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Old Forge Game Was Unnecessary

By D Hollis   Wed, Nov 09, 2011

Tuesday night the HCS boys soccer team won its second Section III Class D title of the year; well, of the week.

On Saturday the Emerald Knights beat Cincinatus 1-0 to win the Class D-1 title, and on Tuesday, they beat Old Forge, which won the Class D-2 title. Let's, then call HCS the Section III Class D Super Champions or Mega Winners or Penulimate Best or ...

But, honestly, there was no need in the universe as we know it today that Tuesday night's game between HCS and Old Forge was necessary. In fact, it was an unfair imposition, and makes clear that a change is necessary.

It appears that all you had to do was fog a mirror to qualify for the Class D sectional tournament this year. By our count, five teams had losing records -- some abysmally so -- and yet they were allowed into the post season. For example: Madison's record was (6-10), Blessed Virgin (7-8-1), Faith Heritage (3-7-5) and Stockbridge Valley (7-8-1). 

Because of this, the Class D playoffs were split in two and the winners of each half had to play an extra game to see who would represent Section III against Section IV in friday's regional.

Why does this smell like a locker filled with month old sweat socks? The reasons are clear:

  1. Allowing teams that lose 70 percent of their games into the playoffs cheapens the tournament and insults the teams that earned their way to the post-season by actually winning.
  2. Taking so many teams into the tournament that it forces a split bracket and an inter-class playoff game like Tuesday night's adds unnecessary expense at a time when schools are working hard to save money.
  3. It means the winner -- in this case Hamilton -- had to play an additional game, which its opponents in the regionals didn't have to.
  4. Cherry Valley-Springfield therefore had a great opportunity to watch the HCS vs. Old Forge game and learn about their upcoming opponent.

Heaven forbid this is another move to make sure every team feels special; it's like the children's games in which everyone gets a trophy just for showing up.

Between now and the beginning of next soccer season, Section III needs to revist its post-season selection process seriously. Its now allows a team with a .400 record either 1) overall 2) in their league 3) in their class qualify for the post-season. Further, it says that if 17 teams meet that incredibly low bar, the tournament is split in two based on enrollment.

If nothing else, do what the NCAA does and make the bottom two teams play into the sectionals instead of making the winners do what HCS and Old Forge did Tuesday.

If Section III doesn't make the change, and there is the same unnecessary playoff at the end of the playoffs, at least have the decency to acknowledge the winners. After Tuesday's game, both teams just sort of shambled/trudged off the field and staggered through a perfunctory post-game handshake line. Before the teams could get packed for their trips home, host school Sauquoit was turning off the lights, as if say, "Here's your hat, what's your hurry?"

That's not how Old Forge should have ended its season or HCS have progressed to the regionals.

Section III has a year to get it right. 

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