The tweaks made in the power point system has helped the cause, but if the Calpreps system isn’t going to be adopted in some fashion, the next big step towards accuracy and better competitive equity should be a change in the scheduling system.
(Disclaimer: I have no first-hand knowledge that changes are destined to happen, other than it’s going to be explored and discussed for the next two-year scheduling block starting in 2013-2014).
With travel costs cited as the impetus behind these moves — viewed as both understandable by some schools and …

Brian Bolitho, the Arizona Interscholastic Association’s director of business media, responded to the Tribune’s claims that there could be a flaw in the power points system with a guest blog post on ArizonaSports.com Wednesday.
Although the AIA has failed to acknowledge an error and refused to meet with local engineer John Carrieres about the problem, Bolitho said that ‘to say the AIA is ‘ignoring’ an error is incorrect.’
He goes on to say that ‘the current system does not present an error as the formula is working as created by the committee …

There is a very interesting story on our website today in which a local engineer and power points guru exposes an alleged flaw in the power points system.
If his allegation is correct, then teams that play more power point games are inadvertently rewarded for simply playing the extra games. Wins magnify the problem more, but if the claim holds true, even losing the extra game is likely to benefit a team.
This is very important because it may alter the landscape of the boys and girls boys basketball tournaments.
There are several real-world examples …

While everyone will (or already has) peek ahead to the upcoming holidays, this week features several power-point-influential soccer matches – boys and girls – before tournament ratchet up again between Christmas and New Year’s.
These are the last power-point matchups for a couple weeks until school resumes at most places in early January.
Obviously it’s too early to worry about power points and where a given school stands in the rankings since most power point games will get crammed into January before the state tournament begins at the very end of January. …

In mid-August, I wrote a column advocating the use of a selection committee to determine the playoff teams instead of the current power points system.
Here’s how Divisions I through III would be changed if it were up to me:
Current Division I seeding:
1. Hamilton
2. Brophy
3. Desert Vista
4. Desert Ridge
5. Red Mountain
6. Pinnacle
7. Basha
8. Westview
9. Chandler
10. Tucson
11. Cibola
12. Sunnyside
13. Boulder Creek
14. North Canyon
15. Mountain Pointe
16. Valley Vista
How I would seed Division I:
1. Hamilton
2. Brophy
3. Desert Ridge
4. Desert Vista
5. Red Mountain
6. Chandler
7. Westview
8. Mountain Pointe
9. Basha
10. Pinnacle
11. Boulder Creek
12. North Canyon
13. Gilbert
14. Corona …

It’s crunch time, whether that means a football team needing a win to get into next week’s playoffs, a win and a lot of prayers or pleading to get help from other schools, a home game (or possibly two) or simply hoping for a seed that might yield a better draw.
Until Friday night’s “final answer” that comes with the last regular season week, the only crunch time involved calculating, hypothesizing and projecting numbers within complicated formulas.
We’ll do our best to throw numbers against the wall and hope they stick on …

It’s the 23rd hour, swansong, bubble time, fat lady warming up, etc…
Whatever lame adjective/cliche you want to use, a handful of softball schools have Wednesday’s games (or need help) to squeeze into the top 16 and live to play this weekend’s state tournaments, or simply the 8/9 borderline between a home game and sitting on a bus.
Here’s a look at who’s straddling the line between tournament time and turning in uniforms this spring:
5A-I
No. 13 Skyline at No. 20 Mountain Pointe: The Coyotes got off to a fast start in power …

It’s bubble time for some East Valley baseball teams.
Heading into Tuesday’s play, Basha, Desert Vista and Red Mountain were sitting at Nos. 17 through 19, respectively, in the 5A Division I power point standings with two games remaining. Only 16 teams make the playoffs, so even a split may not be enough for any of those teams.
The schedules aren’t easy for any of them. Basha gets Mesquite (No. 3 in power points) and Mountain View (No. 6) to conclude the season. Desert Vista plays Brophy (No. 7) twice, and …

Once again, Red Mountain has established itself as the team to beat in 5A Division I softball.
Among the East Valley contingent, Desert Mountain and Pinnacle (5A-II) and Queen Creek (4A-I) are trying to do the same. But some lingering questions and remaining schedule still offers a few questions about whether they’ll be teams to beat come state tournament time.
The defending-champion Lions, however, have long answered those questions, and the aforementioned issues creates a muddled mass of teams chasing Rich Hamilton’s team.
Even after Thursday’s tilt between No. 1 Red Mountain and …

In Class 5A baseball, the East Valley holds most of the state’s top talent.
Last year, the 5A Division I champion was Desert Ridge, the 5A-II champ was Horizon, and seven of the eight semifinalists came from this area.
However, there are nagging concerns among some area coaches about the ability to get some of the best teams in the state tournament.
This is nothing new, of course, as the blocks of East Valley “power regions” set up before last season led to outcries from several schools. However, the concern isn’t just about …