It really doesn't matter who you draw; if you are any good you will eventually meet them - or the team that beat them.
Pairings Truth 101
- Thread starter The_Oldfan
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Debatable. In most sports I would agree but not in IHSA football. Most top teams will have an easy first round game but in the second and third round they could get teams that dropped tough nonconference or conference games which leads to a game where injuries could occur. Meanwhile your semifinal opponent could have gotten teams that had a good record against weaker opponents and maybe they can get a lead and play their backups.
Totally agree. It almost always matters who you play unless you are a juggernaut and would dispatch all your opponents by multiple scores regardless, and that is rare.
if one team gets to coast through to the finals with 4 cupcakes and a team on the other side of the bracket gets two games against relatively peer teams where the difference will likely be 10 points or less, that is 2 opportunities to lose. whereas the team on the other side of the bracket has no chance of getting tripped up before the final unless they have a five turnover disaster.
it’s all about matchups and in high school sports more than half of the games are usually decided before the game even begins due to such wide talent disparity. Unless you are running clocking your way to a state title, the draw matters a ton at the high school level.
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In 2016 MS was the 26th seed. We played 9-0 West Aurora in round 1. Barely won. Round 2 played a 9-1 Barrington team that already best us in the regular season. Quarters played a 9-2 LWE. Semifinal played a 12-0 Palatine team. I would rather be the #1 seed! Much easier on my nerves and IBS!!
I think that is kind of the point, You got a 9-0 West Aurora, instead of a 9-0 LWE or Loyola and the same can be said about WA, they got a MS instead of a 5-4 CPS school or a similar 5-4 team from a weak conference.
All tournaments are about matchups. Coaches will say "it's about how we play, not the opponent", but everyone would take the 6-3 middle of their conference team over ESL.
Look at the NCAA Bball tourney. Every year, because of a lot of upsets happening in one region, there are matchups that end up being a couple of "Cinderella's" playing each other in the sweet sixteen, Suddenly you have a #10 seed in Elite 8, and they might not have played any really good teams.
I mention softball a lot here. Last season, 4 of the top 5 teams in 4A were in the same sectional. I'm sure the "state hopeful" teams in all the other sectionals looked at that and were thinking "glad we aren't there".
Look at the NCAA Bball tourney. Every year, because of a lot of upsets happening in one region, there are matchups that end up being a couple of "Cinderella's" playing each other in the sweet sixteen, Suddenly you have a #10 seed in Elite 8, and they might not have played any really good teams.
I mention softball a lot here. Last season, 4 of the top 5 teams in 4A were in the same sectional. I'm sure the "state hopeful" teams in all the other sectionals looked at that and were thinking "glad we aren't there".
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