LuersMom5

17 hours ago, JQWL said:

Ring Chasers is a term used in travel baseball to describe an organization that doesn't look for competition at their level. They want an easy win so they get that plastic ring. Like I mentioned, a team that is a Triple-A team playing at a lower level to get an easy win.

Obviously everyone wants to win a state championship. When I read the 2A championship thread and the discussion centers around how this isn't even a typical Luers team. Comparing them to teams that had multiple NFL players and someone even mentioned how that team would beat some college teams. Maybe Luers should start voluntarily playing up if they are so much better than their competition. Maybe that state championship would mean more. Most of these private schools that are at 1A/2A/and 3A play a schedule full of 4A/5A/6A teams weeks 1-9. That's because they feel like they can compete at that level. However, when it's for a ring (this is where the "ring chaser" comes into play) they want to compete with 1A/2A/3A schools. 

I still hate when open enrollment is used as a the equalizer for privates and publics. The transfer rules are still not the same. The enrollment rules still aren't the same. Just make them the same for everyone. That doesn't mean the private schools have to lose anything if that's what everyone is afraid of. If I had my way, I think the IHSAA should grant athletic eligibility to anyone that is enrolled at a school when everyone comes back from Dead Week. Where ever you are enrolled the 2nd week of July, that's the school you are eligible for the entire school year. The exception being a legitimate physical move. Just do that for everyone and I don't think there'd be as much complaining. Do I still think that privates should move up a class, yeah but I think this would help level the playing field somewhat.

Luers did play up for quite a while. They were 3A for years.  Luers also plays up all season long; they do not even see another 2A team until playoff time. 

But... the thing about a small school is that one year you may have a whole stable of NFL players and the team could beat some college teams.  But...then for several (or eleven) years after that, you will get the normal, average, everyday-type-of-talented athletes.  I don't think anyone can look at the last eleven years and argue that Luers has been "too good" to be allowed to play in 2A.  

The kids on that team this year worked hard and that is why they one.  They weren't clearly out-classing all of the other 2A teams... for crying outloud, most people I saw posting were picking N. Posey.  Even the sports journalists were pretty split on their predictions, with the N. Posey probably being given the edge... at least in the ones I saw/read. 

So, even the "success factor" bump is potentially a little problematic.  So... you move up a team based on success-factor, and for the next couple of years, the young team that has to take over after that State Champ team graduates is outclassed and getting pummeled (and often injured because they still only actually have 2A enrollment and all the kids play both ways while their opponents from larger schools are not necessarily undergoing that stress and strain.)    I watched it happen, last time Luers got success-factored up.  The injuries jumped those seasons. Kids were getting hurt. And for what?  It isn't like we didn't understand the concept of graduation. We didn't think those seniors would be back for a fifth bite at the apple.  If they had, then "success factor" definitely should apply.  But everyone knew (or could have known) that the whole starting line-up was graduating.  We couldn't anticipate the young kids taking over those roles were not likely to be as successful? Or that they might get hurt playing two-ways if moved up a class? 

Now -- I don't know that it would be the same problem this time.  Luers only graduates 12 seniors this year. So, a lot of this team will be back.  And there were a lot of juniors and a lot of sophomores already playing a lot of minutes this year. Maybe success factor would be a fair application in this year's case. 

I don't know what next year looks like, but I'd expect that Luers should make a pretty deep run again when this year's sophomores are seniors. 

8 hours ago, combthehair said:

Luers has never been better than a college team. That’s insane. Lol. It’s boys going up against men. 

You so sure?  I think a couple of CYO teams might've been better than these guys: 

https://thecomeback.com/ncaa/earlham-college-division-iii-suspends-football-program-losing-streak.html

1 hour ago, Yuccaguy said:

They are an imposing 2A team.  Let's not get ahead of ourselves with the superlatives.

Well...   It is absolutely true that there have been years that the Luers team have been better than some college teams. Especially some of those "juggernaut" teams.  

But worth noting:  No one is claiming that said college teams were D1 sides themselves.  Lol.