Sideline Smitty / Craig Smith
Early football showdowns a price of system

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Q: Why are Bothell (10-0) and Bethel (10-0) facing each other in the round of 16 of the 4A football playoffs? Bethel is ranked No. 1 and Bothell is as high as No. 3 in some polls. I would expect this kind of matchup in the semis, not the round of 16.

A: This matchup appears to be the price paid for the system of "entry" games.

That's the system where four 4A leagues (actually six because the South Puget Sound League and Narrows League each have two distinct divisions) pooled their 10 playoff berths.

Dave Lutes, athletic director for the Kent School District, said the state brackets were drawn up last spring, and no one at that time knew what teams would fill them. He said it was inevitable that a couple league champions would face each other in the round of 16.

Teams from the same league can't play each other in the round of 16. Lutes noted that there always seemed to be a monster first-round game or two under the old way of doing business, too.

Under the old system, leagues were allotted a certain number of berths in the state round of 16. In the new system, leagues that choose to do so pool their berths and do it for two reasons: 1) More of their teams get a taste of postseason because of the "entry games"; 2) There is the chance of landing more than the normal league allotment in the state round of 16.

Lutes said it is "like playing poker."

For example, KingCo 4A normally would be allotted two berths in the state round of 16. Under the new system, four KingCo teams were in "entry" games last week against teams from other leagues and three — Bothell, Ballard and Lake Washington — survived to play this week in the round of 16.

Q: How do the football teams at the State Deaf School in Vancouver and other deaf schools in the nation call the snap count?

A: Most schools for the deaf use what is called a "slap count," although some use a big drum because players can feel the drum's vibrations even though they can't hear it.

The late longtime coach at State Deaf School in Vancouver, Bob Devereaux, used the "slap count."

Devereaux would have his quarterback line up behind the center and slap his hips. That would start a sequence in which everyone on the team would follow the QB's movements.

When the ball was about to be snapped, the QB would slap the inside of the center's legs, then ball would be snapped. The players would watch the ball, just as other teams usually do in noisy stadiums when the cadence can't be heard. The slaps leading up to the snap were the quiet equivalent of "Hut 1! Hut 2!"

Devereaux had some wonderful seasons in the 1960s and 70s against small-school competition, including an 8-0 record in 1978. That team was ineligible for the playoffs because it played an independent schedule. It was a tough schedule, though, that included wins over three state-playoff teams. The team included one lineman from the nearby Washington School for the Blind, who was legally blind but had enough vision to do what linemen do best — hit the players in the opposite-colored jerseys.

Devereaux, who retired years ago, died a few weeks ago at age 66 in Vancouver, Wash. He coached track, basketball and football at the school and also was a teacher and principal during his career before retiring.

In 1972, his boys track team tied for the state Class B championship with Connell.

In 1984, the Deaf School had a state first: a female player who was also homecoming queen. She was Kathy Wilson from Woodinville, who played on the line with the guys.

Steve Schoenberg, a student manager who decades later helped Devereaux coach football in 1991, said, "He had a sense of humor that enabled his players to relate to him. He was able to get the most out of his athletes and some of these kids came to the school with limited athletic experience."

Devereaux wasn't deaf but was well-suited for the school because he was the child of deaf parents.

Q. Are relay events worth double points at state track and swimming meets?

A. Yes in swimming, no in track. Victory in an individual event at the state swim meet is worth 20 points, and a relay victory is worth 40 points. At state swim meets, the top-16 finishers in each event (including relays) earn points.

At state track meets, points are given to only the top-eight finishers in either an individual event or a relay. The scale is 10-8-6-5-4-3-2-1. Swim meets have fewer events than track meets and take less time to conduct. What's nice about the swimming system is that a kid who places 14th overall still has the satisfaction of scoring points at state.

Have a question about high-school sports? Craig Smith will find the answer every Tuesday in The Times. Ask your question in one of the following ways: Voice mail (206-464-8279), snail mail (Craig Smith, Seattle Times Sports, P.O. Box 70, Seattle, WA 98111) or e-mail csmith@seattletimes.com

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