Sports squawk

Matthew Sprague had an interesting story late last week about the Mount Greylock football team. Perfect for the second straight season, the top-seeded Mounties must again open the playoffs at No. 4 Mahar.
It seems utterly unfair if you're a Berkshire County football fan. It also feeds the conspiracy theory that the Pioneer Valley is out to "get" those in the far western part of the state.
Actually, it's not like that at all. The Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association, those friendly overlords of high school sports in the Commonwealth, dictate that if a team's home field is a playoff site, that team must play there. It's a cost-saving measure that reduces travel. The NCAA has done it for years in college hockey.
The rule is a good thing. High school football is not the pros, where the competition is the only factor that needs to be taken into account. School budgets are worth considering, too. So it makes sense that travel should be avoided where possible, even if the least deserving team gets that privilege.
Short of finding an artificial turf playoff site in the county (that's a whole 'nother story), there's one thing the MIAA can do to make this alleged injustice a little easier to swallow. The Mounties are only playing Mahar because they're the fourth seed. If a school that isn't hosting a postseason doubleheader was fourth, this game would be at a neutral site like Holyoke or Westfield.
Wouldn't it make sense for the tournament director to ask Greylock coach Shawn Flaherty if he'd rather play a higher-seeded team at a neutral site instead of Mahar on its home field? That would give a perfect regular season some meaning. The Mounties have earned the right to determine their fate in some small way.