DIIA

Agreed 1,000% It's poor to have a girls STATE CHAMPIONSHIP game in any sport on a football Friday night. Whether intended or not, it really sends the wrong message about girls athletics. Going forward, the hope is to • (1) have a day break between the semifinal and final like Division I has, and • (2) have the final not be on a football Friday night. There is enough time to have four finals in the stadium on a single day as the last final on Saturday is at 4:30, leaving enough time for a fourth match at 7:00. For the fifth final, one of the five classes would play their final on one of the other 16 fields at the same complex on a rotating basis. DII-A would be more than willing to be the first in the five year rotation to play on the auxiliary field.

The Hustlin' Tigers are in the house. Well done Howard!

That is incorrect. If you have something in the TSSAA Constitution and Bylaws which says otherwise, please post either a link, screenshot, or state the Article and Section where this is found. The only sport possibly impacted by this is boys basketball.

A couple of points: 1. GCA has only been a TSSAA member school for 3 years. They have not dropped a district/region football schedule in the past. 2. Playing young and physically small players in any other sport is not like playing them in football. There is a big difference with playing a bunch of 8th graders in a varsity soccer game vs a varsity football game. The whole "men and boys thing." 3. GCA asked to be moved to Division II for the upcoming fall and their request was denied. 4. I don't recall the people who are worked up about this voicing any concerns when the schools in District 10-A Boys and Girls Basketball colluded in what could be described as nothing less than cartel-style behavior in collectively refusing to play Columbia Academy during the regular season, and then decreeing those games they refused to play were a forfeit for the other team. 5. The amount of complaining about public and private schools is simply stunning considering all but five private schools are out of Division I and those five will be out in 12 months. If you have a problem with those five being in Division I, go talk to your representative on the board of control and legislative council. They wrote the rules which permits them to still play in Division I in 2017-18 and 2018-19. 6. They are not going to be banned from the post-season in all sports. Why? Because the TSSAA Constitution and Bylaws do not permit that. This is why he have rules which are to be followed rather than a dictator following the whims of a mob. Rule of law vs rule of man NOTES: #4 - that cartel-style behavior is at or near the top of the list of all time examples of what we as adults should not be teaching student-athletes. Justifying it because of public-private is poor and something which I hope none of the student-athletes "learning" from the adults ever emulates 10-15 years from now when they are in coaching and administrative positions which makes these kind of decisions. JFW

FACT 1: Smyrna beat Riverdale 55-39 in an elimination game FACT 2: Smyrna did not advance to the next round Fact 1 + Fact 2 = the result of the game was changed (using video review) "The result of the game was not changed" is incorrect The analogy is correct. I never disagreed both teams should have been DQ'd, I'm simply pointing out the fact that he only way to have changed the result - AND IT WAS CHANGED - was to use video review, something which they said they could not do in 2018. The problem remains that rules are being selectively enforced and selectively ignored based on... well based on... nobody seems to know. The question is still on the floor: What rule(s) changed which permitted video review to be used in 2015 but then prohibited it in 2018.

The TSSAA stated "TSSAA does not use video to change the score of a game once it is completed and that he had not watched the video submitted as part of the complaint" There are two problems with this statement: 1. Back in 2015, when Smyrna beat Riverdale 55-39 and both girls' basketball teams were intentionally trying to lose the game in order to avoid Blackman... the result of that game was changed after it was completed. What mechanism other than reviewing video was used to determine the result of the game had to be changed after its conclusion? They did the right thing buy DQ-ing both teams, but if video could not be used, what was used to do this? 2. Refusing to even watch the video is poor. I don't know the intentions of the people making the mistake but it would have served the TSSAA well to have at least viewed the relevant video to see if it clearly showed nefarious activity. Announcing they refused to watch it comes across as arrogant and out of touch with the student-athletes and communities which their decisions impact. Simply put, it's just really bad PR. The TSSAA has to be intellectually consistent when ruling on these sort of matters. The answer to the first question must be addressed in how the 2015 ruling differed from this one in 2018. And if video was used in the Riverdale/Smyrna case, what rule change(s) took place between then and now which either (a) permitted video review in 2015, or (b) prohibits it in 2018.

Current brackets for Boys and Girls Division II-A http://twitter.com/tndiiathletics

Let me confirm and correct a few things: 277 HS students, 214 away from Class-AA 7 students away from Class-AA with the multiplier 5 private schools remain in Division I (Berean, Columbia Academy, Grace Leipers Fork, Knoxville Catholic, Trinity) Catholic and Grace have declared for Division II for 2019-20 Berean, Columbia Academy, and Trinity will do so as well before the end of this 2-year classification period Now on to some commentary: I cannot figure out what these schools, coaches, administration, and districts are hoping to teach their students athletes with the following policies: Behaving in a cartel-style fashion by collectively refusing to play a team in your district After refusing to play said opponent, then to declare that your opponent forfeited the game(s) Universally decree them to be in last place in district seeding Private-public is not what is at issue here, what is at hand is whether you believe the above 3 bullet points to be honorable and the kind of behavior you want your kids to learn and emulate.

You'll exit off I-65 @ Old Hickory Blvd (Exit 74-west). There are several places on Franklin Road (left at the first light) along with a few places in Brentwood as you drive along OHB. If you get to where the road gets down to two lanes, there is literally nothing from there to the CPA campus, all residential. What'ca looking for? We got Italian, Mexican, burgers, pizza, Chick-Fil-A, BBQ, etc., along the Franklin Road drive. Good little Mexican place behind the post office, Mazatlan 116 Wilson Pike Circle 37027 if you're looking for Mexican and something non-chain.

I had the pleasure of meeting DCurtis from White House in Murfreesboro on Thursday before both of our semifinal matches. He made a point to come up and find me and we had a really great talk for about five minutes. His daughter was the goalkeeper, a senior, on the 2012 WH team which made their semifinal run which was the first time the Lady Devils had made it to the state tournament. I distinctly remember playing them in 2009 when that class of seniors where freshmen. We knocked them out in the region semi by 4 or 5 to 0, but I knew those players - too young and small at the time - would be a great team at some point. Fast forward to 2012, when we beat WH in the region final in overtime. They were a great team and at state, I really didn't want to see them again in the final. Partially because we wanted to play CAK, as they were the best at the time for several years running and to be the best, you have to play and beat the best. But I really wasn't interested in playing White House in the final because I knew at some point, they were going to have our number. It didn't work out for them that year, but this year it did. I'm so happy that White House won Class AA this past week. Felzein with the girls and Lamberth with the boys are both class acts. I've never talked to Felzein about the public-private thing (which is now a moot point) but Lamberth and I have. It's a topic where well intentioned and reasonable people can have differing opinions. He's always been a proponent of splitting the two, but NEVER ONCE did he ever complain about having to play us or any of the other private schools in knockout games. White House took their soccer program and built it up to what culminated in their winning a girls' soccer state title last Saturday. It took close to a decade to do it because building a program is a crock pot, not a microwave. The same can be said for Greeneville. They took several losses at state in the 2009-10 years at the hand of private schools and then were knocked out 4 years straight in the sectional round by privates, only to return in 2015 and win back to back state titles, the first public school to win A/AA in close to 15 years. Was the path to get there easier in 2017 than last year because of no private schools? Yes. Does that take anything away from taking down the reigning back to back state champion? I give a resounding NO to that question. Well done, White House.

Public v Private aside, we've been asking for 3 classes in Division I for years. While we're now Division II and it doesn't directly impact us, it is good for soccer. Yes, the quality of play in Class A ball is not what AA has, just as AA while the play of I think 3 teams in the state is up close to the AAA level, the AA schools just don't have the depth that AAA schools enjoy. This is why we have multiple classes and this is a good thing. AlcoaDad is correct with what he is saying. It's going to take time, but with schools and programs starting to win district titles and moving on to Region, Sectional, and State, there will be more interest in students playing soccer at those schools. More players translates into better soccer, more community and parent involvement and better coaching. It is not going to happen in 6 months or even in a year or two, but given time, it will happen and this is good for soccer. Just look at what Greenville has done. It took them close to a decade, but they have gone from "the team that gets out of a really bad region" and gets pounded at state to the first public school to win Class A/AA in close to 15 years, and both the boys and girls programs did it in the same year. As for the West, unfortunately there were multiple forfeits. One team from District 13 got a literal free pass to state the night they won their district semi, and the other team run ruled their only post-district opponent 10-1. This is just poor. These schools which are (a) not fielding teams and/or (b) refusing to play postseason matches submitted paperwork to the state declaring they had soccer programs. Quad 1 = 20 teams Quad 2 - 21 teams Quad 3 = 19 teams Quad 4 = 8 teams (4 of which are in District 13). 14 has 2, 15 has 2, and 16 has 0. The two from 14 refused to play as did the one from 15 Back to something good. Of the 12 teams in sectionals from Regions 1-6, 10 had never been to that point... EVER. Additionally, Madison and Martin Westview are the only teams at state in the Class A state tournament which have previously been there, so there are 6 programs where this is a milestone and hopefully something to build on for soccer in their respective communities. Just remember, this is a crock pot not a microwave.

I wouldn't count Page out just yet. Between Greenville, White House, and Page two were going to get stuck on one side of the bracket and the other was going to avoid both until Saturday - assuming they can win their first two. White House is a solid team this year, as they have been for almost 10 years. We played up at your place a few months back and drew 3-3. Really good match played well and clean from both sides. Always great to play WH, especially now where it doesn't mean that one of us gets sent packing. Not expecting much from 4 of the 8 teams in the field based on results from the regular and post season but those are also the ones which are easy to overlook and can cause trouble. East Hamilton could be interesting though making their return to AA ball this cycle.

The West Region in DII-A is doing it right. They only have a region tournament with seeding based on the regular season results. This is really the way to do this as it reduces the wear and fatigue on the athletes after a long season. All teams are included in the region tournament, the top teams from each district get byes straight into the region quarterfinals and the teams which emerge from the region have less matches to play. As for the TSSAA in all of this, the only thing they mandate is that each of the three DII-A Regions have their top 4 teams. Each region (which are each comprised of two districts) can have these four teams in any manner they choose. The West Region has chosen to do this with a region only tournament. Really hoping both the Middle and East Regions follow suit.

All the Division I A scores and brackets are up. http://tnhssoccer.weebly.com Does anyone know about districts 15 and 16 single-A? According to the TSSAA, 15 has 4 teams and 16 has 1, but none of them have much of anything on their second posted. With the District 14-A forfeits, it looks as though the District 13-A District Semifinal match was the free pass to state. If this is the case, 4 district 13-A teams battling for 2 positions at state is poor, and this should be addressed in future years if this turns out to be the case.

http://tnhssoccer.weebly.com Simple, accurate, and easy to understand DII-A brackets (and all the other classes too. JFW

QUICK VERSION: No EXPLANATION: Once you start 9th grade you have 8 consecutive semesters of eligibility. Additionally, if you repeat 7th or 8th grade and participates in athletics in their repeating year, they are ineligible in 9th grade and would only have 6 consecutive semesters beginning in 10th grade. So you can call it whatever you want, but the clock continues ticking. Repeating 10th grade means they cannot play their senior year.

With the blind draw (one exception that teams from the same region be placed on opposite sides of the bracket), I'm surprised nobody has pointed out that it was impossible for the draw to take place until after the two matches today. Same for AAA soccer and AA Softball. In A-AA, there are only 2 groups of teams which had to be placed on opposite sides of the bracket (CPA-Page & JC-JNS). While the other two pairs from Regions 1-2 and 3-4 were placed on opposite sides to eliminate the possibility of the Boyd-Louden and MCM-MH winners being on the same side, there was a 50-50 chance of Greeneville-CAK and MCM-Boyd being grouped on the same side, as they had of being put on opposite sides. They did the same thing with AAA (only 4 teams had to be split). AA softball (as of now with the one remaining game) only had 4 which needed to be split. All this to say, I am not questioning whether the draw was done blind - although they really should broadcast it live as it would take little more than an iPhone using FaceTime broadcasting live it on a YouTube channel. But these three draws were not done according to the rules as they put specific teams on opposite sides of the bracket when there is no requirement to do so, nor is there a provision which permits it. We will face Central Magnet for the 4th straight year, quarters in '14 and '15 and semis last year. Should be a great match as they looked good today coming from behind 1-0 to force overtime with Louden and then putting the match away in OT. See everyone in the 'Boro on Tuesday.

Of the (16) A/AA Region semi matches, 10 had a +1 margin of victory and at least 6 of those went to extra time or penalties. 4 were +2, and 2 were +3. Doesn't look like there will be much of the winning soccer matches by touchdowns this May.

Sounds like a classy father/son combo.

Is it safe to assume the nice hand signals + shoving the the coach + throwing water bottles + commentary on social and dating habits was all one player and that was also the player sent off?

It's always possible.

Imagine that...

That is incorrect. Here is the wording: "During the postseason, games suspended due to conditions which make it impossible to continue play shall be continued from the point of suspension of play if less than one half of the game has been played. The same procedure shall be used of more than one half of the game has been played and the score is tied when the play is suspended." This wording does not address what happens if the game is suspended at half time with one team leading. In another part of the soccer regulations document it addresses what you described where the referee declares the match complete if half has been played, but that only applies to regular season matches. Unfortunately, there are several "cracks in the sidewalk" in the TSSAA Bylaws and Constitution as well as the regulations for each sport. Most of these "cracks" are for obscure or extremely rare situations, but they exist. If 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6 happens, here's what to do... Here's what you cannot do if 8, 9, or 10 happen... and that's the end. While it covers almost all situations, there is #7 which is not addressed, which is what happened here. The regular season rules is the only thing which addresses this situation and that is what appears to have been applied here as it is the closest thing which could apply, but it's still not addressed. I think most people would consider it poor taste to "not be available or interested" in finishing a district championship because you are leading at halftime. This kind of situation absolutely MUST be addressed by the state association because right now, there are no rules which exist in this situation to be used as a standard, which means rules and decisions are made up on the fly.

http://tnhssoccer.weebly.com

http://tnhssoccer.weebly.com