And now, some news and notes from neighboring states' prep associations - just for comparison's sakes.
"NETS" TO YOU, NEW MEXICO: The girls' basketball team from Albuquerque's Eldorado High cut down the nets to celebrate its recent 10th Class AAAA title. In return, the New Mexico Activities Association placed the school on two year's probation, citing a rule that prohibits cutting down nets."We feel the penalty is way out of line for what occurred," said Eldorado High assistant principal Howard Anderson. "It's ludicrous."
REALIGNING COLORADO: Remember that the Utah High School Activities Association revamped its region realignments earlier this year. The Colorado High School Activities Association recently redid its classifications for the 1990-92 school years.
The biggest headlines went to the football reclassifications, boosting the six classifications to seven in a unanimous vote this weekend by the CHSAA's Board of Control.
However, the move brought some divided opinions - a promise of improved equality versus a question over the mechanics of the enlarged system.
Said one high school athletic director to the Denver Post: "Why don't we hand out 288 trophies before the season and then let the kids go play."
The two smallest classifications stay the same - A-6 (six-man with school enrollments from 1 to 63 students) and A-8 (64-105). The A-11 classification will be dropped.
The new enrollment limits for other classes are - 2A (106-199), 3A (200-399), and 4A (400-950). The two new classifications are 5A (951-1,599) and 6A (1,600 and up).
However, before folks in Utah who want to see their schools be afforded similar opportunities for state titles with an increased number classifications, please consider the following numbers - that the population of Denver alone is larger than the state of Utah. And Utah's 104 high schools are less than half of the nearly 250 sanctioned schools located in Colorado.
TAKING STATE IN COLORADO: When you look at the increased number of state tournaments allowed in Colorado (also part of the weekend action by the CHSAA), you can see that perhaps schools in Utah already have a greater chances of earning a state title.
First, consider all the state tournaments in all the sports conducted at almost all of the four size classifications. Then consider the total number of tournaments and participating classifications now allowed in Colorado.
As for the other state meets:
- volleyball, from three to six classifications (1A through 6A); basketball, from five to six classifcations (1A through 6A); cross country, from two to three classifications (1A-2A-3A-4A, 5A, 6A); baseball, track and wrestling, from three to five classifications (1A-2A, 3A, 4A, 5A, 6A); softball, swimming and tennis, from one to two classifications (1A-2A-3A-4A-5A, 6A); soccer, from one to three classifications (1A-2A-3A-4A, 5A, 6A); girls gymnastics remains at two classifications (1A-2A-3A-4A, 5A-6A); and boys' gymnastics, skiing, golf and ice hockey all remain as one-classification state tournaments.
The CHSAA is hoping that some of the minor-sport state tournaments can remain as same-time, same-site events, but others are wondering how a five-classification wrestling tournament can be squeezed into the McNichols Arena or how one track facility can handle a five-class state track meet.
OTHER COLORADO ITEMS: Other decisions from the CHSAA Board of Control that might be of interest locally:
- The continued disallowance of playing or practicing of winter sports during the holiday break, from Christmas to New Years.
Basketball coaches are especially frustrated with this ongoing restriction.
- A continued allowance of cooperative athletic programs and teams between two smaller schools - for example, two schools combined to create a common football team, while another pair joined for a volleyball squad. The rules require a contiguous boundary shared by the two schools and that the teams/programs remain in the same classification as each school would normally compete.
- Despite enrollment limits, schools wanting to move up to a higher sports classification can petition the CHSAA to do so.
BACK HOME AGAIN: And some notes back here in Utah:
Kerry Rupp, a six-year basketball assistant coach at East High, will replace the retiring Leopard Coach Dick Milne. Rupp also was a head coach at Murray.
And Clearfield loses a second basketball coach this spring, as girls' Coach Margo Jones resigns after amassing a 300-72 overall record and four 4A titles in her 19 years with the Falcons.