EHSParent

Ensworth 7 at Fairview 2

For DIV II AA, you can theoretically have ALL 4 teams going to state come from Mid?east Region, or 3 from WEST and 1 from Mid/EAST, or visa versa. There is no protocol for 2 from West and 2 from Mid/East. This from page 2 of the "handbook" for girls soccer, on the TSSAA web-site.

Go on the Handbook and look on page two, DIV.II and you can see what I am stating: 8 teams playing in what they call a quarterful round. Teams are seeded 1 through 3 in the WEST, and 1-5 in the Mid/EAST. They play eachother on the higher seeds home field. This is precisely where I got my info. Then the winners of those 4 games go to "the big show" for STATE. You are not a dumb brick, nor am I liking to hear myself post. Just trying to clarify. YOU MUST look at page two to get this inbfo., because the first page is not Div. II, which is what I've been writitng about.

I think my problem may in my mis-use of some of the terminolgy. First . . . DivIIA . . . and DIV IIAA are two entirley different divisions, and each will have their own state champion. In DIV IIAA, the Mid/East is a new region this year, made by collapsing the middle and the east. They will send 5 teams, and the West 3 teasm to what I will call a "sub-state". So, that makes 8 Div.IIAA teams playing eachother (according to seeding) in 4 sub-state games, and then sending the four winners to STATE tournament. Really, check out TSSAA.ORG, and click HANDBOOK at the top, and then choose girls soccer. It explains it in there.

Nort sure I followed that either. However . . . in Div IIAA, Mid-East Region, we have 10 teams. 5 will advance to state quarterfinals, and 3 from the West. Games will be played at the higher seeded school's site (four games). This is on the TSSAA web-site girls' soccer rules. Then the four winners to State. For Mid/East regional play it seems that the top 6 (of the 10) teams would have to have byes the first round, then #7 play #10, and # 8 play #9. Then you'd be left with 8 teams to fill four Mid/East Regional semi's. I presume the fours winners of those games would then go on to join the 3 teams from the East (see above). What beats me is how the 5th team from the Mid/East will be determined. Dazed and confused.

Fair enough. I know I was reacting - in part- to some comments made earlier in the season on this site about how things should never had changed from the Super Seven, and that Briarcrest, Ensworth, and others had no business with the big boys. Now, over the next few years things should be even better, with more teams. Ensworth does have deep pockets but so does MBA, BA, McCallie and most of the rest. Just check out some of their facilites. Its great to see, especially when I remember what I had in high school.

Boy, am I tired about hearing the term "Super Seven" like it is some 1950s college fraternity. In the 22 years I have lived in Nashville, it seems that it has mostly been the "MBA/BA Super Two" anyway (I may well be wrong about his, so apologize ahead of time). Ensworth is the smallest Division II AA School and will play the full schedule next year. A big win over CPA (a very good team), and games against MBA, McCallie, Father Ryan, Webb, JPII and BGA show me that they are not really ducking anyone in 2007. They have some real skill and speed, and fast defensive backs. Certainly size and depth are an issue with only 200 boys on campus, but we shall see. So, they have some tough games coming up, and they may win . . . they may lose (many thought Webb would win last week), but please don't feel offended that EHS has the temerity to actually want to play schools like MBA, McCallie, and others and actually jump in the sacred Super Seven sandbox with them.

Look at what has happened in Div. II AA. TSSAA collapsed East and Middle, and now you have Battle Ground Academy, Brentwood Academy, GPS, Baylor, John Paul II, Webb . . . not to mention Harpeth Hall, Father Ryan, Ensworth all fighting for slots. Most of them "ranked" rather highly. BUT . . . get this . . . what this does for the track season (I know this is soccer) . . . it puts the TOP 6 teams in last years state track meet all in one Division. I wonder how the heck they will be addressed in qualifying for the state meet. And lasts years meet was no fluke, these same teams have been up there for the last few years.

Saint Cecilia 0 at Ensworth 4

Yes, let's leave this alone. I may well have read soemhting into your comments and apologize for that. I do beleive that generally coaches want what's best for the kids they are coaching, and have no intent to go out and embarrass other kids.

Of course it's about them. But it is also about more than watching your JV girl score the 8th goal in a 10-0 rout of an ovematched team. It IS about them . . . it is about coaches teaching them skills, how to be aggressive, having composure, etc. It is NOT about us who respond on this site or the parents . . . jeez, most parents would love to see their kids score all the goals in the world. Kids can learn, be competitive in these games, and not have to score a baker's dozen. We had a recent game with an overmatched opponent, went up 5-0 (2 goals by the JV), and worked on other skills and mid field and defensive formations. The end score, 5-0. It was good for the girls. Kids generally "get it" in these situations, and undertand about not humiliating an opponent. Coaches can teach this stuff, and its valuable througout life. When you step on the field, youi need to be prepared, and their ought to be winners and losers. That's part of life. But you do not necessarilly need to run up the score. You still get the win, and its still about them . . . but coaches are teachers, too. So . . if someone wants to tell me that, the coash cannot come up with a way to curtail the scorign and still have the girls learn anything, I say " Not a very enlightened or creative coach" . If you say "We just want to win by as much as we can, and are willing to accept it if it happens to us," I may take issue with that, but it is at least more genuine.

Surely there are other rewards for good play beyond putting in a goal against an already defeated opponent, only to have them watch a JV player running back to mid field laughing and high-fiving. How are they going to improve"? How about in practice against the varsity? Or in all the other games they play, where the scsore is not out of control? Coaches who claim they just can't control it after they are already ahead by 5 or 6 goals, seem to have a lack of imagination and compassion. No, I am not a coach, but like most everyone on this site, I have seen hundreds of games . . . and have coached much younger girls. The hard lessons of absolutley getting creamed and humiliated can be learned elsewhere and later in life . . . and wonderful lessons and soccer skills can be learned by the victors when they treat the vanquished with some respect.

Ensworth 1 at Brentwood Academy 2 BA controlled most of the game, and the younger Sermonet and Langworthy are awfully hard to handle. Along with everyone else on their team. They are deep, sound, strong at every position. EHS cam back to have chances to tie after a 2-0 deficit with about 20 minutes to play. Good game.

No one but the families and the school(s) have all the info. . . . however, I beleive it is quite plausible that a kid would be allowed to play if they have the grades, and just had a finance issue at the other school versus someone who cannot make grades, and is not allowed to play. Those are reasonable rules, and -if that is the case- quite fair, and no one is being picked on.

Of the three kids who "moved" from Ensworth to Hillsboro . . . as has already been stated . . . two had some financial issues, and one had grade issues. The one with grade issues may still have them, and that is why he is not playing yet for Hillsboro. The other two can play because they have no grade issues. There is no conspiracy. All three are truly great kids and they still have many friends there. My child will attend the second half of the Hillsboro/MBA game to see her friends. Ensworth loves athletes as does any competitive school, but they have integrity, too . . . just ask Brentwood High who won a boys state track title this past year with a young man who left EHS (enough said). All private schools "recruit" in amanner of speaking . . . they ahve to because they have no automatic draw froma geographic area, like public schools. So they hold open houses, ihave formal introductions at other private middle schools, hold summer sports camps. And, if someone is a good athlete, and can hack it academically, that's wonderful foir the kid and the school. And, as for academics, none of the kids get a free pass.

Ensworth 5 at Hillsboro 0 JV players play most of the game, after initial scoring outburst, and worked a lot on spacing and passing. Classy move by Coach Koerner. Having witnessed this . . . a coach who can obviously tell when a team is outmatched . . . and can find away to play everyone, get quality touches and work on formations . . . and NOT have to score 9, 10 or 15 goals, I am unconvinced when I read commentaries when coaches and players say they just can't help it when the score gets run up. Hillsboro played very hard and never looked "down."

Siegel 6 at Ensworth 1 Yikes! But . . . lest you think the game was not competitive . . . let me say the following: After giving up two quick goals in the first 2 1/2 minutes, over the next 25 minutes Ensworth could well have scored 4 or 5 . . . so good were their chances. However, I do not want to diminish a sound beating handed out by Siegel. It just seemed that they scored on every opportunity, and EHS couldn't convert . . . headers off the keeper's finger tips, hitting the posts, the usual stuff we've all seen. But Siegel was relentless and just kept coming with speed and neat "give and goes". A good team, better than their record indicates. And the game was closer than the score, but we've all heard that before, haven't we?

Father Ryan 2 at Ensworth 2 Tale of two different halves. FR owns the first half, up 2-0 at half. Rymer and Kegg are hard to handle (hoped I spelled their names correct). Good team spead. EHS works hard the second half and socres the game tying goal with about 3 minutes left. Ensworth could have had a couple more with 3 very close (within 5-6 yards) shots from Emily Perkins, that she normally makes, but missed . . . and another rocket by Bowers off the cross bar. But, then, FR could have had another score or two themselves.

I agree with your sentiments about strength of schedule. It is remarkable here in Middle Tennessee ( I cannot comment on East of West, because I don't know) how many of the good teams are playing eachother. There are very few blow-outs, many close games, ties or one or two goal games. Siegel, Harpeth Hall, too, have played anyone anywhere it seems. It appears that the rankings here are fairly done, and things will definitely work themselves out considerably in another 7-10 days with many of the match-ups. Ensworth, my daughter's team, is highly ranked . . . but has only 2 official games, but I believe the tie against a quality opponent (Harpeth Hall, who also tied Baylor) and vistory v. Centennial counted for al ot (as well as a 1-0 lead over Brentwood High went the lights went outt at the end of the first half). However . . . we have yet to play Father Ryan, Siegel, Brentwood Academy, JPII, and BGA. As I say, things will become much more clear very soon.

You are correct kickgrass, BHS was still moving down the field at the end . . . at least until I wrestled the plug out of the socket that one last time. Good luck to BHS. A really great team, i believe.

I do not know how it works, but believe they had a full 40 minutes, because the clock stopped but play continued for a couple of more minutes with time kept on the field. The rules are under the National Federation of State high Schools Associaton, and you need to be memeber to get info off their web-site. No big deal. I don't think they'll try to reschedule, personally . . . short season, not a conference game.

Last night: Ensworth High 1 at Brentwood High 0 BUT, game called at half due to failure of the lights! Brentwood had the best of it about 2/3 of the time and had EHS on thier heels, racking up 12 shots to Ensworth's 3. But many were 25-30 yard darts over the net, and relatively few real close scoring chances. Ensworth had maybe 3 good scoring chances and capitalized on a one v. one from Emily Perkins. BHS is highly skilled and immensely talented. Just one of those nights for them. Too bad they couldn't get the second half played.

Ensworth JV 1 at Centennial JV 0

Ensworth did win 4-3 at Centennial. Could have gone eiether way with many chances for each side. Ensworth scored first, then fell behind 2-1 at half. Scored the next three goals, primarily with speed, and Centennial made it close with about 5-6 minutes left, bringign it to 4-3 EHS. 2 goals for Emily Perkins, 2 for Anna Bowers. Centennial is a very good, dangerous team. Ensworth played much better in the mid-field than they did against Harpeth Hall, and that helped. Like all mid-state teams, they ahve a grueling schedule coming up with Brentwood High, Independence, Brentwood Academy, BGA, Siegel, JPII, etc. This is a very, very hard region (not all the preceeding are in Div. II, of course).

My understanding is that HH is redoing their track/soccer/lacrosse area. Don't know if they will play all "home" games at MBA or what. They are a tough team.