that North Pole won Alaska's big-school football championship lastyear? Or that the most powerful prep program in the District ofColumbia is named after a famous Daytonian?
Those are a couple nuggets of information Dayton Daily News sportsreporter Mark Gokavi dug up during a thorough examination of howevery state in the country conducts high school football playoffs.
States set the bar for playoff participation at many differentlevels. In Ohio, for example, a 9-1 record doesn't guarantee a schoola spot in the playoffs. Not surprisingly, the Buckeye State's systemhas its critics, even though it expanded the number of playoff teamsin 1999.
Over the border in Indiana, coaches don't worry about such thingsas computer points. Every high school gets in the postseason. Andeven a winless team in the Hoosier State can host a first-roundplayoff game.
Oh, did you know that 10 states hold their championship games indomed stadiums? Or that a few states don't even crown state champs?And how about that sixman football division in Montana ...
