IT DIDN'T take long for the reaction to start pouring in after the SSAC Board of Control earlier this month approved a proposal to go to four classes for high school football and basketball.

Almost universally (at least in print media), the notion was blasted. Comments ranged from "almost comical'' to "a potential plague.''

Doug Huff, secretary/treasurer of the West Virginia Sports Writers Association, even suggested there could be a reduction in all-state honors - perhaps going to Big School (4-A/3-A) and Small School (2-A/1-A) teams, because the WVSWA couldn't justify four all-star teams for so few schools statewide.

Certainly, the issue presents an easy target for detractors, especially when you consider neighboring states like Ohio and Pennsylvania - with hundreds more schools than West Virginia - have only four classes for basketball. And Kentucky crowns just one champion.

However, that doesn't mean the proposal doesn't have supporters. After all, 78 of 115 voters at the Board of Control meeting endorsed it to the state Board of Education, which will have the final call on the matter later this summer.

Many coaches around the state feel very passionately about the subject. Mark Hatcher, Logan's boys basketball coach, argues that the four-class proposal would do a world of good for the state.

"The coaches I've talked to,'' Hatcher said, "say there's nothing in our state that compares to playing in Charleston in basketball. To go on that Civic Center floor just one time and get your name called out is a very, very big deal for basketball players in our state.

"It would be better for exposure reasons, too. If you're really good, [colleges are] going to come and find you. Or if you're playing AAU ball, they'll see you. But a lot of kids who might play in Division II or III or NAIA, playing in the state tournament is where they get seen. The more teams that get there, the better their chances would be.''

Hatcher doesn't think the extra seven games required for holding an additional state championship bracket would tax the facilities or fans' patience.

"I think they could work it so you wouldn't have to play at 7 o'clock in the morning,'' he said. "It would take one extra day - you'd start on Tuesday - and one extra game Saturday. I don't think anybody would miss any more school.

"The only problem is that you'd have to hold some of the semifinals on Thursday night. Actually, that would look pretty neat to have some of those single-A and double-A teams playing final-four games at night.''

Hatcher thinks those prime-time small-school semifinals could prove a windfall for the SSAC, since double-A teams like Logan, Wyoming East and Ravenswood already bring large crowds for morning games at the state tournament.

In 2003, the state track meet added an extra class (when AA and A schools were broken into their own divisions), and the move went almost seamlessly. The only variations to the schedule were starting an hour earlier and ending about 20 minutes later on Friday, and starting an hour earlier and ending about 90 minutes later Saturday.

Almost universally (at least in print media), the notion was blasted. Comments ranged from "almost comical'' to "a potential plague.''

Doug Huff, secretary/treasurer of the West Virginia Sports Writers Association, even suggested there could be a reduction in all-state honors - perhaps going to Big School (4-A/3-A) and Small School (2-A/1-A) teams, because the WVSWA couldn't justify four all-star teams for so few schools statewide.

Certainly, the issue presents an easy target for detractors, especially when you consider neighboring states like Ohio and Pennsylvania - with hundreds more schools than West Virginia - have only four classes for basketball. And Kentucky crowns just one champion.

However, that doesn't mean the proposal doesn't have supporters. After all, 78 of 115 voters at the Board of Control meeting endorsed it to the state Board of Education, which will have the final call on the matter later this summer.

Many coaches around the state feel very passionately about the subject. Mark Hatcher, Logan's boys basketball coach, argues that the four-class proposal would do a world of good for the state.

"The coaches I've talked to,'' Hatcher said, "say there's nothing in our state that compares to playing in Charleston in basketball. To go on that Civic Center floor just one time and get your name called out is a very, very big deal for basketball players in our state.

"It would be better for exposure reasons, too. If you're really good, [colleges are] going to come and find you. Or if you're playing AAU ball, they'll see you. But a lot of kids who might play in Division II or III or NAIA, playing in the state tournament is where they get seen. The more teams that get there, the better their chances would be.''

Hatcher doesn't think the extra seven games required for holding an additional state championship bracket would tax the facilities or fans' patience.

"I think they could work it so you wouldn't have to play at 7 o'clock in the morning,'' he said. "It would take one extra day - you'd start on Tuesday - and one extra game Saturday. I don't think anybody would miss any more school.

"The only problem is that you'd have to hold some of the semifinals on Thursday night. Actually, that would look pretty neat to have some of those single-A and double-A teams playing final-four games at night.''

Hatcher thinks those prime-time small-school semifinals could prove a windfall for the SSAC, since double-A teams like Logan, Wyoming East and Ravenswood already bring large crowds for morning games at the state tournament.

In 2003, the state track meet added an extra class (when AA and A schools were broken into their own divisions), and the move went almost seamlessly. The only variations to the schedule were starting an hour earlier and ending about 20 minutes later on Friday, and starting an hour earlier and ending about 90 minutes later Saturday.

Hatcher also said the four-class arrangement would be fairer for the teams that find themselves at the lower end of the present AAA classification - where the 10 largest teams roughly double the 10 smallest teams. Hatcher also noted the SSAC only uses grades 9-11 in determining its classes, but if the senior classes were added, the disparity would balloon even more.

"I don't want to sound like a jerk about it,'' Hatcher said, "but somebody ought to point out some of the good things [four classes] would bring. The positive points.

"Our state is a little different because of geography and big differences in enrollment. Is anybody going to complain about going to the state tournament one more day? It's supposed to be for the kids. And it's hard to get exposure for kids in our state.''

Like Hatcher, Gene Randolph, the boys basketball coach at Bridgeport - another of the smallest AAA schools - is big on equity.

"To me, that's what it's all about,'' Randolph said. "You're never going to have a completely equitable situation because of some [bigger] schools, but you're trying to get the most equitable situation possible.''

Randolph, in fact, sees equity as the "heart and soul'' of the four-class proposal. It would allow more teams a viable opportunity to chase a championship, where the present system rewards either the mega-schools at the top of the AAA enrollment or the private schools that have dominated Class A sports.

"It would stimulate a lot of programs out there that haven't been stimulated in so long,'' Randolph said. "We're just not in that situation [of equity], and obviously it's a concern. [The proposal] would benefit us. What a breath of fresh air for an outfit that has no legitimate chance even though it may work as hard or harder than other outfits. It would be a shot in the arm for the entire state.

"I'm sure a lot of other coaches, like me, would like to tell their kids at the start of the season, 'Hey, if we work hard, we've got a valid shot at advancing in postseason play and vying for a title.' But the situation out there, honestly, is depressing. You run into so many obstacles from a coaching standpoint. It's demoralizing to the athletes. You don't want to lower your standards, but you want to put equity in there if at all possible.''

The SSAC doesn't like to tinker with the state basketball tournament, its cash cow. In fact, when coaches' votes were used to seed the boys and girls fields starting in 2005, it was probably the first significant change since bringing eight teams in all three classes.

Randolph realizes that a bold change like the four-class proposal would take some progressive thinking.

"From what I've heard, our state tournament is one of the better ones in the nation,'' Randolph said. "I think we've got it headed in the right direction, but I can't understand when there's a point where you can be better that everybody doesn't agree. At least dabble and experiment, then if it's not better than what you had, you can go back to it. There's no penalty.

"It's getting kind of frustrating for me. I'm getting older - I'm no longer a young coach - and I've dealt with it for a number of years. Change comes slow for whatever reason in West Virginia. We're one of those areas that doesn't embrace change very quickly. I know I'm running out of time and I'd like to see some of this happen. At least give some thought and consideration to it. Let's be a little bit bold. Let's just roll the dice.''

To contact staff writer Rick Ryan, send e-mail to rickr...@wvgazette.com or call 348-5175.