The leadership the past few years at the KSHSAA under Bill Faflick, executive director, has been absolutely successful.

Boys and girls state golf has expanded to 36 holes, a great accomplishment. 

The KSHSAA leadership performed an amazing feat by completing the 2020-2021 activities season with few glitches. Wrestling pared down the 2021 state qualifiers, which made for an amazing experience. 

State-wide meetings were streamed online last year, allowing the public an inside look of how important decisions are made.

However, there’s still a few minor issues that the KSHSAA leadership could easily improve.

I’m a big fan of stats and standings, which should be totally accurate.

The biggest mistake the KSHSAA leadership still does is award “wins,” for byes. 

Byes are casually counted as wins, which makes several team records inaccurate.

A bye is not a win. 

I’ve been writing about the silly custom of  “bye wins” since the late 90s. 

1A state basketball programs are typically inaccurate. 

Little River’s girls basketball teams swept state titles in 1995, 1996 and 1997 with perfect 27-0 records. The state’s website incorrectly lists Little River’s record at 28-0 in those three seasons.

The reason that was important is Little River eventually broke the state’s all-time girls basketball winning streak by Wichita Southeast. 

When the Redskins clicked off three consecutive unbeaten seasons, it was vitally important to get their winning streak accurately reported.

I was the only writer in Kansas who had their winning streak correct. 

The same silly custom of awarding “wins,” for byes has occurred for years in 1A basketball. 

Last year, the Central Plains girls finished with a 22-3 record, not 23-3. 

Again, KSHSAA awarded the Oilers a fake win for a bye. 

The Oilers finished the regular season 17-3. They beat Hartford, McPherson Elyria, St. Paul, Golden Plains and Cunningham for their seventh consecutive state title.

Why is that important?

Records should be accurate.

Central Plains girls basketball coach Pat Stiles owns a 223-7 record, 49-1 in post-season play. He doesn’t earn an extra win for a bye.

It happened this year in Class 1A football where Olpe, Jefferson North, Centralia, Inman and Sedgwick have been awarded “phantom wins.”

All those listed football records for those teams are inaccurate.

In the past, the state has corrected poorly crafted 3-way tiebreakers in state volleyball and district football.

They should accomplish the same goal, and stop counting byes as wins.