AA bracket out

[1925Kee]

17 hours ago, kazam37 said:

I think the bottom line is competing on the most equal terms.  If I can bring any child into my school STRICTLY for the purpose of playing a particular sport (in this case women's soccer), then schools that do not have the resources or ability to do that makes for an uneven playing field.  I am certainly aware that there is no science that makes schools enrollment #'s equal, but I think the most reasonable solution there is to attempt to make the school size at least resemble equality. (and yes, I know there is nothing equal about two different numbers)  I have never seen such tight games all the way into the substate which my team made for the first time ever and if it wasn't for one 5-1 game the point differential in those four games was 6/5.....all four matches were decided by a point.

IMO.....moving the private schools was definitely needed....they play under a different set of rules and the results this post season are verifying that fact.  We have never won a district championship nor region title with CAK/Catholic in 4-A, yet our district still lays claim to being the strongest ever based on the number of State Titles those two have won....I've lost count really.  Yes, I am being sarcastic.  This season we finished second in regular season (to Rockwood) and won district championship and region.....and came within a whisper of beating Chucky Doak , who is still playing today. (won in first round 3-0)  If I'm guessing....and I am....I would say they are in virgin territory for their program too. 

All things aside, this season looks much better in my eyes.  You are seeing much more competitive games and interest is way up.  I have been looking on the wrong side of plenty of playoff beatdowns by CAK/Catholic, and they have done it to several teams that actually have solid players in their line-up.  Unfortunately, those were also some of CAK/KC's best teams too.  I have nothing against either of those schools.....they're winning title after title wasn't just about coaching or systems or privileges, but more about how they used the system in place to gain an advantage.  You can argue that point all you want, but it is ultimately true.  I was once asked by a private school coach if I wanted to take my team to train with them at a national training center and he knew fully well there was absolutely no way we could make that a reality.

Kaz  

Agree completely. Good post. I can explain that 5-1 outcome to a degree, but it doesn't change your point. The tournament was competitive and best of all, it helped sow a seed of interest in soccer from smaller, rural communities. In the long run, it can only help develop soccer in the state.

[Buellerbob]

The clubs have got to make a move from the cities into the more rural areas to see true growth in our state. We also need to see a price drop. I don't see either happening anytime soon. To many Chiefs and not enough Indians. 

[kazam37]

LadyKee.....we played pretty well on that 5-1 game and I'm sure your side had a better game in them.  Do I think our teams were that far apart, honestly no.....I think it was our day.  There is no question on a given day GB could beat us....and that is the heart of the matter....EVERYONE HAS A CHANCE.  Before we were all just watching far superior teams beat us repeatedly because they were given that opportunity by the system.  I'm sure your current FB team could easily "show us the door". lol

Kaz 

[barb]

On Wednesday, October 25, 2017 at 3:24 PM, DCURTIS said:

Now that truly is absurd!  The only 2 problems the TSSAA saw were 1) Missed opportunity for more revenue, and 2) whining constituents.

Number one is self explanatory...  

Number two:  They clearly got tired of listening to all the whiners complaining that their kids didn't have a chance because of all the big bad recruiting private schools.  So instead of encouraging those schools/areas to do things to strengthen their programs (see White House and Greeneville), they said screw it lets just add classifications.  And by all means, we have to separate those private schools.

I truly agree with breaking out the Class A teams from the AA. That was necessary and long overdue. The small schools from rural and/or economically disadvantaged areas have never nor would have ever been able to compete.  I think it is awesome for the growth of the sport to have  Division 1 Class A now. With that exception, there really wasn't anything wrong with how it was set up.

But no not good enough..."you gotta get rid of the small privates, its not fair"...

As Greeneville most definitely proved, the privates are beatable if you put in the work.  And by work, I mean parents contributing time and money to build the good rec programs, facilities, etc required to build those programs up, not the kids working/trying hard.  The kids are going to do that regardless. 

Next thing up we need to get those magnets and open enrollment schools out of the public divisions as well.  Let's just go to three divisions with 3 classes in each...NO...better yet let's just invite everybody to Murfreesboro for a brand new  "Life Champion Medalion" ceremony and play friendlies not keep score.

But hey, it works to my school's benefit. White House has a pretty easy path to State from now until some other schools step up the effort. If this had been the set-up White House would be sitting on at least 6 (probably 10 or 12) titles now between the boys and girls and I am sure there would be a movement to get us out somehow.

We will have to agree to disagree I suppose.  But my personal opinion is that it is a watered down title now in I-AA.

 

 

So open enrollment schools need a qualifier? Do youhave any idea how open enrollment works? Every school district in the state is required to accept intra zone transfers. Many have opted for some sort of open enrollment. Before Tennessee qualified for exemption from NCLB, plenty of schools benefitted from ooz transfer athletes. And the district was required to pay for transportation for the student from the underperforming school. Can you say Signal Mountain?

[DIIA]

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.