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By Sonny Jones

Several years ago, in an effort to reduce travel for early-round playoff games, the N.C. High School Athletic Association introduced a pod system. Basically, a region would be grouped together.

It didn’t last long nor did it go over well. One four-team pod may have four powerhouse teams while another four-team pod may only have one strong team.

Unfair!, critics shouted.

Now state playoffs are seeded 1 through 32 in the East and West based on a rankings formula. Teams fall where they fall and travel is not part of the consideration.

Travel should be considered in the first round where, often, mismatched teams are playing.

So, we have the East Bladen boys’ soccer team that traveled about 500 miles round trip to Manteo on Monday for a first-round game and the East Bladen football team that will travel about 400 miles round trip to Ahoskie on Friday to play Hertford County.

The East Bladen boys’ soccer was seeded 30th and was paired against the third-seeded team, which turned out to be Manteo. The rankings and tiebreakers and conference champions called for it.

Couldn’t a consideration for travel be factored? Couldn’t, say, the bottom eight seeds be adjusted a tad so a 500-mile trip to get beat be avoided?

For example, couldn’t East Bladen have played at No. 2 James Kenan, which would be about a 100 mile round trip? Couldn’t the Eagles have faced No. 4 Clinton, a conference rival and about an 80 mile round trip? Or even No. 5 Spring Creek, which would have been about a 150 mile round trip?

Admittedly, it’s more complicated than that. If East Bladen is moved, then where do No. 28 Graham, No. 29 East Duplin, No. 31 Pittsboro Seaforth and No. 32 Goldsboro play?

However, there has to be a middle ground somewhere. There’s no reason for a lower seeded team with a very slim chance of winning a game having to travel 300, 400, or 500 miles to play once. The NCHSAA and its member schools need to study the possibility.

WEDNESDAY’S PICK TO CLICK

Aaron Nola to rebound from a pair of poor postseason starts to give Philadelphia a solid 6-inning, 2-run outing against Houston in Game 4 of the World Series.

TUESDAY’S PICK (Held over from Monday because of postponement): Kyle Schwarber connects for his first home run in this World Series as the Phillies capture Game 3. RESULTS: Schwarber was one of five Phillies to homer off Lance McCuller Jr. in a 7-0 triumph against Houston.

TODAY IN SPORTS HISTORY

• 2016 — The Chicago Cubs win their first World Series championship since 1908 when Ben Zobrist hits a go-ahead double in the 10th inning, beating the Cleveland Indians 8-7 in a thrilling Game 7.

POTATO PICKS TO WATCH TODAY

• FIELD HOCKEY: North Carolina vs. Syracuse, 1 p.m., ACCN

• FIELD HOCKEY: Duke vs. Northwestern, 3:30 p.m., ACCN

• MEN’S SOCCER: Boston College at North Carolina, 6 p.m., ACCN

• FOOTBALL: Western Michigan at Bowling Green, 7 p.m., ESPN2

• FOOTBALL: Central Michigan at Northern Illinois, 7 p.m., ESPNU

• NHL: Pittsburgh at Buffalo, 7:30 p.m., TNT

• NBA: Boston at Cleveland, 7:45 p.m., ESPN

• WORLD SERIES: Houston at Philadelphia, 8 p.m., FOX

• MEN’S SOCCER: Notre Dame at Clemson, 8 p.m., ACCN

• NBA: Memphis at Portland, 10:05 p.m., ESPN

• LPGA: Japan Classic, 11 p.m., GOLF