Is the field more narrow than a normal field, screwing up opponents' receiver routes? Are there hidden potholes that only Oakdale players know about? Is there a mysterious rope hanging in the endzone, and if you pull on it, does an anvil fall on your head?
If not, it sounds like a normal football field.
You're ignoring the other factors that were pointed out. Also, there's something to familiarity and comfort of surroundings. There's also a travel factor. HS obviously ain't like the collegiate or pro levels where they consistently travel hundreds or thousand of miles, but a long bus ride is still a long bus ride. The football fields and basketball courts in college and the pros are the same size too --- but they also have disparities in home v. away records. Do you dismiss those too?
What's their away record? I would imagine it's also pretty good.
They're 78-37-1 (.677) in away/neutral site games. Pretty good? Absolutely. But not in the same stratosphere as .902.
I would not necessarily expect that. This isn't baseball where there is an inherent advantage of being able to score last
You wouldn't expect it despite it being a statistical fact for pretty much every team sport out there?
Calpreps initially had a "home field advantage" factor in their predict-the-preps until they determined that it didn't really matter.
It didn't matter to THEM. But how does Vegas and sports book betting feel about it? Home field plays a factor in how they set their lines.
For example, Alabama vs. <insert team name here> is almost always going to have a higher spread in Tuscaloosa than when playing the same match up on the road.
When $$ is on the line, Vegas factors in everything. And since it is a statistical fact that home field/court plays a role, it's factored in.
Prior to the state bowl era, how frequently did Oakdale play teams from out of the section or higher divisions? I know in the CCS, this wasn't especially common. Hell, it took a few years of bowl games to have that finally happen in the CCS.
What does that matter? Oakdale, largely a D3/D4 team over that period of time, was still playing teams commensurate to their own size and ability. And they were still clearly better at home than in away/neutral site games.
How many premiere programs have they beaten at home in that same time span?
Depends upon what you consider 'premiere' relative to them. They're obviously not an elite State or National team. They're a D3 power program in the SJS. Borderline D2 nowadays
But, at home, they've beaten the likes of Analy, McClymonds, Whitney, Rancho Cotate, Paraclete, Aptos, Central Catholic, Menlo-Atherton, Inderkum, and Sutter, among other some perennially good SJS programs.
That's probably the most important part of that statement.
Absolutely, Being good is more than half the battle. But it still doesn't change the fact that even good teams tend to perform better in their own backyard than when playing elsewhere.
As good as those NU teams were, they didn't win 45 consecutive games and 56 of 57 away from Hooper Stadium. Why do you think that is? I mean, the fields were the same sizes right? So why were they able to accomplish that feat at home and not on the road??
While NU was 56-1 (.982) at home from 1985 - 1994, they were 45-21-1 (.679) in away/neutral site games over that same time period.
Vast difference, right?
Now, admittedly, there is the playoff factor included in those numbers wherein a team is generally playing tougher opponents -- especially later on -- in many of those neutral site games. So here are the numbers for NU and Oakdale with all playoff games removed.
NU (1985-1994): 47-1 (.979) at home; 35-14-1 (.710) away
Oakdale (2000-2019): 89-12 (.881) at home; 63-20-1 (.756) away
The difference between home and away is noticeable and something you're gonna find for an overwhelming amount of teams.
Now, having conveyed all that, where I agree with you is that home field advantage means far less when one team is vastly superior to another. Obviously a Nat'l elite program such as DLS will win anywhere. DLS would go into The Corral and win 100 out of 100. But they are also a top 25 Nat'l program most every season.
BUT -- when DLS matches up with somewhat equal competition, they are noticeably better at home than in away games. Just like every other team.
- Of the 9 out-of-state contests they've lost, 6 were on the road.
- Of the 8 out-of-state contests they've won, 6 were at home.
In closing, I respect your POV -- even though I don't agree with it -- and don't intend any of the above to come across in a negative or condescending manner. If it does, my apology ahead of time.
