barcelona

I'll weigh in on the side that stresses the importance of travel ball. I follow Cookeville soccer, and the level of success of both the boys and girls' squads has a direct correlation to club ball. The boys' squad has been to sectionals 3 out of the last 4 years, to state once, and has been ranked in the Eurosport poll the past two years. 90% of the Cookeville boys' varsity squad plays travel ball. While they play D-II, the six months or so of training they receive from that, as has been evidenced by recent success, has greatly contributed to keeping the boys' program at a high level. When the Cookeville girls' program was it its best (Charlie Hardee's team of '04 and Grant Kelly's team of '05), 90% of the girls played travel--and many of those went to Nashville or Knoxville to play their club ball. This year's Cookeville girls' squad had only 4 varsity starters who played travel ball. Even with talented athletes, it is extremely difficult for a team to contend if the majority of its players receive only the three months of training that comes with the high school season. Fortunately, the Cookeville girls' travel program is getting organized again, and there will (hopefully!) be u-15 and u-13 teams in the spring.

Blackman 1 Cookeville 0

Cookeville had a couple of clumsy challenges, and Siegel wound up with a couple of girls with injuries. The challenges were not dirty per se, as there was no intent to harm. As for what went on in the crowd, there was an altercation between a Cookeville student and a Siegel parent. There doesn't need to be 5 pages about what happened there, so let's just leave it at that. Siegel looked awfully good. They probably could have beaten half the boys' teams in 7-AAA as well as they played last night.

They went in 2006, and you will likely see them there this year.

Cookeville represented the district well in winning the McMinn County Invitational this weekend. Cookeville 4 - Signal Mountain 1 Cookeville 3 - McMinn County 0 Cookeville 2 - Ooltewah 0

Cookeville plays Warren County on 10/16.

Cookeville 3 Livingston Academy 0 Neither Kat Nigro (LA) nor Kelsey Roberson (Cookeville) played, so spectators missed out on what would have been a great individual matchup.

Baylor 6 Cookeville 0 Cookeville 4 Coffee County 0

http://www.tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/ar...RTS07/806120381

Cookeville Sam Liska - Northland College (Wisconsin) Chris Metts - Maryville

Well, for one, Blackman beat 'em 6-0.

Cleveland 1 - Cookeville 0 Cleveland possessed 60/40, scored on a long punt and subsequent Cookeville defensive miscue. First half belonged to Cleveland, second half featured more opportunities for Cookeville.

Copied from the 7-AAA thread: If I read #2 correctly, the Warren County-Lebanon match this week is going to decide seeds 1, 2, 4, and 5.

If the teams tie, then Cookeville becomes first seed. A Riverdale victory gives them the first seed, and if I understand the tiebreakers correctly, Blackman would need to win and have Lebanon beat or tie Warren County to earn the first seed.

What kills Shelbyville's case for inclusion in the polls is the strength of schedule. From Eurosportscoreboard.com: Combined W-L-T record of Opponents Shelbyville: 77-86-35 Hendersonville: 107-45-30 Switch those records and Shelbyville would absolutely deserve to be ranked. Although I'd wager they might show up in the Eurosport polls this week since several teams above them lost some games last week. If not, the snub can always serve as motivation on the field.