Div 3 playoffs

I don't like the NHIAA playoff format. #2 Bow (7-1) plays at #1 Pelham (8-0). The two beast teams in the state for that division and it's a first round game. It's absurd that Bow is even in the South division. there are multiple teams in the division further "south" than Bow. What they ended up with was 4 of the top 5 teams in the same sub-conference. I think the NHIAA would be better of with all of the division 3 teams in one division, top 8 teams make the playoffs, 8 @ 1, 7 @ 2, ect. That would be much better than what they have. It works for other NH HS sports, why not football ?

So how do you propose to create an "even schedule" with 17 teams? Let the teams choose? Then there'd be complaints that the undefeated team chose the weakest schedule or that the 8-0 team didn't make the playoffs because some football point rating system detected that...

Don't shoot the messenger, I'm already perplexed by the NHIAA's geography in creating the divisions... No one has yet told me how Somersworth is less east than any team in the East conference. The whole playoff setup is bizarre too since there wasn't a requirement that East plays South like there is in D1 - as a team you chose who you played outside your conference. That's a recipe for taking easier games to improve your position.

I think this is the toughest division to separate "evenly" because the schools location vary so widely and because the number of players available can really change the results year to year. For this division it is all about the numbers you can get to come out and if you're fortunate to have 3-4 impact players - you can run the table. Compare that to D2 where if you only have 3-4 impact players, then you're probably scraping the bottom of your conference.