county had high schools in two different regions for decades, some less than 12 minutes apart.

The existing regions were put together predominantly based on geography. This caused a strength imbalance. Now to correct the strength imbalance, we are bringing up geographical reasons to leave two schools together.

I don't know who has been upset that region 4 is stronger than others considering it affects no one but region 4 schools (so I assume those who are upset are from region 4), but putting Parkersburg and South in different regions to "balance the regions" serves no purpose. It won't make Parkersburg or South weaker, all it does it guarantee that both teams have a good chance to be region champs every year and gives Huntington a slightly better chance to be region champs. It's not like moving one of those teams into another region suddenly makes the other wrestlers in that region better. Parkersburg and South will still be two of the best teams either way.

Furthermore, when did this become an issue? Haven't Parkersburg and South always been in the same region?

In fact, now that I think about it, the only real change that splitting Parkersburg and South into separate regions creates is it results in more wrestlers from those two schools being at states. As long as they are in the same region then they compete with each other for 4 spots. Moving one of them into a different region eliminates competition from the other and greatly increases their chances of putting more wrestlers in Big Sandy.

[Gator]

I can't think of a single reason why two schools within 12 minutes of each other that are the 3rd and 5th largest schools in the state would be split into two different regions.

All of the dialogue about the current regional structure has been geared toward some regions are too strong and others are too weak.

The way you correct that is take 1-2 strong teams and throw them into a weak region.

Parkersburg and Parkersburg South have won almost all of the state team titles in history. Theses two schools have the strongest history and they are the top two teams in AAA now.

Leave one in region 4 and shove one back to region 1. Putting one in region 3 would be even better.

Kanawha county had high schools in two different regions for decades, some less than 12 minutes apart.

The existing regions were put together predominantly based on geography. This caused a strength imbalance. Now to correct the strength imbalance, we are bringing up geographical reasons to leave two schools together.

I don't know who has been upset that region 4 is stronger than others considering it affects no one but region 4 schools (so I assume those who are upset are from region 4), but putting Parkersburg and South in different regions to "balance the regions" serves no purpose. It won't make Parkersburg or South weaker, all it does it guarantee that both teams have a good chance to be region champs every year and gives Huntington a slightly better chance to be region champs. It's not like moving one of those teams into another region suddenly makes the other wrestlers in that region better. Parkersburg and South will still be two of the best teams either way.

Furthermore, when did this become an issue? Haven't Parkersburg and South always been in the same region?

In fact, now that I think about it, the only real change that splitting Parkersburg and South into separate regions creates is it results in more wrestlers from those two schools being at states. As long as they are in the same region then they compete with each other for 4 spots. Moving one of them into a different region eliminates competition from the other and greatly increases their chances of putting more wrestlers in Big Sandy.

Coach Williams, do you think it is correct to keep these 7 teams together in region 4?

Cabell Midland
Huntington High
Hurricane
Parkersburg High
Parkersburg South
Ripley
Spring Valley

[greencrush]

Obviously Region 4 is tough. That said, it's no tougher than Region 1 has been for years.
Region 2 will be back to it's former glory whenever East Fairmont and North Marion are back in AAA where they belong. A few small classes dropped them to AA, but that won't last forever. They can look at this as their window to bring a state title to the school, before they are reclassed to AAA.
Region 3 needs Buchannon Upsur back, but With GW and St. Albans in the region (they've been region 4 for years) and Greenbrier E./ St. Albans emerging as top 10 teams, I don't know that Ripley needs moved back to R3.
Essentially Ripley and GW+SA will have traded regions, which makes sense due to location.

[aaacoach26]

The post above got me thinking. If we end up with byes at state, then the issue needs to be addressed immediately following this season.

One bracket for 1 true individual state champion but still crown division team champion for A,AA,AAA at state tournament.

Region hosts rotate . Top 7 at region (season ends for loser of 7/8) advance to 21 man seeded bracket Semi-State.

Hold the South at Raleigh County Armory (wonderful arena for wrestling) and the North Region at Marion County Armory (wonderful venue for wrestling and Fairmont folks know how to run a tournament).

Top seeds obviously receive a first round bye in the 21 man bracket. Top 8 advance to state from North/South.

Oh, and no more pill for the state tournament, 1n vs. 8s, 2n vs 7s, and so on...

Region tournaments and semi-state generate large gates for WVSSAC and everyone who ends up in Huntington has "earned" their way there.

[vortexfan]

I like the aaacoach26 proposal also; I am not favoring any school as I see post from coach Williams where this would allow Parkersburg and South to get more wrestlers to states and edge for Huntington to win their region., I just think the best wrestlers should get a shot at going to state. I hope some solution can be made and believe the present alignment is not good for the sport or student athlete.

[Bearhugger]

I can't think of a single reason why two schools within 12 minutes of each other that are the 3rd and 5th largest schools in the state would be split into two different regions.

All of the dialogue about the current regional structure has been geared toward some regions are too strong and others are too weak.

The way you correct that is take 1-2 strong teams and throw them into a weak region.

Parkersburg and Parkersburg South have won almost all of the state team titles in history. Theses two schools have the strongest history and they are the top two teams in AAA now.

Leave one in region 4 and shove one back to region 1. Putting one in region 3 would be even better.

Kanawha county had high schools in two different regions for decades, some less than 12 minutes apart.

The existing regions were put together predominantly based on geography. This caused a strength imbalance. Now to correct the strength imbalance, we are bringing up geographical reasons to leave two schools together.

I don't know who has been upset that region 4 is stronger than others considering it affects no one but region 4 schools (so I assume those who are upset are from region 4), but putting Parkersburg and South in different regions to "balance the regions" serves no purpose. It won't make Parkersburg or South weaker, all it does it guarantee that both teams have a good chance to be region champs every year and gives Huntington a slightly better chance to be region champs. It's not like moving one of those teams into another region suddenly makes the other wrestlers in that region better. Parkersburg and South will still be two of the best teams either way.

Furthermore, when did this become an issue? Haven't Parkersburg and South always been in the same region?

In fact, now that I think about it, the only real change that splitting Parkersburg and South into separate regions creates is it results in more wrestlers from those two schools being at states. As long as they are in the same region then they compete with each other for 4 spots. Moving one of them into a different region eliminates competition from the other and greatly increases their chances of putting more wrestlers in Big Sandy.

With the current regional structure, we are on course to have the most watered down AAA state tournament in the last 10 years.............if not in history. Lets all just sit back and look over the regional qualifiers that come from region 2 and 3. Lets look at their records. Lets see if they ever cracked the top ten all season long. In the mean time, lets look at the 5th place finishers in region 4.

[vortexfan]

Bearhugger and Gator are two on here that I respect and enjoy their posts, Very knowledgeable and caring about this sport! Good post bearhugger