Why do very good HS teams choose to play an extra game in sectionals?

[flygirlsdad]

This phenomenon occurs every year in the sectional draws for the HS state tournament. Very good teams select a spot in the bracket to guarantee themselves a first round game rather than having a bye. These games are always against the weakest teams in the sectional. What is their reasoning? How does beating one more subpar team help to improve your team and your chances of moving on later instead of getting an extra day of practice or rest for players nursing injuries? I would think the risk of an injury in that extra game would be a turn off although we should never play assuming that an injury will happen. Would the top teams in the NCAA tournament choose to add the play in game to play one more time against a 16 seed that has no chance? I don't think so. Besides not taking a bye, these teams are taking an opportunity away from one of those lower tier teams that may just have gotten a win in the first round, found something to build on for the next year, or let some young lady find enjoyment in one of her last games. I can only reason that these top teams are looking to pad stats for the season and get one more win for the coach. Maybe someone can give a more valid reason.

 

[CARDS]

Its HS Ball..

There have been ladies sitting the pine most of the year as the season closes out and they may not see the field again. The good teams know they can get it done and want to play...Injuries can happen anytime so if you are practicing or playing to avoid them your not really getting better.

With the middle of the road teams, yes they know they may lose in round one so they will take a bye if they can get it and the teams that struggle to buy a win... really...its the playoffs...At least they get an opportunity to face some of the best talent in their area in front of fans as they look to next year...

As far as padding stats...Maybe with some teams, but our HS team in 2012 and 2013 (in which they had deep D1 playoff runs) started non starters in one game and in 2013 removed the starters after the second inning in the other...The ladies were pumped because everyone felt they had an opportunity to contribute..

 

[Captain_Thunder]

Its HS Ball..

There have been ladies sitting the pine most of the year as the season closes out and they may not see the field again. The good teams know they can get it done and want to play...
The middle of the road teams, yes they know they may lose in round one so they will take a bye if they can get it and the ones that struggle to buy a win... really...its the playoffs...At least they get an opportunity to face some of the best talent in their area as they look to next year...

As far as padding stats...Maybe with some teams, but our HS team in 2012 and 2013 (in which they had deep D1 playoff runs) started non starters in one game and in 2013 removed the starters after the second inning in the other...The ladies were pumped because everyone felt they had an opportunity to contribute..

You play in the GMC - you get at least 8 "give me" or Stat padding games every season.......that is when you are suppose to let all feel like they are contributing!!!
You don't go & select a first round game against a team that couldn't beat a 10U Rec team, so everyone can feel they are part of something by beating them 30-0! LMAO

 

[CARDS]

You play in the GMC - you get at least 8 "give me" or Stat padding games every season.......that is when you are suppose to let all feel like they are contributing!!!
You don't go & select a first round game against a team that couldn't beat a 10U Rec team, so everyone can feel they are part of something by beating them 30-0! LMAO

Come on now, you know in the GMC you cannot take anyone lightly Just ask LW vs. Princeton an perennial bottom dweller...
Anyhow, in the game you mentioned you have to give the visiting ladies credit..They were tops in the CMAC and if you look at their stats this should have been a closer contest since we struggled to be in the middle of the pack of the GMC.

Yes, The bench (even JV pull ups) got an opportunity to play in this one and even if the score was lopsided all 18 ladies got a chance to contribute as did all the ladies on the visiting team.
They even left with a FREE hot dog, bag of chips and a pop ..and were... Happy Happy Happy...

 

[Captain_Thunder]

Come on now you know the GMC you cannot take anyone lightly Just ask LW vs. Princeton an parenial bottom dweller...

I'm not sure how far back you are talking - but West still has to play them for the 2nd time later this week..........
Last 7 games in the last 4 years - LW has outscored them 115 to 3......That is pretty much increasing everyone's batting average 150 points minimum in 2 games

 

[CARDS]

I'm not sure how far back you are talking - but West still has to play them for the 2nd time later this week..........
Last 7 games in the last 4 years - LW has outscored them 115 to 3......That is pretty much increasing everyone's batting average 150 points minimum in 2 games

Yet in 2011 they lost to the mighty 2-21 Vikings.. . Yes the Vikings were bottom dwellers back then as now but they beat a team with 5 post season wins in 2011...http://www.ohsaa.org/sports/sb/girls/2011/D1_StateBrkt_11.pdf
Do not take anyone lightly...

 

[Captain_Thunder]

Yet in 2011 they lost to the mighty 2-21 Vikings.. . Yes the Vikings were bottom dwellers back then as now but they beat a team with 5 post season wins in 2011...http://www.ohsaa.org/sports/sb/girls/2011/D1_StateBrkt_11.pdf
Do not take anyone lightly...

Gotcha!
Bet seeing that really proves the fact that you don't take any chances once tourney time begins!

 

[FastBat]

I would think, it probably plays out better the longer the tourney goes. Or they are trying to avoid another school as long as they can.

 

[backstop09]

...Besides not taking a bye, these teams are taking an opportunity away from one of those lower tier teams that may just have gotten a win in the first round...

I think I've heard it all now.

 

[daboss]

In my opinion the coaches and AD are looking at the entire path of the sectional tourney as the easier path to the final. A gamble that a lesser known team could get hot but the odds to get past the first few rounds are pretty good. It's what might come next as FastBat has pointed out.

 

[wow]

Its HS Ball..

Be careful on this.. People get offended easily.

Take a look at this. if you look at the right under "voting matrix" by division you can see how teams seeded other teams. interesting..

http://nedab.org/softball-sites-managers/

 

[krrcoach]

Unless the other districts draw differentlly, higher seed teams cannot select lower seed teams, because the higher seed pick their spot on the bracket first. Typically higher seed teams pick first round byes but I could see some benefits to picking a first round game especially if you don't want too many days off. I could see how a win on Monday might be better than a long practice to start your week.

 

[manitoudan]

Looking back on my DD's HS days I'd say never ever sleep on your opener . Never . Her Soph year we beat a conference bottom dweller at their place 14-0 a week before the sectionals .. there were 2 outs from beating us 2-1 on our home field before their 3b misplayed a grounder and we got a key 2 rbi hit . And we went on to the final 8 that season . BUT 2 outs from being beaten in the sectional opener .

Her Jr year is worthy of mention and part of while I'll always have a love/hate relationship with school ball. And No I'm not making this up. We were the 1 seed . State Ranked top 5 . Played a little ole school called Whiteoak with a " decent" upcoming sophomore pitcher . I'm not on the staff at this point but still yet went and watched Whiteoak play 45 minutes from home in their sectional opener . In the 2nd or 3rd inning our assistant coached pulled in, watched 1-2 innings maybe , told me " we will kill that girl " and left . I had already texted the coach that this kid is very good and can give us fits . So finish my little story our team got rained out the last regular season home game .. so the staff decided they would make the opener of the sectionals " senior day" and started 2 non starters that happened to be seniors that year. Yes , in the tourney . We had the decorations and the flowers and the cupcakes .. and we got our a$$ handed to us 1-0 . That girl we were going to maul is now Bowling Greens leader in the circle as a freshman. K Sosby . So if you have a HS that takes the games seriously and respect how much work goes into being good and you have good coaching -- rejoice ! to those that suffer thru the BS I described - I feel your pain.

 

[raidian70]

One of the years I was coaching high school we were really struggling. The #1 seed took the bye and we matched up as one of the bottom two seeds in the first round. In the second round against the top seed we had the go ahead run at 2nd in the top of the 6th. They got us out and in the bottom of the inning we had a bad hop grounder and a couple of errors to cement the game away. They went on to the regional losing to the eventual state champ by 2. I had always wondered why teams would play a 1st round game and not take a bye until that day. I think it is completely up to the coach, who should know their team the best. But you can't ever sleep on a tournament game.

 

[SAmMaydayMalone]

I'm not sure how far back you are talking - but West still has to play them for the 2nd time later this week..........
Last 7 games in the last 4 years - LW has outscored them 115 to 3......That is pretty much increasing everyone's batting average 150 points minimum in 2 games

I disagree. Coming off facing pitchers throwing mid to high 50s and low 60s to facing someone throwing 40-45 isn't an automatic stat padder. Especially when you have to go back to facing top speed the next day. I have seen top hitters go 0-4 against slower "weaker" pitchers.

 

[cobb_of_fury]

I disagree. Coming off facing pitchers throwing mid to high 50s and low 60s to facing someone throwing 40-45 isn't an automatic stat padder. Especially when you have to go back to facing top speed the next day. I have seen top hitters go 0-4 against slower "weaker" pitchers.

WAY TO TRUE!!^^^^^ Bad Pitchers can kill the best batters - It will take at least two at bats to figure out the speed - then you've got to wait for something in the hitting zone and not get anxious and end up way out front topping the ball or poping up.
This is why Travel ball coaches hate school ball - it messes up timing.

 

[flygirlsdad]

Checked some past championship games for the heck of it. Looks like most teams do take the first round bye. You have to go back to 2010 to find a Hillsdale team that looks like they chose a first round game and won the title. In the meantime there have been a few teams choosing that first round game only to lose in the finals, happened to Lebanon twice. Coincidence, correlation, or Karma?

 

[CARDS]

Checked some past championship games for the heck of it. Looks like most teams do take the first round bye. You have to go back to 2010 to find a Hillsdale team that looks like they chose a first round game and won the title. In the meantime there have been a few teams choosing that first round game only to lose in the finals, happened to Lebanon twice. Coincidence, correlation, or Karma?

You cannot just look at OHSAA brkt play....You need to check schedules....

In 2012 Lebanon played 3 additional games after Post Season games started...I have seen a lot of teams make up league games or schedule additional games inbetween post season games.
This may be more of an issue than a first round bye especially Saturday DH games...

 

[coachjwb]

Coincidence ... finals losses have much more to do with who a team plays in the last game than who they played in the first ...