Four-class system prompts interesting mix of opinion

It's hard to argue with Wauconda boys basketball coach Rich Wolf.

He just wants to win a regional for Pete's sake. Just a stinkin' regional.

Anything more would be gravy. But a regional title would be monumental at this point.

His program hasn't won one since 1979, more than 20 years before he even become head coach.

That's why he's in favor of the IHSA's new four-class system that will now govern his sport and many others.

Now that Wauconda is classified as Class 3A, instead of being lumped in with all the biggest schools in the state, Wolf feels that the playing field has finally been leveled, and that his team will have a better shot at winning a significant title of some kind because it will be matched against teams from schools of similar sizes.

"I know a lot of coaches hate this and would love to go back to the old way (of two-classes) and that I'm probably in the minority. But I like this, especially from our standpoint," Wolf said. "Four classes give more kids the opportunity to be successful. And isn't that what the education system is all about? Overall, I think this is better for high school kids."

Or is it?

I would be interested in getting a good grasp on what players out there think about the new four-class system. I invite you all to e-mail me with your thoughts.

Personally, I have found that, while there seem to be benefits to it, there also seem to be plenty of drawbacks.

For instance, the IHSA recently released the sectional assignments for boys basketball.

The two sectionals in which the Daily Herald's Lake County schools feed into -- Antioch and Barrington -- are mind-boggling at best, a travesty at worst.

Here are some answers to the questions I've been hearing about the upcoming basketball postseason.

Q:What's wrong with the Antioch sectional?

A: I consider Antioch, which will host a Class 3A sectional, to be somewhat of a travesty.

The Lake County teams that will be involved there are Antioch, Wauconda, Grayslake Central, Grayslake North, Lakes, North Chicago and Vernon Hills.

So far, so good, right? Right.

But what's not so good is that the rest of the 21-team field is made up of 10 teams from Chicago, a team from Elmwood Park, one from Norridge and one from River Grove -- all of which might as well be in Chicago as well.

Here's the kicker. Four Chicago teams could wind up playing for a sectional title ... in Antioch. It's not probable, but it's a possibility.

How is that good for high school basketball in this state, in this area?

I'm certain that there were plenty of people in attendance at the Waukegan sectionals of the past who were just casual Lake County high school basketball fans. They went because they were interested in seeing the best teams and the best players from the area.

I can't imagine those same people will come out to an...um, let's see...a Chicago Senn-Chicago Amundsen sectional final in Antioch. Can you?

"I wouldn't even go watch that," Lakes coach Brian Phelan said. "It's too bad, really. A game like that won't get the 5,000 fans you would have gotten at the Dog Pound (the Waukegan gym), that's for sure."

But here's the thing: a sectional final game deserves the kind of hype that happened at Waukegan. It deserves that kind of interest and following.

Playing devil's advocate, I asked Rich Wolf if playing in a half-empty gym is in the best interest of the kids? Is that sacrifice worth a more legitimate shot at a regional or sectional title.

"When I look up at the banners in our gym and I see that the last one we won here was in 1979, I say it's worth it," Wolf said. "Will the Class 3A sectional have as much buzz as the sectionals in Lake County did before? Probably not. But you can't tell me the kids who are on the team that wins that sectional title in Antioch won't be as proud about it as anyone else who's ever won a sectional title around here. They still had to play the game, they still had to beat an opponent who was trying just as hard to win the game. It's all relative when you think about it like that."

Good point. But still.

Q:Can the IHSA fix the Antioch sectional for next year?

A: It's unlikely. I spoke with Kurt Gibson, the IHSA's administrator for boys basketball this week and he says there's only so much the IHSA can do in terms of assignments because there are only a finite number of Class 3A teams in the Chicago metro area.

"We could have done something to bring in the McHenry County schools (to Antioch), but then that would have created problems in another part of the state," Gibson said.

Gibson noted that McHenry County schools such as Crystal Lake Central, Marian, Johnsburg and Huntley were needed to fill in at the Freeport sectional, which also includes schools from Rockford.

Gibson hopes to keep the sectional teams at each complex fairly similar for the next several years because he believes that the consistency will help the four-class system gain some momentum and acceptance.

"It will also allow coaches to get potential sectional opponents on their regular season schedules," Gibson said. "So it will help with planning."

So it looks like the city boys will be staying in Antioch for a while, after all.

Good luck with that rush hour traffic, guys.

Q:Does that mean the Barrington sectional won't get a reprieve any time soon either?

A: That's right. It's grimace and bear it, Class 4A coaches from Lake County.

Here's the thing about Lake County's Class 4A sectional. Unlike Antioch, it makes sense from a geographical standpoint. And from a fan standpoint, it could be about as good as it gets.

It's still early in the season, but all indications are that this sectional is loaded, to the point where it's mind-boggling. The games could be amazing.

"This sectional is going to be a buzzsaw like no other," Grant coach Phil Ralston said. "It might be the most loaded sectional in IHSA history."

Not only are traditional Lake County powerhouses like Warren and Zion-Benton and Stevenson in the field, so are some northwest suburban heavyweights like Schaumburg, Hoffman Estates and Conant.

"You're going to have to be awfully good to get through all the rounds," Lake Zurich coach John Zarr said. "From the very beginning of the tournament, you will be facing quality teams. I don't have a problem with that, but it will be tough."

And tough to swallow.

Ralston pointed out that there could be 20-win teams in the Barrington sectional that won't even win a regional game.

Under last year's old two-class format, the schools that are now in the Barrington sectional were split between two sectionals. And among them, three teams made it to the Sweet 16 and two teams made it downstate.

Under this new system, only one of those teams would get to go downstate.

"The IHSA says that this new format is going to promote opportunities for more kids," Ralston said. "Really, it's that it's promoting opportunities for different kids."

Q:It's possible the four-class system could win us all over. But if it doesn't what are the chances it would be abandoned for the old system?

A: Slim and none. Although, quite honestly, that shouldn't be the case.

According to Ralston, who is the District 6 board representative for the Illinois High School Basketball Coaches Association, the decision to move to four classes wasn't endorsed by the majority of the state. Far from it.

He says that the IHSA asked all member schools to vote on the issue and that only 38 percent of the schools in the state responded. And of that 38 percent, only about 20 percent voted for the four-class system.

Ralston was not in favor of the change. He says he's a traditionalist, but is also concerned about his program, which will be playing in Class 4A as one of the smallest 4A schools in the state.

Grant missed the Class 3A cutoff by about 200 students.

Ralston says that winning a regional title will be harder than ever for his program because it will always be matched up against a bigger school.

In the two-class system, that wasn't always the case.

"These drastic changes have occurred because 20 percent of the state voted for it," Ralston said. "It's kind of unbelievable. When you stir the pot to make change just for the sake of making a change, there's always going to be someone who is unhappy."

Sectional switches

The Class 3A Antioch sectional isn't exactly a who's who of Lake County basketball, and the traditional Waukegan site has been replaced by Barrington in Class 4A. Here's a look at the teams that will play at each sectional.

Antioch sectional

Antioch, Fenton, Chicago Amundsen, Chicago Academy, Chicago Northtown Academy, Gordon Tech, Kelvyn Park, Lake View, Prosser, Senn, Sullivan, Uplift, Elmwood Park, Grayslake Central, Grayslake North, Lakes, Ridgewood, North Chicago, Guerin, Vernon Hills, Wauconda

Barrington sectional

Barrington, Buffalo Grove, Deerfield, Grant, Warren, Highland Park, Conant, Hoffman Estates, Lake Forest, Lake Zurich, Libertyville, Stevenson, Carmel, Mundelein, Fremd, Palatine, Rolling Meadows, Round Lake, Schaumburg, Waukegan, Zion-Benton