Class 5 quirk works to Jackson's benefit

Eureka coach Farrell Shelton cannot quite understand the reason why his team is playing a road game today against Jackson High School.

Shelton isn't against the new Missouri high school football playoff system.

He likes how it gives more deserving teams that were unable to win their district, such as Jackson, the opportunity to make the playoffs.

But Shelton thinks the new format has some flaws that need to be addressed in the offseason. One flaw is how the location of playoff games is determined.

Shelton disagrees with how his team, the Class 5 District 1 champion, must go on the road today to play a state quarterfinal game against District 1 runner-up Jackson, which his Wildcats beat Oct. 17 in the process of winning the district title.

FRED LYNCH ~ flynch@semissourian.comJackson's Tyler Seabaugh carries the ball during the Indians' Class 5 sectional victory Monday at Parkway North. The Indians have played both their playoff games on the road.

He thinks Eureka should host the Indians.

"I don't understand how they came up with that," Shelton said about the location of playoff games. "I've talked with other coaches, trying to get an explanation. I talked with some [Class] 2 coaches and some [Class] 3 coaches, and it doesn't happen in any other classification."

Class 5 is the only class of the six in Missouri football in which the playoff bracket is set up so that if a winner and runner-up from the same district were to meet in the playoffs, the runner-up could host the game.

During the quarterfinal round, home-field advantage is given to the team that has hosted the fewer number of playoff games through the first two rounds.

Eureka already has hosted one home playoff game -- beating Vianney in a sectional game Monday. Jackson has played on the road at Chaminade and Parkway North in the first two rounds.

Jackson (7-5), therefore, gets to host Eureka (10-1) today at 1:30 p.m. The winner advances to play either Waynesville or Hazelwood East in the semifinals Friday.

"We expanded the playoffs to help the second-place teams get in so they get a chance at the playoffs," Shelton said. "So then I don't know why you'd give a No. 2 [home field]. ... You're helping the No. 2s by taking two teams out [of each district]. But I don't know why you'd help the No. 2s by giving them a home-field advantage over a No. 1."

Although Shelton disagrees with the location of the game, he has remained positive and thinks today's game will be exciting.

Jackson coach Van Hitt agreed with Shelton's reasoning that the game should be played at Eureka.

"I've got to agree with that," Hitt said. "I do. But again, that's the system that we're living with and it has really worked out in our favor this year."

Odd bracket for Class 5

Overall, Shelton looks favorably on the new playoff system, which allows two teams from each district to qualify for postseason play.

"I think the system is working," Shelton said. "I think Jackson is a very good example of it because they took second in the district and now they've won two games. So you're getting your best teams in the state."

Shelton would prefer that rematches between district opponents happen in the semifinals and not in the earlier rounds. He said this could be done by cross bracketing. And he wants the rematches to be at the home field of the district winner -- not just for the sake of his team this season.

The playoff bracket in the other five classes, besides Class 5, is set up so that if a district champion and runner-up from the same district meet in the playoffs, the rematch would happen in the second round.

Class 5 has a different bracket, allowing the potential for eight district rematches to occur in the quarterfinal round, two rematches in the semifinals and one rematch in the championship game.

The Missouri State High School Activities Association has made it so that a district winner has home-field advantage over a district runner-up from the same district in the first two rounds, but not beyond the second round, MSHSAA's George Blase said.

When it gets beyond the second round, Blase said, the team that has hosted the fewer number of playoffs games gets to host. If the two teams have hosted the same number of playoff games, then the team that hosted the most recent game would have to play on the road.

Jackson and Eureka won't be the only Class 5 quarterfinal contest today that rematches two teams from the same district and takes place at the runner-up. District 8 runner-up Lee's Summit West will host District 8 champion Raymore-Peculiar today.

"I don't know what MSHSAA's explanation is," Shelton said. "But they told us, we have to show up in Jackson at 1:30 and that's where we'll be. ... The first two rounds it says if a 1 vs. 2 [play], then the 1 gets the home field. "Then it gets to the quarterfinals and it changes."

Class 5 isn't the exception. In all six classes where a district winner could meet a district runner-up from another district after round two, the runner-up would host.

For example, Wellington-Napoleon was the Class 1 District 10 runner-up and hosts Class 1 District 11 winner Princeton today because Princeton already hosted a playoff game while Wellington-Napoleon has not hosted a postseason game.

Jackson's advantage?

When Jackson and Eureka met in districts earlier this season, the host Wildcats won 17-10.

But with the rematch taking place at Jackson, do the Indians now have an advantage? Does a home-field advantage exist in high school sports?

Some local coaches have differing views on whether home-field advantage in high school football is a significant factor. One explanation given for why it is a factor is because teams are more relaxed and used to playing at their home field. Also, having more fans leads to players being more motivated.

"We hope it's going to be a big advantage," Hitt said. "We're going to play them at home in what we call The Pit. ... Everybody indicates that it's going to be a pretty huge crowd. That's going to mean a great deal to our team with that big fan base right behind us there and to have the band playing."

Hitt said another advantage about playing at home is that his team does not have to travel two hours on a bus, which it has done for the past two playoff games and six times this fall.

Shelton said a home-field advantage is not much of a factor if the opposing team is visiting from just down the road. But when the visiting team is traveling two hours, it could be a factor because the visitors are varying from their normal routine and sometimes bringing fewer fans.

Shelton said he expects his team to be motivated to play despite the long bus ride and regardless of the number of Eureka fans who make the trip to Jackson.

"Like I told the kids -- when the whistle blows it doesn't matter if there's 100 people or a 5,000," Shelton said. "It's 11 on 11 when the whistle blows."

Shelton said he thinks Eureka and Jackson possibly are the most evenly matched teams scheduled to play today.

For both teams, one big challenge is putting together an original game plan.

"From the coaching point of it, it's a great challenge," Shelton said about playing a team twice in one season. "Because now you've got to figure out if you can make an adjustment. ... And with us playing Jackson, it will be trying to figure out what will be Jackson's adjustment."

Other rematches

Some district runners-up already have upset district winners during this postseason.

Thirty-two opportunities existed for a champion and runner-up from the same district to meet in classes 1, 2, 3 and 4. The district champion won nine of the 12 rematches, meaning that three district runners-up won after losing the district game during the regular season.

For example, Class 1 District 10 runner-up Wellington-Napoleon was able to redeem itself, beating District 10 champion Concordia 48-12 on Monday after losing to Concordia 31-21 in district play Oct. 30.

The new-playoff system certainly is friendly to district runners-up. It not only gives them more of a chance to make the playoffs, but also a second chance to upset the team it finished second to in district play. Even Friday night in Class 6 playoff action, three of the four second-round games were district rematches.

Jackson did have to win two playoff games on the road to earn this revenge opportunity at home against Eureka. But after winning those two games, the Indians now seem to be at a big advantage as the district runner-up.

Although Eureka had an easier road to the quarterfinals with a bye in round one and a home game in round two, the Wildcats now seem to be at a disadvantage being the district winner because they have to play on the road, and to continue their season, they are forced to repeat a victory they earned last month.

"Saturday is what it is," Shelton said. "It will be an exciting game for the kids and that's the focus of it -- that the kids on both sides are going to enjoy it. And have a great experience from it."