Where are we headed?

Got back today from the Class 2A state finals in Normal and kept turning a few things over in mind:
Was it frustrating for Bishop McNamara to go Downstate again, for the fourth time since 2004, and not win a game?
That question was asked to coach Jeff Bennett during the postgame news conference after the Irish lost to Teutopolis in the third-place game and finished fourth. Actually, the reporter in question (whom I didn't know) asked Bennett if he ever gets frustrated as a coach that his teams just can't win in Normal.
He thought for a few seconds, what seemed like a while, and said no. His kids work hard and many would envy his teams for going Downstate.
I feel bad for seniors like Brittany Hasselbring, Brandi Branka and Laura Schmidt. They were freshmen when the Irish went Downstate in 2005 and left their hearts out on the floor Saturday night. Bennett said it was a pretty emotional locker room after the game.
But what everyone was stressing all weekend was that everyone gets a trophy in the new four-class system no matter if you lose Friday or not. Everyone's a winner even if you lose.
I'm not dimishing what McNamara did. I'm glad they got a fourth-place trophy to take home. It's going to look a lot better on Monday, probably, than it did Saturday night.
But I'm just wondering where high school sports is going if everyone is considered a "winner" in this four-class system. It's like no one is allowed to lose or feel the emotions that go along with it.
Like one coach told me a year ago: he's worried that state championships are going to mean a lot less down the road than they did in a two-class format.
I'm worried we're already there.
Sometimes not being considered a winner -- or even just downright failing at something -- makes you a heck of a lot stronger in the future and makes you work that much harder.