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Strongest Girls Conference in the 5A?

Started by Girls SHoccer, May 09, 2014, 01:26:55 pm

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Girls SHoccer

To stir the pot and get the juices flowing before state, how would you rate each of the 5A Girls conferences as to overall strength?

There are several ways to determine this. I propose this way:  Considering just the four teams from each conference which have now qualified for state, which conference has the best chance of all 4 teams advancing past the 1st round?  Using this criteria, my [irrefutable ;D] rankings are:

1)  Central
2)  West
3)  East
4)  South

The fact is, that the East and the South will at best have only one team left after the first round.

Care to differ with me?  Let us know your thoughts!  Please make it as confrontational and nasty as sevenof400 will allow!  :P  Feel free to use the handy playoff bracket he has filled in.

Lionheart88

I think W4 over E1 is more likely than  C4 over S1.  I'd go:

West
Central
South
East

Girls SHoccer

Love that sleight of hand where you also slipped the South over the East! ;)

Girls SHoccer

Quote from: Lionheart88 on May 09, 2014, 01:51:04 pm
I think W4 over E1 is more likely than  C4 over S1.  I'd go:

West
Central
South
East

Don't be so sure about C4 over S1.  Sylvan Hills played both teams with the result of:  3-1 over North Pulaski in each of two games, and 5-2 over Hot Springs Lakeside (of course, this last game was early in the season and much has probably changed since then).  But I could see that upset way before W4 over E1.

Lionheart88

Quote from: Girls SHoccer on May 09, 2014, 02:19:19 pm
Love that sleight of hand where you also slipped the South over the East! ;)
Personal bias talking.  I've seen quite a bit of the south, a little of the central and west, but know the east only by reputation.

Go Postal

I noticed that you didn't mention non conference.  Not knowing what the other 5A conferences did in non conference, but the Lady Goblins have only lost 2 this year against (I believe) 7A teams and have played border states.  I believe that they beat LRCA in a tournament play this year.  Though anything can happen in the playoffs, But I would put...
1.  5A West Harrison Lady Goblins
2. 3. 4.  Any great 5A Central/East/South public or private school team.

Just saying...

Good Luck to all 5A teams this year!  I really mean it.  Play your best, but most of all have fun!



Girls SHoccer

Quote from: Go Postal on May 09, 2014, 10:10:38 pm
I noticed that you didn't mention non conference.  Not knowing what the other 5A conferences did in non conference, but the Lady Goblins have only lost 2 this year against (I believe) 7A teams and have played border states.  I believe that they beat LRCA in a tournament play this year.  Though anything can happen in the playoffs, But I would put...
1.  5A West Harrison Lady Goblins
2. 3. 4.  Any great 5A Central/East/South public or private school team.

Just saying...

Good Luck to all 5A teams this year!  I really mean it.  Play your best, but most of all have fun!




I have to concede that you make a compelling argument about the Harrison girls.  And I personally believe they are at a higher level than any other 5A girls team in the state, and consequently will breeze through as state champions.

However, a primary reason they are undefeated in conference is that they never had to face the challenge of a PA, a LRCA, or even a Sylvan Hills in conference play-teams which had at least a chance, however slim,  to beat them.  Things will get a little harder at state.

I am accusing the 5A west of being, besides Harrison, relatively weak.  After Harrison, there is a huge drop off to Shiloh and Greenbriar, and from there another huge drop off to the rest of the field.

But, owing to the luck of the draw, both Central and West will advance 3 apiece to the Elite Eight (I'm hoping to get a rise out of Lionheart on this one!), 2 apiece to the Final Four (yep, all South/West matchups from here on!), 1 apiece to the Finals, and Harrison will be crowned State Champs, bringing back the title to the public schools.

So the only long shot to prove my allegation that the Central is overall stronger than the West is for North Pulaski to play Lakeside close or win in the first round.

Lionheart88

As you know better than anybody, Sylvan Hills probably has the best girl in 5A this year (are there any others that are D1 commits?).  Nobody in their right mind would take y'all lightly just because of that C3 by your name.  But at the same time, I'm pretty sure WH would rather face y'all than LRCA.  I believe all time WH is 0-3 vs LRCA by a combined score of around 30-2.  Now, they're also 0-4 all time to SH, but the aggregate score is a lot closer.  lol

coach cleats

lots of d 1 offers to girls on 97 comets premier team. most are juniors or soph. all of them play hs school soccer

Lionheart88

I rarely hear of any down here.  Last I remember out of 5A was Haley Hatcher going to Fayetteville, which lasted one year before she transferred to OBU.  Not that I mind that being an OBU alum myself, she was GAC player of the year for us this past fall.

Girls SHoccer

Quote from: Lionheart88 on May 10, 2014, 09:08:52 am
As you know better than anybody, Sylvan Hills probably has the best girl in 5A this year (are there any others that are D1 commits?).  Nobody in their right mind would take y'all lightly just because of that C3 by your name.  But at the same time, I'm pretty sure WH would rather face y'all than LRCA.  I believe all time WH is 0-3 vs LRCA by a combined score of around 30-2.  Now, they're also 0-4 all time to SH, but the aggregate score is a lot closer.  lol

Join the club!  I would be terrified to calculate the SHHS v. LRCA combined score, and I can assure you that your draw of SHHS is worlds better than LRCA.  Congratulations to White Hall on the #2 seed in the South.  It sounded like a dogfight down there, but the Bulldogs came out of it nicely!

Lionheart88

One of the most nerve-wracking games I've ever seen.  DeQueen scored first, White Hall equalized fairly late on a PK after a handball in the box (I think that was the call.  Something that yielded a PK).  Then it went through the first 5 pairs of kicks from the mark and still dead level, including some very experienced White Hall players missing kicks.  6th pair of kicks, same.  Finally, on the 7th pair of kicks White Hall scored and the keeper saved DeQueen's shot.  I'm not sure the winning kicker had ever scored a PK before.  She came up huge last night, that's for sure.

Arbitro

May 11, 2014, 12:44:19 am #12 Last Edit: May 11, 2014, 12:49:00 am by Arbitro
Quote from: Lionheart88 on May 10, 2014, 11:51:05 pm
One of the most nerve-wracking games I've ever seen.  DeQueen scored first, White Hall equalized fairly late on a PK after a handball in the box (I think that was the call.  Something that yielded a PK).  Then it went through the first 5 pairs of kicks from the mark and still dead level, including some very experienced White Hall players missing kicks.  6th pair of kicks, same.  Finally, on the 7th pair of kicks White Hall scored and the keeper saved DeQueen's shot.  I'm not sure the winning kicker had ever scored a PK before.  She came up huge last night, that's for sure.
Lionheart88, your memory is failing you.  White Hall scored first in the 43rd minute on a PK resulting from handling by a DeQueen player on ball moving across the goal mouth (not toward the goal).  One of those reach up, catch the ball, oh sh!+ moments.  DeQueen equalized in the 74th minute.  DeQueen had opportunities to win on the 5th and 6th PKs, but couldn't convert.  White Hall scored on the 7th, their first lead in the KFTM, and their keeper stopped DeQueen's final kick.  In all fairness, DQ outplayed WH for much of the game and had more chances, but the one mental mistake and the inability to finish led to the final result.  WH made the most of their chances and did what they needed to do to come away with the win and the higher seed.

Lionheart88

You're right, I got the timing of the goals backwards.  All that adrenaline must've affected my memory.  lol

sevenof400

Historically, in the girls 5A, there has been a clear separation between the teams with a realistic shot to win it all and the remainder of the pack.  I get what the OP was/is suggesting, but IMO looking at this by conference is still at too high of a level of perspective.

Let's slightly adjust the focus for a moment and consider these points to ponder.

Q: Is the gap of separation (as noted above) still as considerable as it has been?

In other words, let's consider this following group of teams:
LRCA, PA, Harrison

Does anyone outside of this group have a realistic chance at the state title?

I'm thinking there is a second group of teams just below this group that includes:
Shiloh Christian, Hot Springs Lakeside and Greenbrier

I can't see any reason not to believe the state champion (and opponent) will be two of these six teams.

But in looking at the bracket a bit, the following facts emerge:

Harrison and LRCA are in the same quarter of the bracket. Only one of these teams could advance to the semifinals.

Hot Springs Lakeside and Shiloh Christian are similarly matched.

Pulaski Academy and Greenbrier are similarly matched.

The bottom line here is that AT MOST only three of the six teams identified above will reach the semi finals and whoever advances from the potential second round Harrison / LRCA matchup will not have to face another of the teams previously mentioned in the semifinals. 

Back to the point though - can any team knock off Shiloh Christian, Hot Springs Lakeside or Greenbrier other than from the first group of three (LRCA, PA, Harrison)?

I get the feeling the separation of the second group of three from the rest of the pack is not as great this year as it has been in previous years.  I'm basing that conclusion on looking at the scores throughout most of the conference season as I don't see nearly as many one sided results as in years past. 

Does that translate into an upset?  We shall see....

Lionheart88

Lakeside is very down this year.  White Hall (S2) took them to kicks from the mark in one conference match, and Sylvan Hills (C3) beat them by several goals (5-2?).  I'd definitely have SHHS above them.

puma

On the girls side after round one 4West teams remain 3Central and 1 from the South and on the boys side 3South 2for the East and West and 1 Central.

Lionheart88

Quote from: Girls SHoccer on May 09, 2014, 02:40:23 pm
Quote from: Lionheart88 on May 09, 2014, 01:51:04 pm
I think W4 over E1 is more likely than  C4 over S1.  I'd go:

West
Central
South
East

Don't be so sure about C4 over S1.  Sylvan Hills played both teams with the result of:  3-1 over North Pulaski in each of two games, and 5-2 over Hot Springs Lakeside (of course, this last game was early in the season and much has probably changed since then).  But I could see that upset way before W4 over E1.
Quote from: puma on May 15, 2014, 07:45:23 pm
On the girls side after round one 4West teams remain 3Central and 1 from the South and on the boys side 3South 2for the East and West and 1 Central.

Called it. :)

Go Postal

Quote from: puma on May 15, 2014, 07:45:23 pm
On the girls side after round one 4West teams remain 3Central and 1 from the South and on the boys side 3South 2for the East and West and 1 Central.
Looking on the first round this year...
One thing that kind of freaks me out on next cycle,
on girls, LRCA moves from Central to the West replacing SC.  We also get Vilonia, Maumelle replacing Huntsville for soccer also.
on boys, LRCA moves from Central and Vilonia from East both move to the West replacing Huntsville.  We also get Maumelle for soccer also.

Hmm...

chaoslord

I, for one, will be very welcoming to our new 5A West overlords. I don't know how anyone, apart from PA, will take a championship that doesn't play in that 5A west. And PA got upset today so that is probably out anyway.

Also, I would absolutely LOVE to go play in a Central that doesn't have LRCA. My old teammates and I could have gotten 2nd in conference behind PA! ;D

coach cleats

What that means is that harrison will need to get more involved in club soccer. Especially on the boys side.

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