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For years, I've stood behind the belief that final newspaper rankings cannot and should not be based on how soccer teams finish in the IHSA state playoffs.
Why?
With unbalanced sectionals, many of which are far more loaded than others, this is a basic tournament to provide an opportunity for kids to play in and for the IHSA to generate revenue. Take away the marketing, take away the promotion and spin, and that is exactly what you have - a basic tournament.
And guess what? There's nothing wrong with that.
We all know that some teams have tough regionals and sectionals, while others cruise to supersectional play. As the IHSA has told you before and will tell you again, it is not looking to get the best teams to the state finals - it is looking for geographical representation.
SouthtownStar columnist Tony Baranek was just the latest to echo my same feelings when he wrote last week, "I still don't agree with the often-expressed opinion by IHSA head Marty Hickman that regional representation at state finals is more important than quality. Way too many good Chicago-area teams will be going home early because they got shoved head to head into each other."
Someday, I will be the first reporter not to rank the IHSA playoff champion as my final No. 1. There will be a time when a team gets hot and runs to the tournament crown. As many know now, just because a team makes it to the state quarterfinals doesn't mean it will find a spot in the season's final rankings.
Rankings are based on the entire season, not one game. Just because a team may have been upset in the regional final or sectional semifinals shouldn't take away from what they did the previous 20-or-so games.
Teams strive to have good seasons and win tournaments. It's great to look back and say you won the Best of the West, Barrington Tournament or Pepsi Showdown. Teams want to win the IHSA state tournament. It's a great way to end the season.
But remember folks, it's a basic tournament with marketing - not a final ranking. And at the end of the day, you have a say in all of this. It's your tax or tuition dollars that are paying those fees schools throughout the state pay to the IHSA.
If you want things to change, someone needs to step up and stop accepting status quo. With three classes now, which created additional regionals and sectionals for teams to win and the IHSA to charge gate at, why can't the playoff seeding system change to a non-AYSO format?
Speaking of rankings, here is the Sun-Times Preseason Boys Soccer Top 10. Always good to look back and see how teams did.
PRESEASON TOP 10
1. Naperville Central: Talent is there, and state final at North Central College is only a short walk away.
2. New Trier: Starting 10 is loaded, but who will stand tall in goal?
3. Neuqua Valley: Big pieces return from last year's second-place team.
4. Geneva: Sloan, Spurgin, McCabe, Peniak and Carmany the five to watch.
5. Lyons: Powerful 1-2 punch: Billy McGuinness and Chris Meingast.
6. Lake Zurich: Taao Scarnato is one of the top goalies around.
7. Hinsdale Central: Taylor Cole is a sophomore on the rise.
8. WW South: Derek Babb takes over for his brother in goal.
9. Larkin: A team to watch with nine starters back.
10. Maine South: Can summer success carry over into regular season?
Others: Naperville North, Morton, Kelly, Plainfield Central, St. Charles North
- Joe Trost
http://yourseason.com
http://sports.espn.go.com/highschool/rise/soccer/index
http://www.pepsishowdown.us
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Yeah, but at the end of this tournament you get to call yourselves "STATE CHAMPIONS". It's more than just a great way to end the season - it's probably the primary goal of every team that starts those practices in mid August. And I agree with you to some extent about good teams getting upset doesn't make them bad teams. But come on, not every team in the State is entered into the Pepsi Showdown or the Best of the West! So I'd say winning this "tournament" is a much bigger deal that your beloved Pepsi showdown.... no offense. And, I do think that there is some credence to the team that wins this tournament calling themselves #1 in the state. Yeah, go ahead and rank Naperville Central or Morton (for example) in the top 10 as they did have fine seasons. But I think there is no question you have to rank the winner of this "tournament" the #1 team at the end of the year.