CCS public schools

[colhenrylives]

Because this section is so utterly and completely dominated by private/parochials (the WCAL and the WBAL are probably the two best overall girls' basketball leagues in NorCal), the attention paid to the publics at the regional and Bay Area levels is minimal. And, after all, no CCS public has won a CIF hoops crown in 30 years (Burlingame 1988 is the sole CCS public ever to achieve that feat by the way). Since this section has an Open Division bracket, it's common for seven slots to be taken by private/parochials, leaving one spot (sometimes two) for a public, a sort of sacrificial taxpayer-supported lamb if you will. For the sake of the often-anonymous CCS publics who labor in the long shadow of the powerhouse private/parochials, here's a purely speculative and arguable public top ten as league play commences this month _ feel free to debate their merits:

Edited as of 9 a.m. Wednesday 1-17-19

1. Menlo-Atherton
2. Aptos
3. South San Francisco
4. Gunderson
5. Aragon
6. Carlmont
7. Mills
8. Saratoga
9. Seaside
10. Palo Alto

 

[DFence1st]

Aptos/MA would be the only teams of those bunch that could compete. No one else on that list would even be considered by the selection committee

 

[letsski]

Aptos/MA would be the only teams of those bunch that could compete. No one else on that list would even be considered by the selection committee

Aragon just lost to undefeated Presentation by 2 today 52-50 - last second 3 pt. shot by soph Lydia Manu missed left. MA just lost by 1 or 2 to Eastside Prep. Granted it's not the WCAL but who is) but some CCS public's are competing.

 

[colhenrylives]

... and good for them...

 

[DFence1st]

Aragon would be the only other public school I can see considered. They return everyone from last years semi-final team with an experienced coach. Their losses this year are to private schools (SHP twice and Pres).

I would still take MA/Aptos over them however.

Saratoga, while having an up year, has not had won against any teams to convince us of their strength.

Paly is not nearly as strong as last years team and is largely inexperienced with only 1 senior.

 

[alwayslearning]

Vs Aragon, Presentation played without Ava Williams their best player.

 

[letsski]

Vs Aragon, Presentation played without Ava Williams their best player.

Williams did play but limited minutes due to a sore foot.

 

[OnBall8]

And what's the spread for Wednesday in the AM v Pres game, with or without Ava Williams? Both teams undefeated.. AM -40?

 

[ClayK]

It's sort of sad, really. Presentation is a good, if not very good, high school basketball team, and has played a solid schedule. Wade Nakamura is an outstanding coach who gets everything out of his talent, and more, year in and year out.

And yet ...

The 40-point margin against Mitty is not a joke, unfortunately, though I don't think that will happen. Still, a 40-point Mitty win is more likely than any Presentation win, but that reality doesn't reflect the accomplishments of the Presentation players and coaches.

It's not up to Sue Phillips to play down to any opponent, and the gap between her team and others is not her issue. She and her players have a rare -- extremely rare -- opportunity to be the unanimous No. 1 team in the entire country, and her job is to prepare for postseason so that ranking doesn't change. If that means blowing out a quality team and quality coach like Presentation, then that's what should happen.

 

[OnBall8]

Presentation is a good, if not very good, high school basketball team, and has played a solid schedule.

I disagree on the solid schedule part. And I don't know about VERY good. Now SHC may have a losing record going into league but THAT is a solid schedule. And I would still pick SHC to beat Pres if they played tomorrow.

Do you think pres will make the CCS Open? They have made the Open exactly once since it started in 2013 (it was 2014 and they went 0-2), and have been to the D2 championship game every other year open has existed, losing each time they played another WCAL team. This makes them the only WCAL team to not make the open since 2014. Maybe I'm just not a believer in Wade, but that does not scream "getting the most out of his talent, and more, year in and year out". But then again maybe averaging 2.3 league wins/ year over the last 3 years is overachieving for their talent? Has to be one or the other right?

 

[ClayK]

SHC has played the fourth toughest schedule in the state, according to MaxPreps, so I think that's way above "solid."

Presentation's MaxPreps strength of schedule is 15.7, fifth best in the state in Division II. Obviously not the 23.2 of SHC, but that fits my definition of "solid." (Clovis West is at 13.9, Cardinal Newman at 15.2.)

Look at it another way ...

Here are the quality teams (in my estimation) Presentation has beaten:

SPSV 46-35, Aptos 61-38, South San Francisco 58-39, Del Oro 52-41, Eureka 62-26, Brookside Christian 54-48, Newark 65-43

Here are the quality teams SHC has beaten:

Sacramento 66-65

So this raises an interesting question -- does losing close to high-level opponents (though five of those losses were by 10 or more points) mean a team is better is than another team that plays a good but not great schedule and never loses?

In this case, we'll find out Jan. 31 when they play, but oftentimes teams like this don't play. Would you opt for the team that wins against decent opposition or the team that occasionally plays better opposition close?

 

[OnBall8]

I don't doubt that those teams Pres beat are quality in the overall scene of girls bball. But once you get to the WCAL, every win you get is a quality or great win. In a somewhat down year (prediction) for the league overall (besides AM), it just seems that SHC has tested itself with teams, most of which, I feel would finish in the top 2-3 spots in the WCAL if they were in the league. I have not personally watched all of those teams you listed for Pres, but I don't see anyone there that would finish in the top part of the WCAL.

Heck, maybe I am not looking at this as a new year and just stuck in the past.. the last 2 years Pres has entered league with a great record. 2016, they entered league something like 12-0 and finished 3-9 in league. Last year they went in at 12-2, and finished league 0-10. So maybe I am guy who bets on trends. Could be wrong.

However, they haven't finished above .500 in league since... 2011? I think that was the year Josetta was there (??). So I guess, again, that leads me to ask of your praise of Wade as "outstanding" and "get everything out of his talent, and more, year in and year out", is the talent pool at Pres really that far behind the rest of the WCAL and if it weren't for Wade, they would have fared far worse over the last 5 years? I will say a lot of their losses in league are competitive games, and they are not a rollover game, so don't think that I am calling Wade a bad coach at all, clearly we know that is not the case.

 

[ClayK]

You see more of the WCAL than I do, though we have played Valley Christian and SHC this year, and I've seen Mitty several times.

But note that SI lost to Foothill of Pleasanton (5-7 with a 58-19 loss to Granite Bay), and that Presentation beat Aptos by 23 and St. Francis beat them by five.

When I have seen Presentation over the years, it hasn't seemed to me they've had the size or athleticism of the other teams in the league, but of course that's just a limited perspective. If you feel they have entered WCAL play with a roster that should have gone 6-6 or 3-9, and that's what they did, then perhaps I'm overestimating Wade. My sense, from a distance, is that his teams do better than expected, but I have been wrong before.

 

[AptosHoops]

Having seen Pres and quite a few of the other WCAL schools, obviously the class is Mitty duh, but below them i think it is totally up in the air. If Ava Williams is hurt for any length of time it will be a hurdle they cannot overcome, if not i see them playing with the rest of the league. Aptos was completely blown out by Presentation but was tied with St. Francis with 1 1/2 minutes left in the game before their PG was hurt and couldn't continue.

SI = Lost to Menlo and a Foothill team that lost to Palo Alto
SHC = Lost pretty badly to Eastside Prep
St Francis =Lost to Eastside and really close games vs MA and Aptos

In regards to public school thread, i think MA, SSF and Aptos are the class, MA and SSF have played really good non-conference schedules with wins over Menlo, SHP and Woodside Priory.

 

[colhenrylives]

That seems right. Now the question becomes: Will CCS Open take one or two publics to compete against six or seven strong private/parochials? It will be one for sure (M-A looks like the leader today). Two? It's not clear right now.

 

[DFence1st]

Anyone who has seen the WCAL games know that when it comes to pure talent Pres is usually near the bottom. The fact that they stay competitive regardless is an ode to their coaches ability to get the most out of what he has.

From D2 your open teams will be Mitty, Valley, and Pres

 

[AptosHoops]

Col, is it a requirement for them to take a public school or can it be 8 private schools? I see CCS open like as follows.
1. Mitty
2. Pinewood
3. Eastside Prep
4. Valley Christian
5. SHC
6. Presentation
7. Menlo, SHP, Woodside Priory, MA, SSF or Aptos
8. SI over St Francis only because they can only take 3 D2 teams.

Another questions, does SHC need to go .500 in league in order to make CCS or is it not a requirement that you go .500 in non-league or league anymore?

 

[OnBall8]

I agree with everyone pointing out everyone else's bad losses. As I stated before, I think the league is down this year. Pres talent has at least stayed constant it seems over the last couple years, while the up and coming talent from the city schools and valley seems to be dropping. SF, with a new coach could still be seen as up in the air. I think Pres has its best chance in a long while to finish in the top 4 of the league, but would one say this is the most talented bunch Wade has had since 2011?

Another questions, does SHC need to go .500 in league in order to make CCS or is it not a requirement that you go .500 in non-league or league anymore?

And yes this is true. The Mitty boys are facing this challenge at the moment also. Could miss the playoffs for the first time in a long time, not sure when the last time SHC didnt make CCS, but it's possible they don't. If they did I'm people will be upset, but I give them props for going down swinging.

 

[DFence1st]

You cannot have more than 5 teams from any league in the CCS Open division.

So that means 5 of the WCAL schools will automatically move up, leaving 3 other spots from other leagues.

Of course Pinewood will always be there, so that leaves 2 spots open.

As for the automatic CCS qualification, you need either .500 in your preseason or .500 in league. Some leagues will receive an automatic number of CCS playoff spots for their league top spots (Such as 3 for their A league, 2 for B league, 1 for C league, etc.)

 

[OnBall8]

I think they did away with the league limits for CCS Open, but still obviously have the division limit of 3. At least its my understanding that the WCAL could send all 6 if it weren't for the fact that 4 of them are D2.. could be wrong though

 

[oldblueyes]

Col. Henry Lives - What about my favorite public school Sequoia - Nobody counting them in mix for PAL title? Steve Pucci and Mike Ciardell HOF coaches - They can milk a shot clock down and turn a game into a well pitched baseball game! If you get 30 points in game vs. the tribe your rolling! - My grandmother played vs. that 1988 State BHS team and she said it was best team ever in San Mateo County! Steve Pucci was the coach of that team is he like 85 years old or was he really young at the time? My pick in public is Sequoia!

 

[ClayK]

They play great defense, no question.

 

[colhenrylives]

Col. Henry Lives - What about my favorite public school Sequoia - Nobody counting them in mix for PAL title? Steve Pucci and Mike Ciardell HOF coaches - They can milk a shot clock down and turn a game into a well pitched baseball game! If you get 30 points in game vs. the tribe your rolling! - My grandmother played vs. that 1988 State BHS team and she said it was best team ever in San Mateo County! Steve Pucci was the coach of that team is he like 85 years old or was he really young at the time? My pick in public is Sequoia!

Ah, the beloved Cherokees (politically incorrect but laden with history nonetheless). Picchi and Ciardella have them playing some of the best halfcourt matchup zone seen in the PAL in some time. Their kids have eagerly bought into the system big-time. It's allowing about 28 points per game as of today. Combine that hyper-active zone (complete wth five physical rebounders on the defensive glass) with a disciplined halfcourt offense that uses the 30-second clock with care and the formula seems to be working pretty well. Again. And there is some talent to go with that system this year. Which makes it even more troublesome for foes who are not ready for it. To be fair, Menlo-Atherton remains the clear favorite in the PAL South. And Carlmont, Aragon, Mills and Burlingame aren't shabby either. Sequoia has its work cut out for it. But at least they have a firm foundation/system in place that should keep them very competitive throughout.

 

[colhenrylives]

Col. Henry Lives - What about my favorite public school Sequoia - Nobody counting them in mix for PAL title? Steve Pucci and Mike Ciardell HOF coaches - They can milk a shot clock down and turn a game into a well pitched baseball game! If you get 30 points in game vs. the tribe your rolling! - My grandmother played vs. that 1988 State BHS team and she said it was best team ever in San Mateo County! Steve Pucci was the coach of that team is he like 85 years old or was he really young at the time? My pick in public is Sequoia!

Your grandmother apparently did not view those Sacred Heart Prep units that won 88 games in a row and a pile of CIF crowns. One of those SHP units had eight (eight) Division I scholarship players on its roster. But, as always, we deeply respect your grandmother. She must be about 50 now

 

[colhenrylives]

As for the ageless Picchi, he is pushing 60 now. Not quite there yet. He has coached at Burlingame, Santa Clara U., Newark Memorial, College of Notre Dame, Arroyo, Chabot College, Sequoia and Ohlone College. Let's just say he's made the rounds, and then some. Ciardella is heading quickly for a date with 70. He has done stints at Oceana, Burlingame, Mercy-Burlingame, Mills, Hillsdale, College of Notre Dame and Sequoia. Time _ and the matchup-zone _ marches on.

 

[observer22]

A good article on Picchi from a few years ago:

https://www.google.com/amp/s/patch....equoias-coach-picchi-contemplating-retirement

 

[oldblueyes]

Picchi and Ciardella - Correct spelling didn't mean to make error - Are to me the best coaches in league and the most experienced that is the reason for my pick of Sequoia and I have heard they have transfers from private schools that can play! The match-up zone and playing at tempo that the staff at sequoia will demand will put stress on the current coaches in PAL South- Markisha Coleman, Sam Manu, Dave Matsu, Nancy Dinges- could if they have talent (Nancy) is rebuilding - the others have to prove they can go against the icons in the game! Annette Trimble retired (Aragon) and Dan Salvemini retired (Mills) 73-13 record when he coached at Mills used to abuse that match-up as well as Doc Sheppler last time 80-14 win vs. Sequoia but he is private school with much better talent- Sequoia is sleeper for that last open spot if they can win league and PAL tournament!

 

[colhenrylives]

Your unbridled enthusiasm is refreshing and worthy of praise. But Sequoia to the CCS Open Division bracket? No. Mills has already beaten Sequoia during the pre-season and Menlo-Atherton is the obvious favorite to repeat as PAL South champs. As for the league tourney, South SF from the PAL North lurks as well. Sequoia is probably a year away from contending for a PAL South title, let alone a PAL tourney crown. A more realistic focus for The Tribe this season would be the CCS Division I tournament. There will be zero private/parochials in that affair. Sequoia might be able to do some damage in that bracket, assuming M-A is posted to the Open event. But, again, your optimistic outlook is balm for the hoops soul in Redwood City.

 

[oldblueyes]

Ok - Open Division mite be too much this year but good luck to the big purple CHEROKESS tonight has they open PAL South play!

 

[alwayslearning]

I agree with everyone pointing out everyone else's bad losses. As I stated before, I think the league is down this year. Pres talent has at least stayed constant it seems over the last couple years, while the up and coming talent from the city schools and valley seems to be dropping. SF, with a new coach could still be seen as up in the air. I think Pres has its best chance in a long while to finish in the top 4 of the league, but would one say this is the most talented bunch Wade has had since 2011?


And yes this is true. The Mitty boys are facing this challenge at the moment also. Could miss the playoffs for the first time in a long time, not sure when the last time SHC didnt make CCS, but it's possible they don't. If they did I'm people will be upset, but I give them props for going down swinging.

I don't doubt that those teams Pres beat are quality in the overall scene of girls bball. But once you get to the WCAL, every win you get is a quality or great win. In a somewhat down year (prediction) for the league overall (besides AM), it just seems that SHC has tested itself with teams, most of which, I feel would finish in the top 2-3 spots in the WCAL if they were in the league. I have not personally watched all of those teams you listed for Pres, but I don't see anyone there that would finish in the top part of the WCAL.

Heck, maybe I am not looking at this as a new year and just stuck in the past.. the last 2 years Pres has entered league with a great record. 2016, they entered league something like 12-0 and finished 3-9 in league. Last year they went in at 12-2, and finished league 0-10. So maybe I am guy who bets on trends. Could be wrong.

However, they haven't finished above .500 in league since... 2011? I think that was the year Josetta was there (??). So I guess, again, that leads me to ask of your praise of Wade as "outstanding" and "get everything out of his talent, and more, year in and year out", is the talent pool at Pres really that far behind the rest of the WCAL and if it weren't for Wade, they would have fared far worse over the last 5 years? I will say a lot of their losses in league are competitive games, and they are not a rollover game, so don't think that I am calling Wade a bad coach at all, clearly we know that is not the case.

OnBall8,
General observations. Presentation is the only single gender school in the WCAL and is in the same attendance area of VC, SF, Mitty (South Bay). It doesn't take a genius to see that Presentation gets traditionally the least amount of talent of the 4 WCAL schools in the South Bay area. They were lucky to get a kid like Ava Williams who was a 2 sport star (softball/basketball) away from the other 3 WCAL schools, especially Mitty who excels traditionally in both those sports. It takes a certain type of kid to want to wear a school assigned uniform every day and go to a single gender school when they have the choice to go to schools with free dress/boys and traditionally stronger athletic programs (if they have hopes to play at the next level). There is a reason ND Belmont (other single gender school) wanted out of the WCAL. Look at the records of the Frosh and JV teams in the WCAL over the past 5-10 years and you can probably tell the type of basketball talent they are getting there year in and year out. You can check the WCAL website and see who has won championships at every level since 2003. I don't think kids are going to Presentation to play basketball like they are the other schools in the league, also check the stats on those moving on to play collegiately from all the WCAL schools at the D1-D2-D3-JC level and I can bet Presentation is at the bottom of that list. If you went for a visit to all of the WCAL schools during a typical school day I can also bet that you wouldn't get the feel that Presentation is an athletic powerhouse in any sport. Tell me the feel you get when you walk around St. Francis, Mitty, SHC, SI, and VC, that of a small college. I doubt it is even comparable?
Goodluck to all the public schools out there that are grinding and doing it with neighborhood kids. It isn't easy to compete with the privates, but it isn't impossible to build a competitive program with the talent that shows up and every once in a while beat the odds.

 

[oldblueyes]

Run summer leagues and program's with no money and no use of facilities and very few skilled players and hope you can get the rejected private school player that has problems or lacks something to play for a winning team - That's life in Public Schools trying to beat the odds!

 

[ClayK]

I think that's a little bleak, but no question it takes time and effort to build a program at a public school (and a private one, for that matter).

It all starts by making connection with middle school athletes. In most areas, families can choose from two or more public schools if they understand the system, and even if a coach's pipeline is locked in, it's still crucial to get the good athletes to choose the coach's sport, not a different one.

People often forget that in-school recruiting -- getting athletes to play your sport -- is a huge factor in program success.

 

[colhenrylives]

The public vs. private/parochial discussion is always illuminating, and, sometimes, frustrating. Here's why: It's strictly an apples-and-oranges topic. The two academic realms are separate and unequal. And no other section in NorCal has a stark public vs. private/parochial situation like CCS which features both the WCAL and the WBAL. These are two leagues that include some of the very best girls' hoops programs in the northern half of the state. Trying to compare Mitty/Pinewood/SHC with Aptos/Menlo-Atherton/South SF is an exercise in futility. They exist on different planets. So anytime an occasional strong public can somehow defeat a strong perennial private/parochial it is cause for raised glasses of cheap beer at the tavern of your choice.

 

[colhenrylives]

... also ... it is not out of the question to appreciate both public and private/parochial programs at the same time ... it's just wise to remember how different they are in the grand hoops scheme of things ...

 

[OnBall8]

OnBall8,
General observations. Presentation is the only single gender school in the WCAL and is in the same attendance area of VC, SF, Mitty (South Bay). It doesn't take a genius to see that Presentation gets traditionally the least amount of talent of the 4 WCAL schools in the South Bay area. They were lucky to get a kid like Ava Williams who was a 2 sport star (softball/basketball) away from the other 3 WCAL schools, especially Mitty who excels traditionally in both those sports. It takes a certain type of kid to want to wear a school assigned uniform every day and go to a single gender school when they have the choice to go to schools with free dress/boys and traditionally stronger athletic programs (if they have hopes to play at the next level). There is a reason ND Belmont (other single gender school) wanted out of the WCAL. Look at the records of the Frosh and JV teams in the WCAL over the past 5-10 years and you can probably tell the type of basketball talent they are getting there year in and year out. You can check the WCAL website and see who has won championships at every level since 2003. I don't think kids are going to Presentation to play basketball like they are the other schools in the league, also check the stats on those moving on to play collegiately from all the WCAL schools at the D1-D2-D3-JC level and I can bet Presentation is at the bottom of that list. If you went for a visit to all of the WCAL schools during a typical school day I can also bet that you wouldn't get the feel that Presentation is an athletic powerhouse in any sport. Tell me the feel you get when you walk around St. Francis, Mitty, SHC, SI, and VC, that of a small college. I doubt it is even comparable?
Goodluck to all the public schools out there that are grinding and doing it with neighborhood kids. It isn't easy to compete with the privates, but it isn't impossible to build a competitive program with the talent that shows up and every once in a while beat the odds.

You pointed out some very good facts alwayslearning.. facts that I am very well aware of. Heck my sister is a Pres alumn and was an athlete, I've been around that campus enough to understand what you are laying out.

My main argument had to do with questioning the scheduling that Wade does. Like I said, the last 3 years their preseason record is stellar, and their league record is atrocious.. but if you look back further (again, on the same WCAL website you looked on, you can see standings/records from the last 7 years or so) it seems as though he scheduled a tougher preseason, usually coming out closer to .500 but always above, and then finished the league season more in the middle of the pack and close to .500. So does Wade pad the schedule to ensure they make the playoffs because he is not confident about his team's ability to have a winning record in league? Or did he just have more talent back then and schedule accordingly to challenge his kids?

 

[AptosHoops]

I think in the public vs private the biggest hurdle is consistency. With public schools you can see 2-4 year windows where a school can compete with private schools. As Clay says it takes some invested parents and coaches that are able to get travel programs going at an early age and the teams progress together and have a certain chemistry of playing together for so long that some private schools do not get.
1 major example would be Scott's Valley between 2012-2016 where they were able to make the open division a few years in a row and beat i believe Mitty one year. The girls played local AAU together starting in 4th grade and grow up together. We are seeing it a little with Aptos, where they started a travel program and now the graduates of that program are all Sophomores and Juniors and understand the roles they play on the team.
The biggest hurdle year in and year out is the depth. A good public school may only go 3-4 deep but a good private school goes 7-10 deep.

 

[alwayslearning]

You pointed out some very good facts alwayslearning.. facts that I am very well aware of. Heck my sister is a Pres alumn and was an athlete, I've been around that campus enough to understand what you are laying out.

My main argument had to do with questioning the scheduling that Wade does. Like I said, the last 3 years their preseason record is stellar, and their league record is atrocious.. but if you look back further (again, on the same WCAL website you looked on, you can see standings/records from the last 7 years or so) it seems as though he scheduled a tougher preseason, usually coming out closer to .500 but always above, and then finished the league season more in the middle of the pack and close to .500. So does Wade pad the schedule to ensure they make the playoffs because he is not confident about his team's ability to have a winning record in league? Or did he just have more talent back then and schedule accordingly to challenge his kids?

OnBall8,

I would think a team in such a yough league like the WCAL where wins aren't guaranteed. You have a team that is 1 serious injury away from being average which in the WCAL wouldn't equate to a .500 record, one would be wise to schedule strategically. Notice VC scheduled Leigh and Terra Nova right before the start of WCAL.
Take the best player away from any team other than Mitty in the WCAL and in most years none of those teams would finish .500 in league. I wouldn't knock any coach in that league other than the top 3 traditionally for scheduling a preseason in which they could most likely achieve a .500 record.
There are 6 teams in that league now, so there really are probably only 3 teams that are going to finish .500. You can chalk up 2 losses automatically most years to Mitty. That means a team would have to win 5 out of 8 games vs. SHC, VC, SF, SI. Tough task for any team right?......you say you know a school and program like Presentation, so I would think you would understand what they are up against every year?

 

[OnBall8]

OnBall8,

I would think a team in such a yough league like the WCAL where wins aren't guaranteed. You have a team that is 1 serious injury away from being average which in the WCAL wouldn't equate to a .500 record, one would be wise to schedule strategically. Notice VC scheduled Leigh and Terra Nova right before the start of WCAL.
Take the best player away from any team other than Mitty in the WCAL and in most years none of those teams would finish .500 in league. I wouldn't knock any coach in that league other than the top 3 traditionally for scheduling a preseason in which they could most likely achieve a .500 record.
There are 6 teams in that league now, so there really are probably only 3 teams that are going to finish .500. You can chalk up 2 losses automatically most years to Mitty. That means a team would have to win 5 out of 8 games vs. SHC, VC, SF, SI. Tough task for any team right?......you say you know a school and program like Presentation, so I would think you would understand what they are up against every year?

Again, I get wanting to be above .500 in the preseason for playoff purposes. I get wanting to have success to build confidence in your team. But don't you think you could schedule a COUPLE tough ones, knowing very well that your team may take it's lumps, but it could expose some weaknesses and make your team better for the ensuing league play? I guess that's just my opinion though, not my team or program to run. And it wouldn't be the first time I disagreed with ol' Wade...

 

[alwayslearning]

I would think a team in such a tough league like the wcal where wins aren't guaranteed and you have a team that is 1 serious injury away from being average which in the wcal doesn't equate to a. 500 record one would be wise to schedule strategically.
Take the best player away from every team other than mitty in that league and those teams are most years not. 500 in that league.
.500 in preseason and or league qualifies you for postseason. I wouldn't blame any coach in that league for making sure they had a schedule that gave them a.

Again, I get wanting to be above .500 in the preseason for playoff purposes. I get wanting to have success to build confidence in your team. But don't you think you could schedule a COUPLE tough ones, knowing very well that your team may take it's lumps, but it could expose some weaknesses and make your team better for the ensuing league play? I guess that's just my opinion though, not my team or program to run. And it wouldn't be the first time I disagreed with ol' Wade...

OnBall8,
I'm pretty sure every team in the WCAL is about to play more than a COUPLE of tough ones, probably about 10 tough ones in a row to be exact. watch all their Str. #'s go up because of the strength of the teams in the league. I'm sure every team right about now knows what their weaknesses are regardless of who they have played.
Maxpreps WCAL as of today Str.
SHC 23.4
Mitty 23.1
VC 18.3
Pres 15.9
SI 15.0
SF 14.1

WBL Str.
Pinewood 19.4
ESP 17.8
SHP 9.6
Menlo 7.2
NDB 5.8
NDSJ 4.4

Sierra Foothill Str.
Folsom 18.5
Oak Ridge 18.1
Del Oro 11.5
Rocklin 11.0
Woodcreek 9.9
Granite Bay 9.5
Nevada Union 9.5

 

[colhenrylives]

Ok - Open Division mite be too much this year but good luck to the big purple CHEROKESS tonight has they open PAL South play!

Love your upbeat views but ... Sequoia barely survived Burlingame today, 44-41, in a PAL opener.