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I covered Morton/Oak Park on Tuesday and Lyons/Hinsdale Central on Wednesday. Both games were at St. Ignatius, a campus which I think is one of the best in the state. Not only does the athletic department do a first-class job with all events, but it's a perfect setting for high school athletics.
With that said, however, wouldn't the IHSA and the sport be better off if some of the participating schools hosted games? Don't you think more students would've attended these playoffs games had they been closer?
I understand it's easy to have sectional sites, so officials can work doubleheaders. But in certain cases, it doesn't make a difference. Both games at St. Ignatius began at 3:30 p.m. and only one game was played each day.
Why couldn't one of the four schools taking part in the sectional hosted? Again, it's another case of using common sense to promote the sport. It keeps the players closer to home and doesn't force fans to travel far.
This is just one example. I hear this from coaches every year. Why shouldn't the higher seed have home-field advantage?
Why can't this format work:
Regionals semis: Monday/Tuesday
Regional finals: Wednesday/Thursday
Sectional semis: Monday/Tuesday
Sectional final: Wednesday/Thursday
Super: Monday
State Finals: Friday/Saturday
By following that schedule, you avoid conflicts with football and stadium issues. It allows you to have a rotation, so officials can work one day and then another if they want to.
Most of all, you are giving kids a chance to attend the game.
Seriously, how many kids from Hinsdale, LaGrange, Oak Park or Cicero battled traffic and raced to St. Ignatius in Chicago for a 3:30 p.m. soccer game?
And before anyone says that kids travel to the state finals at North Central College in Naperville, the state finals are a totally different story. Not to mention, more than half these kids attend because they are able to get out of school. It's like Friday Night football - half the kids in attendance are there to hang out, not to watch football.
Just answer this for me - the IHSA state tournament is for the kids and about the kids - right?
Or am I missing something?
- Joe Trost
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I love the thought of having 'HOME' games for the higher seeded teams. It also brings a greater importance to the regular season.
Playoffs should be played at fields that are top quality. While St. Ignatius has a top rated field many schools do not. Neuqua has its own natual grass soccer field with no lights. Naperville Central has a over used multi-sport field that becomes a mud pit when it rains. Then their is the issue with lights. Games should be played later in the day - 4:30 and 6:30 to allow parents to enjoy their child's effort.
In ever case the play offs should be played on the best field at a time when the greatest number of fans can attend. Maybe the folks at the IHSA office should review Law 18 and apply to all decisions.
Agree - but if you are going to use seeding for home field, seeding needs to occur later (as has been previously discussed on this site)
Wait a second Joe...St. Iggy a great site...no way! While scoutingI watched Oak Park and Morton set up their goal and benches...no parking...no stands...No lights....on of the worst turf fields...a score were only one team can see the clock...kids running around the track during the game... ball boys that stand....lets be honest...St. ignatius is an armpit, Lyons was a first class facilty for sectional games, lights, parking, food being served....that is what high school playoffs should be...not some rich dump
The time was horrible it cost me a personal day and their way no kids... what a complete joke.
Then next time, don't take a personal day. Maybe you left at halftime, too. What do you mean no parking? There is a huge parking lot right next to the school. The setting is great for high school soccer, a sport that averages about 100 fans - not 5,000. Kids running around the track - who cares? Did they stop play? No, it's called Ignatius kids using the site along with UIC. Lyons is a great site, too, but don't nail St. Ignatius. Every year when the IHSA comes calling because other sites don't want to host, St. Ignatius always hosts. If you want to see a dump, come cover Public League games with me. Just make sure your butler can find the inner-city.
The issue is, if your sectional is predominantly city schools (which the St. Ignatius sectional is) then you should have the sectional host be nearest the teams that make up the majority of the sectional. Hinsdale just happens to be the school furthest away from st. ignatius. Maybe if Hinsdale continues to B$#tch about it, the IHSA can put them out in the Naperville sectional, so they can go play DGS, Nap North, Nap Central, Nuequa etc., instead of playing in the cake sectional(comparitively speaking) against st. rita and mt. carmel! Iggy is fine for soccer. The field looks a little slippery. It's a little tight in the stands, and it's a little tough to see everything with the sight lines etc. But it's fine. Stop bi%$#ching, play the game, and - like you say Joe - Just win baby.
I, and many other Hinsdale fans, had no problem with the St. IG site. The field seemed fine. There were more players that slipped at St Rita than yesterday. It is disappointing to have fewer fans but there were more yesterday than at a regular away game. The setting with the skyline and trees were great and there were plenty of ball boys versus St Rita where no one from the host showed up at the Saturday final to assist on that. I might suggest that the girls track team delay their workout until aftr the game and maybe get their homework done from 3:30 to 5:30. But I'm happy to play their tomorrow night and then hopefully celebrate on Taylor Street. By the way soccer guru, the two forwards from Mt Carmel are as good as there are in the state and since we went 1-0-1 against nap central and Nap North we're happy to go just about anywhere IHSA wants - especially since as Joe knows, we do so each and every regular season!. Joe, thanks for covering the game.
Ignatius a dump? The place is a garden. I've been there twice and it is buitiful. All turf fields act differently as conditions change. The Iggy representitives, parents and students are among the best of hosts. Soccerguru2? get real, what yuo call
b!&@hing, is the kind o0f positive criticism that make the world a better place. I get you as another lazy republican who doesn't like change even if staying the same is lethal.
The whole IHSA system could be improved and it will not unless the criticisms can be compared, evaluated and judged
Don't worry Soccerguru2,we don't need your help.
So do you like going to iggy and taking a personal day or not? I'm confused. Positive criticsm? Yeah, that's a good spin on it. Just suck it up, drive down on the Ike already. It's about the players. Go to the game and cheer positively. OK? Um... and Mt. carmel is good and all, but they basically have two good players. Play Neuqua or DGS and you got about 7-8 good players. Yeah you can mark up the one good player for mt. carmel and shut down the team. Try that with the Naperville teams and you might end up going home........
This is for soccerguru2:
Jerry Maddi had 18 assists this year and you called him selfish? He is the best center mid in state. He is not one of Jay Konrads Magic boys and was held back by his crappy coach. In 2 seasons at Central Maddi only played in 36 games while haveing 22 goals and 25 assists. Sounds pretty unselfish to me. How could you name yourself guru when you have absolutely no idea what you are talking about?