High School football: CCS approves rule changes for postseason

SAN JOSE – A point system used for decades to help determine high school football playoff seedings and eligibility will no longer be used by the Central Coast Section. Instead, highschoolratings.com, a computerized system for rankings nationwide, will decide the seedings for the 40 teams that qualify and place them into five divisional brackets.

The CCS is the governing body of public and private high school athletics from San Francisco to King City. Its teams play in leagues determined by geography and competition levels from A to D, with A being the highest level of competition.

In other moves made in this week’s CCS Board of Managers meeting:

• A sixth playoff bracket was created just for D league teams. The two-week, four-team playoff winner would not have the opportunity to advance to the Northern California playoffs.
• The number of A leagues was reduced from five to three.
• A rule that no more than six teams from an A league can make the playoffs, and that all teams must win at least three games, with one being a league win, to throw their hat into the postseason ring.
• No A league teams will be permitted to compete in Division V.

"We didn't want a team with one or two wins getting in," said Salinas coach Steve Zenk, who also serves on the CCS football committee. “We don’t want an A league team playing C or D league teams in the preseason just to make the playoffs.”

The changes mean no more than 18 A league teams can make the playoffs

While A league teams can be placed in Divisions I through IV, no B league team can be put into Division I or II.

"It opens the door for more at-large spots for B league teams," King City coach Mac Villanueva said. "But a B league team could still end up facing an A league team in the playoffs in Division III or IV."

Last fall, the Mustangs, playing in a B league, ran off a school record nine consecutive wins to capture their first league title in 43 years, only to fall in their CCS Division III opener to Live Oak, an A league opponent.

Still, the decision means at least four more spots for B league schools. Had this change been in place last season, Soledad and Alvarez would have made the playoffs.

Over the past five years, King City (2022) and Rancho San Juan (2023) – despite losing just two games – were left out of the postseason picture as potential at-large teams largely due to the number of automatic A league teams.

Four teams from each A league will still get automatic spots, with the likelihood that six teams will come out of each league.

With B league divisions earning two automatic spots, the total number of teams that will gain automatic playoff spots this coming fall is projected to be 24 – leaving 16 at-large spots to fill out the five eight-team brackets.

Those spots will be decided by highschoolratings.com. Once the 40 spots are filled, the computerized system will place teams into their respective divisions, with assurances that no B league team can be moved above Division III.

"It’s straight numbers out of highschoolratings.com," Clymo said. "There are no arguments or debates. Whoever the next team up is, it takes that spot."

The A leagues in the CCS remain the Pacific Coast Athletic League’s Gabilan Division, the West Catholic Athletic League and the Peninsula Bay Division. Last year, three teams from the WCAL won section titles.

"We will find out if this works," Zenk said. "Coach (Justin) Clymo did a lot of work on it, going back three years. This actually makes a little more sense."

The CCS will continue with an Open/Division I bracket, providing two separate champions, ensuring that two teams among the top eight in the section will advance to the state tournament.

Highschoolratings.com’s computerized point system is based on nonleague opponents, strength of league, and results. To avoid teams running it up on opponents to improve their rankings, the computer does not re-adjust its total once a team builds a 35-point lead.

"It just got too complex," Zenk said. "Highschoolratings.com takes care of the weighting. We made it more complex than it needs to be. Most of their predictions have been spot on. The vote was unanimous, which never happens. "

The addition of a four-team division for just D league teams was met with mixed reviews by coaches in the area who play in the Santa Lucia Division, as there is no advancement past the CCS playoffs.

"I was not aware of that," Seaside coach Al Avila said. "I'm not sure I would want to play in it. I'd want a shot to move on. You never know."

The three D league champions in the CCS will advance to the playoffs, along with the highest-rated D league runner-up. Currently, there is only one C league division in the entire section, with the champion allotted a spot in Division V. Three years ago, the Cypress Division was considered a C league in the PCAL before it went to two Mission Division B leagues.

Teams that qualify from the D league can not petition to move into one of the five divisions, where a section title advances a team to the state tournament.

"No matter how long of a shot it is, I want that shot," Avila said. "I think that handcuffs you. It sounds like a consolation bracket. You're sort of punishing D league teams. We should be allowed to get to go to the real playoffs."

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