"Rankings"?

So we are on to the 4th rankings now. Of course Newton's 2-3 record doesn't look that great, but the loses were to the 2A #11, 1A #2, & 1A #10. So basically it looks like another great year of scheduling has messed up a decent preseason ranking. Obviously the rankings don't matter and neither does the fact that Newton is not covered by the DMRegister even though we are only 35 miles away. You'd think that we moved out of Iowa, when we dropped out of the CIML. Although I think that the regionals or state pairings are seeded at some point during the year. Which usually goes against our favor. Usually we get paired up with a Valley, Ames, Johnston, Urbandale, or Dowling, but this year Newton is a 1A team so I figured they'd have to be paired up with Norwalk, Pella, Dallas Center Grimes, or someone from Central Iowa that is pretty good. Some how we ended up with the teams that are north and east of us. Which I guess has happened a couple times. Last year we went to Cedar Rapids and my first year we faced Iowa City West (which ended up winning state). So I think the pairings this year could make for a good representation for our conference and central Iowa if things go well. Can you imagine 3 teams from the Little Hawkeye in State? Not the CIML, the Little Hawkeye. I think that would be great, of course I'd plan on a little revenge from regular season loses, but what better picture can you paint for the team that is rebuilding and loss to it's to rivals, then to beat both of them in State. Oh well, I'm a little bit of an optimist if you don't know me. I could be down 9-0 in a game and think there was a way to win it. Don't get me wrong, Newton's not down by 9 right now, They've lost a couple tough ones, but will definately bounce back. We always had a way of winning close games and surprising teams that thought they were better than us, I don't see that changing any time soon.

So since we have probably ruined our chances of being ranked for the next couple years by losing to 3 good teams, I don't mind being an underdog and I can't think of a better time to be an underdog then now. So my challenge to the current team is: take the program to somewhere that I never could, go to STATE!! It'd be the first time in Newton Girls soccer history, and don't just stop once you get there. Anything can happen at that point. Any team can win any game and you never know how things will go. I'm going to back track a little to make it clear that this won't be easy, but I'm hoping you can do it. Once you've been there, it's something that you'll never forget, it's a great atmosphere, the best fields in the state, and you get treated like royalty. Staying in nice hotels, eating good food and just playing the sport you love. So don't let the hurdles along the way get you down, there's a lot to play for.

Fuel for the Fire

I'll tell you what, it's as if I needed something to get me more fired up for this season. After I had planned to take vacation from work, drive over 400 miles, and then to have Iowa weather keep me from making it to the DCG game and a reschedule keep me from making the Marshalltown game, Amy and I decided to cancel our trip. So I was quickly reminded how upset it made me to find out 3 hours before a game that it's postponed/canceled due to weather. You get excited and prepared for days, then find out last minute that somebody is scared to tear up their field. That was one of the things I always enjoyed about football and soccer, is that it can be played in any weather and those are some of the games that you remember. So anyways, I found out in time to save me a lot of driving for 1 game vs Knoxville that may end up getting canceled anyways, to read the 2nd rankings.

Can you believe that whoever it is that makes the rankings, has the nerve to put Denver in the 1A rankings and drop Newton, after Newton's only loss was to 2A #10(now #9) Ames. Newton has outscored their opponents 11-4, including Ames. Of all people, I would be the first to tell you that rankings don't matter, but why does Newton always get the short end of the stick. Our record is better than 5 ranked teams (including 1A & 2 A) and the same as 4 more. This is a whole other subject, but somehow Davenport Assumption tied a game. By the rules, this is impossible. A Iowa High School Boys game can end in a tie, but a girls game cannot. So anyways back to my original subject. I'm assuming Newton earned it's ranking by finishing last year by playing competitively with the top teams in 1A & 2A even though we were the smallest 2A team. So this year Newton has a good core of players back, they lose 1 game so far (at least partly due to scheduling in my opinion) and or just passed by on the rankings. Makes no sense, but I guess that just gives them some bulletin board material and a reason to prove themselves to everyone.

So what does it take to get ranked in Iowa Girls High School Soccer? Does it take a coach willing to run up the score on it's opponents when it already has them on their knees? Does it take playing in the CIML where all of your scores get posted in a major news paper? Let alone scores getting posted when you send them in, but articles previewing your team and wins over big teams. Does it take having a coach that brags about his team and sends info statewide trying to advertise? Does it take having players that get college scholarships? How good a team did the year before? Or does it really come down to who plays the best soccer week in, week out, no matter the size, conference, scores or any other factors? I would like to know if there is a committee that makes the rankings that actually watches games, or if a person just hears a couple scores and picks names out of a hat. I don't get it, maybe I never will, I know I'm biased, but give me a break. How about we call the ranking system the BS rankings.