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The new “updated” realignment proposal

If they don't move Howard up to 3A, they might as well not even bother with the realignment. The current D1 schools that will be put in 3A can only go down and nobody who is not currently in D1 can ever move up to 3A without a commensurate increase in enrollment, no matter how good they are.
 
If they don't move Howard up to 3A, they might as well not even bother with the realignment. The current D1 schools that will be put in 3A can only go down and nobody who is not currently in D1 can ever move up to 3A without a commensurate increase in enrollment, no matter how good they are.
Its crap the first one I saw with Howard in 3A and Caravel in the DMA / STM division in 2A makes the most sense.

They will never make everyone happy and need to get over tying too. Plus its 2 years and they readjust so Howard could come back down.
 
It was yesterday and they still didn’t decide.

they have 4 current proposals for realignment and they hope to vote on it next Thursday Feb. 11th. They are hoping for more input before voting apparently.

there seems to be a lot of parity over the fact that Howard is 3A, or 2A. Some members don’t want them in 3A, and some don’t want them in 2A. Likewise with Polytech about being in 2A, or 1A.

a member go on the call and stated that if Howard’s blowout wins the last two years don’t warrant a move into the next division than no one should be moved up or down no matter their population.

sooo.....to me it seems like some members want Howard out of their division and some don’t believe Howard belongs in the upper division, that’s kind of how I’m taking it. However, someone mentioned that a vote NEEDS to be done by next week in order to schedule games, especially out if state games
 
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I've listened to all the debates/discussions that have been public on the realignment (DIAA board meetings).

It seems that Howard is the one objecting to being moved to 3A. If you listened to the Smyrna AD (who is on the realignment sub-committee), the data clearly shows Howard dominance the past several years. I believe one of the stats he mentioned was the Howard was 7-4 versus current Division 1 schools. He was the one who said, if Howard does not move up, then no one ever will.

There were 3 different proposals provided, the original DAAD recommendation, the DAAD proposal modified with enrollment caps, and the Superintends' proposal (the one that put Howard back in 2A - in the same district as Friends and Tower Hill.

Now the alignment committee is tasked with going back to the private/charter schools to get their input - which could easily lead to a 4th proposal. Supposedly that will happen on Tuesday. Originally they wanted that to happen on Thursday morning while the DIAA board meeting was occurring -the thought being the realignment could occur later on the DIAA board agenda. But if the private/charter has a new proposal then it would need to go back to the public schools for comment.

It seems that previous attempts to get input from the private/charter schools was met with little response

I think someone on the DIAA board should make the motion to accept the Superintendents' proposal but with Howard in 3A and see how it flies.
 
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I agree with you! Stop trying to make everyone happy. This shit is getting too political and it needs to stop now! They need to make the motion to vote on it NOW, and roll with it. If it fails, two years from now we’re back to the drawing board, meaning they have two years to get off their ass and think of something better!
 
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And for the record they should just figure out the most balanced and tell the schools this is the new state of Delaware rules for football - they shouldn't ask school "if" they want to move.

The entire system is set to reevaluate and move teams up and down like soccer in the European leagues.
 
Howard belongs in 2A. They do not have enough boys to sustain a 3A schedule on an ongoing basis. I say that even though I believe they would have won the D1 tournament last year and have pushed for an annual Big S - Howard FB game.

But it is better than whatever we have now!!!!
Bummy,
That is a valid point in the male enrollment but roster size should have been part of the equation.
I know you are not going to like this but Sallies is a soccer and lax school. Times are a changing. If they ever use roster size, Sallies may be going down in a few. JK.
Saint Marks is doing a great job of marketing. There are more than a few who picked STM over Sallies last year and For this upcoming year. I think the hiring of the new DMA coach will give the kids another school to think about that is less expensive.
 
TS, not vociferously disagreeing with you. Howard’s success usually included walkover victories every year against weaker opponents who belong in 1A. That’s not their fault. That’s due to the conference structure that had to be blown up.

As a vo tech school, Howard is structured with approximately a 2-1 girls to boy ratio. This will come back to bite them for the next 2 years they have to play in 3A. They have been victimized by their weak Flight B conference. Yes, they had 2 years of exceptional teams. Ritter and Matthews are great coaches. They beat everybody but stayed in their lane.

Other than that, I am generally OK. I do think that the Hillers and Friends belong in 2A not in 1A which should be for really struggling programs.

Hope to see all of my gumbahs at the Big S -Howard game in a few months.
 
Just two years of exceptional teams? Howard has had one down year in the last 15 years. They have won it 3 times since 2015. I don't think them getting victimized has anything to do with their schedule.
 
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If they win it again this year and compete next, they will possibly move up. Odessa is going to have enrollment numbers over 1K and Newark looks to be heading in that direction.
I think they should be up also. But they are ducking the competition. HC always has. Look at the schedule through the years. It’s DE football, D2 trophies prove worthiness I guess.
 
Concord was a D1 playoff team in 2019.. Last year they were 3-4 beating W Penn and their losses were

18-21 to Middletown
2-6 to Mt Pleasant
14-21 to Appo
21-38 to St G

They are more than fine in D1 and there was no reason for them to move down IMO
 
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2 threads still discussing realignment. When Howard does 6-4, 5-5 this year....this won't be a hot topic...
 
2 threads still discussing realignment. When Howard does 6-4, 5-5 this year....this won't be a hot topic...

Well my friend realignment wasn't supposed to be done based on what one "thinks" will happen next year but off recent results.. you know facts

So by that way of thinking if Sallies goes 5-5 next year then I guess they should be in 2A also.. or what about Cape? what if they go 3-7? would the argument be made that they should have been put in 2A... just asking questions.

The point I am making is this isn't so much about wins and losses but are you able to be competitive with your classification and of course you would have your up years and down years
 
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BiB, you may not be far off from Sallies going 5-5. But if you go by enrollment Sallies is going down. Could be 2A using the same standard as Howard did.

Bummy, If there is two threads it is probably something of importance. You are unlike my cousin Sal who live in Carlisle PA. He is between Pitt and Philly. He roots for whatever team has the best record. He like the idea of having two baseball, hockey and football teams. He had 2 women. He liked that also, but the one divorced him. BTW Carlisle use to have an awesome car show. Any, not sure the point but I don’t think you would like my cousin Sal.
 
Concord was a D1 playoff team in 2019.. Last year they were 3-4 beating W Penn and their losses were

18-21 to Middletown
2-6 to Mt Pleasant
14-21 to Appo
21-38 to St G

They are more than fine in D1 and there was no reason for them to move down IMO
We broke this down extensively in our most recent podcast. Appo & Concord should have been switched.
Starts at around the 13 minute mark.
 
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What no one is considering is just the mere fact that if Howard were in the top classification even more ballers would choice in there. Let's be truthful the players in D2 don't get anywhere near the Division 1 looks as the ones in D1 do and kids and parents know this.



Speaking of which, where did Spencer end up signing?


 
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I think politics entered into this at the last minutes. DIAA was undergoing it's legislative 'sunset review' During the initial presentation by DIAA, a number of the legislator made comments about hearing from their constituents about 'equity' issues in the proposed realignment for football. Howard was specifically mentioned. DIAA got beat up pretty badly during the process and I think they did not want to face any more attention than they were already dealing with.
 
Got it. Equity is a term that gets used a lot. If I am not mistaken even Coach Tatt used it in the recent News Journal article. You know the same Coach Tatt that beat Coach Ritt the last time Friends played Howard.

Good observation, grid. The Superintendents also weighed in and you can try to interpret the individual votes for and against the superintendents' recommendation.

I respect all of the informed opinions here. I just don't see Howard as like next year's Smyrna team which will run the DE table. In closing, I will grant you that Howard was the best team last year to play their home games at Abessinio Stadium in 2020 and would have won the D1 tournament.

Goodwill to all.
 
Nice try Bummy.. Friends never schedules Howard at least not since 2006. They have met twice in the playoffs once in 2015 in which Howard won and once in 2008 in which Friends won.. #factcheckerbib.. lol
 
Bib. Here is something strange. I was at that 2015 game. It was a night game at Tower Hill. My God, my mind is failing me.

I believe Ritt is 1-1 in regular season against Tatt.

Forgive my feeble mind
 
I am wrong again... I saw Howard beat Tower Hill in 2015. God help me...and I saw them beat Friends the next week. Missed the title game that year.
 
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Nice try Bummy.. Friends never schedules Howard at least not since 2006. They have met twice in the playoffs once in 2015 in which Howard won and once in 2008 in which Friends won.. #factcheckerbib.. lol
All the stars aligned for Friends in that 2006 game. Great program win for Friends but your lying to yourself if you think that score would have been similar if they had the chance to play again that year.
 
I am racking my brain on that one. Is that the game where Howard's running back Keavous (can't think of his last name) was injured. Unsure of the young man's last name?
 
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