12U Coaches Poll FINAL (7-16-18) RESULTS!!!

oiler_pride

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1st Place Votes are in ( )

Rank --- Team --- Total Pts


1. Ohio Outlaws- Johnson (6)..................122
2. Beverly Bandits Demarini (6)..............114
3. Ohio Hawks Gold -Harbold...................91
4. Wizards Elite .........................................89
5. Lasers Blue ............................................70
6. Ohio Ice Blue .........................................65
7. Ohio Stingrays '05 (1).............................64
8. MV Xpress '05 ........................................29
9. Lasers Silver............................................25
10. Akron Racers.........................................11
10. CO Ice....................................................11

Others receiving votes: Ohio Hawks (6), Lightning Gold (6), Outlaws -metts (5), Cincy Doom 05 (3), USSSA Pride (1)...
 

TheHitKing

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Congratulations to the Outlaws Johnson and all the teams on successful seasons, the entire 05 class is loaded with talent and it’s only going to improve as these girls get older.

That being said, I’ve never been a big believer in these “ polls “ and this final one is an example of why.

2 outstanding organizations, Ohio Outlaws and Beverly Bandits we’re consistently ranked either 1 or 2 thru out the entire season, as they should have been, they earned the top 2 positions by playing a very competitive schedule based upon the quality of opponents faced weekly.

Where I have a question is how did the Ohio Outlaws vault to the top spot in the poll when in straight up head to head meetings the Bandits were victorious all 4 times, the latest being a win over them in the Stingray Championship this past weekend ?

For the record and before all the proverbial comments are added, this is not a rant or an issue of a parent or coach complaining about a slight, it’s just a question of what’s the point of these polls if victories over an opponent in head to head competition is obviously not a part of the equation especially at the end of the season ?...The top 2 teams meet on the final weekend, 2 emerges victorious over 1 yet again and the poll fails to reflect that victory or place them in the top position. I can tell you that those 2 teams played hard and both knew there was a prize on the table beyond the Stingray title.

Congratulations again to all the teams....good luck this fall and beyond, but this is a head scratcher....
 

Daddy Gurl

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The thing about voting goes a long ways. I myself believe the over all number one team in ohio cause of the death of Pitching is Hawks Gold. Bandits teams used pick ups all spring and into the summer. They were actually playing us when I know for a fact that they had two Outlaw players suit up for them that weekend. You have Stingrays coaches voting them self as a number one team and we all know they are at Best a top 5 team. You also should put your team wins or losses on this website whenever you get first,second or dead last, not just when you win a tournament. We all know when Bandits win cause they are first to post.
 

TheHitKing

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Hawks Gold has a very talented team no doubt and you raise a very good point regarding the Stingray vote.

As far as players suiting up for other teams during the year be it Bandits as you state or any other team, there could be reasons such as injuries or a player on vacation and an opportunity arises to get in some playing time on what is an off weekend for the sub...many organizations do exactly that, and a “ sub “ is not going to be a difference maker in relation to this poll.

That being said, I am still failing to understand how one team can be undefeated against another in head to head competition, this being Bandits/Ohio Outlaws, and the defeated team is ranked Number 1 in the final poll?

Again, a tip of the hat to the Ohio Outlaws but on the final weekend of the season and prior to the final poll they were defeated a 4th time by the Bandits in a championship game.

The ranking is imho, not deserved....
 

DanMaz

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get over it hit king... its 12u!!! lol

polls are opinions and just like buttholes... everyone has one and they usually stink. Polls are supposed to be fun and parents players coaches can watch the battles all season long. When we were still in 10u - 12u I always thought the polls were cool and we always came back every Tuesday to see who was top of hill that week. Keep the Polls going Oilerpride!!

dont take it soooo serious. It takes the FUN out of it. and beleive me.... it goes fast!!!!!!!!! enjoy it while you can!
 

oiler_pride

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I have seen it all in my 9 years of running the Coaches Polls. From coaches completely leaving out very deserving teams in their top 10 due to not liking a coach or upset because that team stole one of his players... To certain "Organizations" making sure they never vote that other "Organization" higher than theirs even if it is deserved. With that said, this years 12U voting wasn't as bad as I have seen in past years as far as coaches trying to influence the polls.

As my dd gets ready to head off to college in just a few weeks, these polls has given me the opportunity to reflect back on the good times of 10u/12u days. I enjoy getting the feedback each week from the coaches on wins/losses and how good or bad some teams really are. These Polls have been a staple of OFC/The Softball Zone for a long time and I have received many emails, texts and calls over the years from out of state teams thanking me for these polls as it helped them see who the best teams in our state were. To all the '05 teams moving up.... Enjoy the world of 14u/16U softball that lies ahead, but I can promise that often you will find yourself reflecting and talking about the good ole days of 12U.
 
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Daddy Gurl

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These are so much fun to watch teams progress. I think there needs to be one in the Fall/Winter and Spring/Summer. All these teams above come a long way since last September. If we go back last September Bandits, Ice Blue, Hawks and Mv Xpress were all Better than Outlaws. Come Winter Months Stingrays won a big tournament over in Indy, Spring/Summer in the Big Events it was Outlaws. Gapps it was Wizard Elite and Stingrays tournament it was Bandits. So with this poll for Spring/Summer I believe the coaches got it right.
 

TheHitKing

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Hey I’m just stating an opinion...nothing to “ get over “ DanMaz....it’s all good...
 

AnotherSoftballDad

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This poll is a lot like the NCAA Basketball coaches poll. They have no real bearing on anything on the field but how your team is perceived in your age group. I have enjoyed the poll over the years as it was interesting to see it each week. Just like other polls in sports, some value your overall body of work and some value head to head. Each coach got a vote and did so using the criteria they wanted...The Outlaws and Bandits were neck and neck all year as they should have been. Things will get real interesting next year as the player carousel continues.
 

TheHitKing

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Not really sure how Daddy Gurl can think that the final poll with the Ohio Outlaws on top is correct as he states.

On the final weekend of the season, and 4 days before the final coaches poll comes out, the #2 Bandits defeated the #1 Outlaws by a score of 4 to 0 to win the Stingray tourney making that 4 wins out of 4 matchups with the Outlaws....and believe me both teams knew that not only was the Stingray title the prize but also the ranking.

In any world and in any poll that head to head record should be enough, especially when both organizations played a similar high level and very challenging tournament schedule but somehow in this instance it was not and that is the reason for the original question.

These 2 organizations were “ neck and neck “ all season as “ Another Softball Dad “ said, no doubt about that, but this final poll is not imho legit..that being said, I’m out..congrats to the Outlaws....
 

TheGame

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As the father of a girl on one of the teams ranked in the "top ten" and who has seen that team face off against the other "top ten" teams I think this poll is pretty accurate. A poll is not a championship game result and while it may follow the trends of the season its pretty much a ranking of a body of work. My daughter's team has posted victories over 7 of the other top 9 teams but a win here or there doesn't weigh more than a body of work. Whoever votes has done a really good job because anyone in the know would agree that the Bandits and Outlaws have been 1 and 2 pretty much all year long with Hawks Gold and Wizards Elite a half step behind and the other five have been up and down a bit but I think its as accurate as any coach's poll for 12u softball in Ohio would ever be. CONGRATS to ALL TOP TEN TEAMS and all teams receiving votes. NCAA polls/rankings have always been a major source of debate so not sure why anyone would expect unofficial polls for 12u and 10u softball to be indisputable. I've been watching these polls for three years now and have enjoyed every moment of it. They are fun to watch and talk about and with too many jerks out there making the game less fun, I have found these polls lots of fun (even thought my daughter was not on a ranked team two of the three years I've paid attention). Kudos to the coaches who voted - I think you got it right.
 

Daddy Gurl

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Not really sure how Daddy Gurl can think that the final poll with the Ohio Outlaws on top is correct as he states.

On the final weekend of the season, and 4 days before the final coaches poll comes out, the #2 Bandits defeated the #1 Outlaws by a score of 4 to 0 to win the Stingray tourney making that 4 wins out of 4 matchups with the Outlaws....and believe me both teams knew that not only was the Stingray title the prize but also the ranking.

In any world and in any poll that head to head record should be enough, especially when both organizations played a similar high level and very challenging tournament schedule but somehow in this instance it was not and that is the reason for the original question.

These 2 organizations were “ neck and neck “ all season as “ Another Softball Dad “ said, no doubt about that, but this final poll is not imho legit..that being said, I’m out..congrats to the Outlaws....
I would be ashamed if I was a Coach/Manager and I told my players that a fun/dumb coaches poll is on the line if you guys win. I surely hope our coach does not tell our players about that. SMDH
 

TheHitKing

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Not once was it mentioned that any coach told any team that a poll ranking was on the “ line “...you’re reaching..and jumping to conclusions..facts are facts ...it was a fun poll all
year no doubt about that!..looking forward to more enjoyable moments on and off the field..
 

jelli9764

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Lasers Blue doesn't put too much into the polls and have seen in the past that the team that wins head to head doesn't mean anything. Our team probably only voted 3/4 times all year, most of the time too busy and really don't visit this sight very often, to be honest. However, for some reason, I am going to chime in. This poll has some to do with performance, but a lot to do with a popularity contest and what coaches like other coaches the best. Here are some of our results throughout the season.

BBD - 1win - 2losses
Outlaws - 4wins - 1loss
Hawks - 3wins - 2losses
Stingrays - 2wins - 2losses

We just got back from Nashville, and I thought Ohio represented very well. Outlaws took 2nd and Lasers took 3rd. Ice Blue also did a very nice job as well. Bandits are doing well in CA and haven't lost yet. Main thing is, Ohio softball is very competitive and we continues to make improvements as we play the best competition we can.

Good luck to everyone next year in 14u.
 

AnotherSoftballDad

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Lasers Blue doesn't put too much into the polls and have seen in the past that the team that wins head to head doesn't mean anything. Our team probably only voted 3/4 times all year, most of the time too busy and really don't visit this sight very often, to be honest. However, for some reason, I am going to chime in. This poll has some to do with performance, but a lot to do with a popularity contest and what coaches like other coaches the best. Here are some of our results throughout the season.

BBD - 1win - 2losses
Outlaws - 4wins - 1loss
Hawks - 3wins - 2losses
Stingrays - 2wins - 2losses

We just got back from Nashville, and I thought Ohio represented very well. Outlaws took 2nd and Lasers took 3rd. Ice Blue also did a very nice job as well. Bandits are doing well in CA and haven't lost yet. Main thing is, Ohio softball is very competitive and we continues to make improvements as we play the best competition we can.

Good luck to everyone next year in 14u.



Lasers Blue is a perfect example of why head to head shouldn't be the be all of this poll. They had a player this year who split time with a team out of state. They were clearly a better team when she was there. It would be interesting to see the listed head to head records that were listed with and without her. Awfully hard to decide which Lasers Blue team you were voting on each week. I do think that some coaches vote for other coaches not because they "like" them, but they respect them. They respect how they play, who they play, and how they go about it....and that should count as well.

I do agree the 05 teams are loaded and they all did very well nationally. Bandits still going in Cali...Outlaws and Lasers in Tenn.....Hawks winning it in Florida, MVXpress in 3rd....Stringrays 05 winning it in Florida as well. These polls were pretty accurate all things considered. Should be a lot of fun in 14u.
 

Laser05

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Bandits Demarini have been in California since last Thursday. We are focused on Nationals and honestly proud to hear how great the OHIO teams have done across the country.

Honestly these polls are fun but they don’t matter on the field. Don’t matter to teams out of state and in no way determines who wins.

Good luck to any OHIO team still battling it out on the field the next couple weeks, and we will keep fighting here to help the state get the respect it needs and deserves.

GO OHIO!
 

bleacherbum

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Lasers Blue doesn't put too much into the polls and have seen in the past that the team that wins head to head doesn't mean anything. Our team probably only voted 3/4 times all year, most of the time too busy and really don't visit this sight very often, to be honest. However, for some reason, I am going to chime in. This poll has some to do with performance, but a lot to do with a popularity contest and what coaches like other coaches the best. Here are some of our results throughout the season.

BBD - 1win - 2losses
Outlaws - 4wins - 1loss
Hawks - 3wins - 2losses
Stingrays - 2wins - 2losses

We just got back from Nashville, and I thought Ohio represented very well. Outlaws took 2nd and Lasers took 3rd. Ice Blue also did a very nice job as well. Bandits are doing well in CA and haven't lost yet. Main thing is, Ohio softball is very competitive and we continues to make improvements as we play the best competition we can.

Good luck to everyone next year in 14u.

LMAO - I looked back & it seems that Bandits, Outlaws, and Lasers Blue, along with a couple of other teams always posted their results when they had something to brag about. Like a 2nd place finish at Firefighter's. It is what it is - a Coach Poll. Doesn't matter who votes or doesn't vote. You only have one vote. I think that those who voted were pretty darn close.
I am surprised no one has mentioned the 10U poll. It looks pretty accurate, but there are way more votes than there should be with just 9 voters. LOL
 

DanMaz

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don't worry... things calm down by 16u - 18u. lot less chest bumping going on. ;) lol
 

bleacherbum

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don't worry... things calm down by 16u - 18u. lot less chest bumping going on. ;) lol
What you talking about Willis?

Are you on the same The Softball Zone as the rest of us? Cause I'm reading quite a few 16U and 18U coaches doing an awful lot of chest bumping and bragging on here. Every day it seems like a one-up thing about which organization is doing the best in Cali or Florida, and who is bringing over the latest team to their org. Seems way worse than anything I see with the 10/12's....LMAO
 

her mom

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Lasers Blue is a perfect example of why head to head shouldn't be the be all of this poll. They had a player this year who split time with a team out of state. They were clearly a better team when she was there. It would be interesting to see the listed head to head records that were listed with and without her. Awfully hard to decide which Lasers Blue team you were voting on each week. I do think that some coaches vote for other coaches not because they "like" them, but they respect them. They respect how they play, who they play, and how they go about it....and that should count as well.

I do agree the 05 teams are loaded and they all did very well nationally. Bandits still going in Cali...Outlaws and Lasers in Tenn.....Hawks winning it in Florida, MVXpress in 3rd....Stringrays 05 winning it in Florida as well. These polls were pretty accurate all things considered. Should be a lot of fun in 14u.
I am with you on the Lasers Blue thing. Pretty much called them Lasers Mojos. I just don't see how that is fair to the rest of the team or even their OG pitcher(s) Nothing against the player that was splitting her time.
 

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