Every Coach, every program, and every fan has a different prospective on the needs of a schedule when preparing for district and the playoffs. There is no blueprint for success. I had to coach against RS twice, when they had a "cupcake" schedule leading into the playoffs. Many said they were "untested". We had a strong team both years, and were 45'd both times. RS went on to 45 their way to state championships. I've watched teams play every quality team in the state; but come up short at the end of the season, and get ridiculed for their efforts. The reality is, a Coach prepares his team to play in district and beyond. In order to make a deep run in the playoffs, you must be healthy (somewhat), and clicking on all cylinders. Fans want the best matchups, regardless the ramifications, as long as it's a good game. Most Coaches try to land somewhere in the middle. I can't give any words of wisdom on the ingredients to success, because I haven't found it. I know I try to schedule my opponents based on one thing, and talent level isn't a major contributing factor. To win district, I have to beat Chester and Apple Springs, but make no mistake, all roads lead to Oakwood. The bulk of my opponents are traditional spread teams, with some variation of a shotgun J. I want to see as many variations as possible of the different things Oakwood could throw at us. Is it short-sided to only look at a district championship? Probably. But you're not the one spending an entire season, knowing in the back of your head, that Tritz and Wells have that program on point, and that one of your main goals match theirs. Long story short, remember, the Coach doesn't have to justify his schedule to anyone, until his losses outweigh his efforts. Moral victories will only get you so far, and then it will define your resume. It's not all about winning, but it's also not all about entertaining the fans. Neither of those philosophies put the kids first. If I'm going to go down, I want to go down knowing I was preparing my kids to win in November the best way I know how.