In Aroostook County, especially, Presque Isle, for example, might consider playing Hodgdon, a quick jaunt away, save mileage and develop a new rivalry. Food for thought, at least. Develop your roster One of the biggest drawbacks of the old system was the pressure to win from day one . Far too many coaches failed to develop their benches because they were hell-bent on winning. I'm old enough to remember the days before the 50 percent rule, when in a class comprised of 25 teams, only eight made it to the tournament.
Coaches can experiment now.
Their tournament future is secure, and there might be one player on the roster who can aid the team down the road, but might never have had the chance under the old post-season guidelines. The high school basketball coach who is not under pressure to win from the get-go can also throw some new wrinkles into his offensive and defensive systems. If you always wanted to experiment with a Flex Offense, for example, but felt your tried and true motion set was your bread and butter, give it a shot now. Personally, I wish Maine high schools would play more regular season games. Eighteen contests do not provide enough room for experimentation.