Prep notebook: Expanded playoffs, expanded revenue

The North Coast Section’s Board of Managers approved an amendment allowing for expansion of its playoff brackets in all sports on Oct. 23.

Nine days later, the Montgomery boys’ soccer team was one of the first teams to benefit from the change.

The Vikings, who finished the regular season with a 9-9-3 record, earned the No. 12 seed Sunday in the Division I playoff bracket, which was expanded from 12 to 16 teams this season.

In past years, Montgomery’s season would have been over because Arcata, the No. 14 seed, would have earned an automatic bid by virtue of winning its league title. Aracta would have claimed the 12th and final spot.

Gil Lemmon, the NCS commissioner of athletics, said the playoff brackets have been expanded to allow additional deserving teams to compete in the postseason and to generate more revenue for NCS schools.

How is this a money-making venture? Well, take the Division I boys’ soccer bracket for example. In the 12-team Division I bracket last year, eight teams played first-round games and the top four teams had byes. With a 16-team bracket this season, there are no byes and eight first-round games. Those four extra first-round games translate to more revenue.

But Lemmon says the impetus for making the change was a response to teams that had been shut out of the NCS playoffs despite having impressive credentials. A classic case, he said, was last year’s Windsor softball team, which didn’t make the NCS playoffs despite having a 15-6 record.

In order to be eligible for postseason consideration in soccer and football, teams must meet at least one of the following qualifications: 1. Have at least a .500 overall record. 2. Have at least a .500 league record. 3. Have at least a .500 record in their division.

Thanks to the bracket expansion, seven more girls’ or boys’ soccer teams made the postseason this year as the brackets expanded for the Division I girls (from 10 teams to 11), Division III girls (10 to 12) and Division I boys (12 to 16). The Division III boys bracket already had 16 teams, the most a bracket would typically have in a sport such as soccer. Lemmon says additional playoff dates cannot be added to accommodate more teams, a restriction that puts a cap on the number of teams in a bracket.

According to Lemmon, the change meant fewer schools called the NCS office Monday wondering why its soccer team was on the outside looking in.

But some non-playoff schools still had legitimate gripes. The Willits boys’ soccer team, for example, didn’t make the Division III playoffs despite its 13-2-2 record.

“Now I’m not having these discussion with three schools,” Lemmon said. “I’m having these conversations with one or two schools.”

WHAT ABOUT FOOTBALL?

The NCS’ bracket expansion will obviously affect the football playoff picture, particularly in Division II, which includes nine of the Empire’s 15 large-school teams.

The Division II bracket will expand from 12 to 16 teams. Division II is comprised of 31 schools, including Cardinal Newman, Casa Grande, Maria Carrillo, Montgomery, Petaluma, Piner, Rancho Cotate, Ukiah and Windsor. The Division III bracket, which includes the Empire’s other six large-school teams, will remain a 16-team bracket. The Division IV and Division V brackets will include, at most, eight teams.

POSTSEASON ACTION

A look at some of the other postseason action this week:

The Sonoma County League Cross Country Championships, 2 p.m. Wednesday at Spring Lake Park.

The North Bay League Cross Country Championships, 2 p.m. Friday at Spring Lake Park.

The Sonoma County League Singles and Doubles Tennis Championships, Thursday and Friday at Santa Rosa Junior College. The action is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. each day. The semifinals and finals will be held Friday.

FELICIANO NEARING NO. 100

Tomales coach Leon Feliciano can earn win No. 100 at the school when the Braves host Salesian on Friday night.

Feliciano has a record of 99-48-3 in 13 years at Tomales. The Braves (6-2) have clinched their fourth straight NCL II league title and have earned a playoff spot for the 12th time in the past 13 years.

For more Empire high school sports coverage, please visit Eric Branch’s prep sports blog at prepsports.blogs.pressdemocrat.com. You can reach Staff Writer Eric Branch at 521-5268 or eric.branch@pressdemocrat.com.