Least Competitive Region Finals Ever?

[OldSchoolLion]

In terms of final scores, these were the least competitive region finals I can ever remember.  For perspective, below I have listed two numbers after each year.  The first number represents the number of region finals decided by 21 or more points that year.  The second number represents the number of region finals decided by 10 points or less that year.

This is the first year in the modern era in which more than half of the regional finals were decided by 21 or more points.  And this is the second year in a row that 25% or less of the games were decided by 10 points or less..another first.  Although this doesn't definitively prove a trend, things are not looking good.  IMO, we should routinely see 30-40% of these games decided by each set of margins.

Last week I posted(see below) about this topic as it pertains to second round games and a similar observation in the upper classes.

2018   18/5

2017   15/8

2016   13/10

2015   15/12

2014   15/10

2013   13/15

2012   11/13

2011   15/9

2010   11/17

2009   10/9

2008   16/11

2007   14/15

2006   13/14

2005   9/16

...for some historical perspective, games that would be the equivalent of region finals today.

2002   7/8    There were 6 classes then, so 29% of games were decided by 21 or more points, and 33% of games were decided by 10 points or less

2000   8/9    There were 6 classes then, so 33% of games were decided by 21 or more points, and 38% of games were decided by 10 points or less

1998   7/10  There were 5 classes then, so 35% of games were decided by 21 or more points, and 50% of games were decided by 10 points or less

1997   8/9    There were 5 classes then, so 40% of games were decided by 21 or more points, and 45% of games were decided by 10 points or less

1995   3/8    There were 5 classes then, so 15% of games were decided by 21 or more points, and 40% of games were decided by 10 points or less

1993   8/8    There were 5 classes then, so 40% of games were decided by 21 or more points, and 40% of games were decided by 10 points or less

1991   7/7    There were 5 classes then, so 35% of games were decided by 21 or more points, and 35% of games were decided by 10 points or less

1988   8/7    There were 5 classes then, so 40% of games were decided by 21 or more points, and 35% of games were decided by 10 points or less