After a whirlwind of events surrounding the organization’s month-long debacle over split football championships, the executive committee finally made a decision to revert back to the select and non-select playoff system.
Advertisement
The proposal selected was made by Many Principal Norman Booker. Principal Booker proposed the split.
“I just know that at a glance and speaking with members of that organization that there is some language in that (contract that says they can pull out)”, Bonine said.
According to the organization, select schools are defined as “all non-public, charter, university lab and magnet schools” as well as “any dual-curriculum schools that include at least 25 percent of their enrollment as select admission students who do not live in the designated attendance zone”. The vote that was on everyone’s mind was whether the football classifications would remain split as Select/Non-Select as it has been since 2013, or if another proposal would be adopted.
“I think people are a little bit surprised by (the vote), but I think that the actions of the Executive Director a couple of weeks ago kind of opened up some old wounds”, Arceneaux said. “But six out of ten, if not more, stated that’s where they think we should go”, said Bonine.
The LHSAA Executive Committee meetings Wednesday and Thursday revolved around the future of the football playoffs, with LHSAA executive director Eddie Bonine asking authors of all proposals to pull them Wednesday and then again this morning before Booker’s proposal was passed.
“Last year when we came to this convention we were asked to table everything and give the commissioner time to work on everything”, Arceneaux said. “I understand the reason behind it, but I just don’t think it’s great for our association what we did today”. You have a select school state champion, and a non-select school state champion.
The principals’ vote means there will continue to be nine championship football games. “So to expand it to other sports was the best thing we could offer”. The system went into effect in 2013 after 60 percent of principals voted to go away from the traditional five-class format.
Bonnaffee’s comments came after he expressed his disappointment in the failing of Catholic of New Iberia Ray Simon’s proposal that would have given Bonine power to move certain sports at individual sports up in classification if he deemed them elite. “I think that it was coming so, lets get it going, and see what works and doesn’t work and tweak it from there”. “They have given direction to me and the direction we will go to continue to move forward to participate in the competitive format that has been approved”.
Advertisement
Principals also voted to ratify pay raises for officials in a large number of sports by a huge 258-23 margin.
