Re-thinking the PAL

[colhenrylives]

Hmmmm. Maybe it's time to take another gander at the PAL. The league has five teams playing in four CCS championship games in the coming week. Despite tough outings for two of the league's four Open Division entrants (Terra Nova and Aragon), the rest of the participants fared well. M-A will play for the Open Division I title. SHP will do the same in Open Division III. Burlingame and Carlmont will meet in the Division IV finale and TKA will play for the Division V crown. The quintet represents half of the 10 finalists in the five divisional final games. Not bad, not bad at all.

 

[FBAddict]

I was saying earlier that PAL-Bay was down and I believe that statement is still true. However, there is no doubt that the top two teams of PAL-Bay are pretty good. It was clear the PAL-Bay top teams were better than the BHAL-MH top teams. But remember, the top 1 or 2 teams don't represent the total league. Looking at it, the CalPreps rating for PAL-Bay league is 17.2 (6 teams) while the top two (MA & SHP) average 31.9. That's a pretty big disparity.

In my opinion, the PAL B and C leagues don't enter into this discussion except to point of that 2 teams form the PAL-O B league are rated slightly higher than the PAL-B average rating and no team from the PAL-L C league tops the PAL-B average.

 

[colhenrylives]

All we can do is look at what's left on the CCS table. We can argue about any number of issues (the WCAL's top teams basically beat each other up in Division II, for example) but, in the end, the numbers are what they are, like them or not. The PAL Bay Division was down a bit in 2018, no question. There wasn't enough depth. TKA and Burlingame have both been moved up to the Bay in 2019. That should help the Bay in the depth department going forward.

 

[colhenrylives]

By the way, Burlingame probably would have argued to remain in the Bay Division a year ago but the program's serious reduction in total roster size forced a move down to the Ocean in 2018. In just a couple of years, the program has gone from about 100 boys to around 60 at the end of the regular season (just 21 guys suited up for the varsity's game vs. San Mateo Nov.3), a loss of 40 percent, forcing the frosh team to be dropped. There are lots of reasons for these circumstances (demographic changes, concussion worries, lure of other sports, lure of the local private/parochials, general lack of interest, etc.) even as the school's enrollment continues to grow to a 50-year high.

 

[SPortela24]

Or all the other leagues can just step it up.

The only changes I would consider in the PAL is assembling leagues according to geography. If you take a drive down the league (Starting at Jefferson, ending at TKA) the schools have more and more money, better and better facilities the farther south you go.

Terra Nova
Jefferson
El Camino
South City
Capuchino
Millbrae

Burlingame
Carlmont
HMB
San Mateo
Aragon
Hillsdale

Menlo-Atherton
Sequoia
Woodside
Menlo
King's Academy
Sacred Heart Prep

This would be bad for competitive balance but let's be honest here. Jeff, El Camino, South City, Cap and Mills all have weight rooms comparable with the AAA and OAL. Terra Nova has much more than any of those schools but how much of that is because of Bill Gray and the way he was able to fundraise during his tenure?

On the flip side, you tie all three private schools together along with three publics that have money. Menlo-Atherton just went to Colorado. Sequoia goes to Southern California or Oregon every year. Woodside is the one program

 

[colhenrylives]

So, with all of the CCS playoff scores now in the books, it has become clear that, without question, the PAL was the best public school league in the section in 2018. Three titles and one one-point championship defeat (35-34 by Aptos) in five divisional final games. Again, not bad, not bad at all.

 

[SPortela24]

So, with all of the CCS playoff scores now in the books, it has become clear that, without question, the PAL was the best public school league in the section in 2018. Three titles and one one-point championship defeat (35-34 by Aptos) in five divisional final games. Again, not bad, not bad at all.

Let's throw one in....I know Monterey Trail is getting skull drug vs. Folsom.

But where did their Head Coach TJ Ewing come from? San Mateo.

 

[colhenrylives]

Let's throw one in....I know Monterey Trail is getting skull drug vs. Folsom.

But where did their Head Coach TJ Ewing come from? San Mateo.

Unfortunately, another San Mateo grad coaches Elk Grove. The results have been less than terrific.

 

[Pigskins&Leather Helmets]

TJ graduated from Aragon.

 

[SpeedCity51]

So, with all of the CCS playoff scores now in the books, it has become clear that, without question, the PAL was the best public school league in the section in 2018. Three titles and one one-point championship defeat (35-34 by Aptos) in five divisional final games. Again, not bad, not bad at all.

How does TKA winning a title and SHP losing in a close game help make the PAL the best public school league? If we are just talking publics then the SCVAL top 4 are better then the 4 best PAL publics most years.

 

[colhenrylives]

How does TKA winning a title and SHP losing in a close game help make the PAL the best public school league? If we are just talking publics then the SCVAL top 4 are better then the 4 best PAL publics most years.

But not this year.

 

[colhenrylives]

You forgot about M-A and Burlingame _ and even Carlmont.

 

[colhenrylives]

Aragon and TN did flame out.

 

[SpeedCity51]

You forgot about M-A and Burlingame _ and even Carlmont.

I didn’t forget about them, just saying you can’t talk about SHP and TKA if you are trying to make a point about the PAL shaving the best public schools.

 

[SPortela24]

TKA winning CCS seems to have gotten lots of people's attention. I got a world of shit from the Carmel fans for saying TKA would win Division 5. But now that it has happened I will add this:

TKA with Pete Lavorato is more dangerous than SHP was with Pete Lavorato.

Consider what happened when Mike Johnson Sr. left for Oregon. Maurice Washington III had already left the program but Johnson took his son, 5 Star QB Michael Johnson Jr. 3 star LB Kilifi Leleatoa left for Menlo-Atherton. RB Demonte Aleem left the school. He was at Dublin this past season going nuts. Even little Carslile left the program. Lavorato was left with nobody but Bralyn Lux who got little to no attention under Johnson. Sure he got on the field but he was far from being the center point of the offense.

Given all the guys I have just named, remember Amir Carslile. Remember Booker T. Robinson. TKA gets far more talent than Prep does. So we no have Pete coaching better talent than he has ever had.

 

[SpeedCity51]

TKA winning CCS seems to have gotten lots of people's attention. I got a world of shit from the Carmel fans for saying TKA would win Division 5. But now that it has happened I will add this:

TKA with Pete Lavorato is more dangerous than SHP was with Pete Lavorato.

Consider what happened when Mike Johnson Sr. left for Oregon. Maurice Washington III had already left the program but Johnson took his son, 5 Star QB Michael Johnson Jr. 3 star LB Kilifi Leleatoa left for Menlo-Atherton. RB Demonte Aleem left the school. He was at Dublin this past season going nuts. Even little Carslile left the program. Lavorato was left with nobody but Bralyn Lux who got little to no attention under Johnson. Sure he got on the field but he was far from being the center point of the offense.

Given all the guys I have just named, remember Amir Carslile. Remember Booker T. Robinson. TKA gets far more talent than Prep does. So we no have Pete coaching better talent than he has ever had.

The only people I recall picking Carmel to win DV after the brackets came out were people from the 831. TKA seemed to be the almost a unanimous pick otherwise.

 

[colhenrylives]

I didn’t forget about them, just saying you can’t talk about SHP and TKA if you are trying to make a point about the PAL shaving the best public schools.

Got it.