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Watching Staples vs. Greenwich CT on MSG ch. 634 on DirecTV so I decided to check out the schedule. I see the difference immediately.
We started this season in NC with Week 1 games on 8/21/09 which is about a week earlier than when I was in school. Not everybody starts that week and most of those games are considered endowment games. ( A portion of the gate is turned over to the state athletic association endowment fund in return for allowing the schools an extra game.)
Our final week is the last Friday in November. Tomorrow will be Playoff week 3 of 5 (region semi's). Our playoffs were moved a few years back to accommodate the Shrine Bowl All-star game, NC vs SC, as many of NC's top players couldn't participate as their teams were in the state finals. That problem was cleared up but we've now expanded our playoff field and many folks think its too long.
We have 4 classifications, 1A-4A but then they are subdivided based on school enrollment so we now have 8 state champions. The original division was made to satisfy the 1A coaches whose teams are mostly located in the far eastern and western portions of NC. The other divisions soon followed suit. There are rumblings that they've grown too big and allow too many weak teams in but there has been no impetus to change it. As it is, the playoffs are nearly half a season themselves.
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