foxbat

Depends on what the expectation of the rule was. If it was making it where p/p teams can't win titles, then it didn't work. If the idea was to look at the idea that some teams have advantages whether they are p/p or sole options in a large market, or in affluent suburbs, or *fill in the blank* or just happen to have gotten better over time and "outgrown" their fishbowl, then I think the general idea is certainly workable. Of course, there are more instances of some of the wrong programs perhaps getting swept into the net approach, but that's more because the "holes in the net are too small ... make it four years and make winning a regional, or two sectionals, in the new class perhaps the minimum necessary to stay in a class and I think it ends up being more successful in addressing the issue regardless of p/p or public standing. As for what would have changed? I can't speak for all classes, but I can pretty much say that, in 1A, LCC would have, minimally, seven-peated from 2009-2015. I agree that it's not the best thing, again see the issues regarding length and remaining criteria, but if you look at 2012 - 2008 ... the five seasons before SF ... at a minimum, what you see respectively is six p/p with four winning, seven p/p with four winning, six p/p with four winning, three p/p with two winning, and five p/p with three winning ... BTW, note that these are all 5-class seasons. Just on the comparison of the two five-year periods, the data says that, 'yes' it works if the idea is to blunt p/p and, if the idea is a broader to effect a blunting of all teams with "advantages" or just progress that outgrows the fishbowl, then the answer would again be 'yes' ... with allowances that the short time period and remaining criteria could have caught a couple that shouldn't have perhaps been caught and perhaps released a couple that shouldn't have been released.

Linton would have moved up on enrollment anyway. Give it another year and Pioneer will likely be back to put some potential balance back into things. Realize that while you are talking about making it smoother, the two years that LCC spent in 2A, , along with Scecina SF'd up to 2A too despite not having a state title win, made the road smoother for Tri-Central, Eastern Hancock, North Vermillion, and Pioneer to make it to 1A state in 2013 and 2014. This stuff is coming in cycles and you have to look at the totality rather than a single year. In 2013, the first year of LOS-influenced LOS appearances, five made it and three won. In 2014, three made it and one won. In 2015, three made it and three won. In 2016, three made it and three won. In 2017, only two p/p teams made it to LOS and one won. In 2018, only 2 p/p teams made it to LOS and only one won. The trending suggests decrease in p/p appearance for the last five years. The idea of "getting it wrong" has too few data points to make that determination yet and, more importantly, looking at a single season out of six makes this year actually look more like an anomaly or a start of a new cycle as opposed to a decision point for the success or failure of the policy. With that said, I think there's a preponderance of agreement that they length of the cycle should be longer ... perhaps 4 years ... and possibly the criteria for remaining elevated once moved up could also be changed.

If a team is able to make things happen when the chips are down, especially against the odds, I think that says much about them. This harkens to another thread whether the idea of "the best team always wins" and whether that's true or not was pretty much distilled down to, at least in my eyes, whether folks are talking in a holistic sense or in the moment. My thought is that, when we are talking tournament time and head-to-head competition, the only measure that matters at that point is in the moment. There are no "style points" for stats, ratings, schedule strength, etc. ... ultimately, it comes down to what you are able to do in that 48-minute period that determines who was the better team for that game. To look at items beyond that seems, at least to me, to do a disservice to the team that figured out how to make it happen. I think AC deserves to be recognized for doing what they did to take an opponent that had won a previous meeting by a four-TD margin and put up 42 points on the board and holding that team to a single TD and effectively shutting them out for three quarters. Barring things like injuries, like you said, teams make their own fates at this time of the season. It's been 20 years and a semi-state game since LCC and AC last met ... and the last time they did, LCC eventually ended up with a blue ring. We'll see how this year plays out as both teams work to make their own fate. Looking forward to Friday's game.

LCC fell three points short in 2014 losing to eventual 2A state champion, RCHS, 17-14 in semi-state that year.

It was the make-up and the lighting. 😄 Lord, I apologize for that.

Calpreps said SA 27 - LCC 20. Then again, it also says SA 26 - AC 21.

Not a perfect system and, as @Bobref said, it'd probably be better as a four-year cycle and that would take out some of the issues that tend to catch good classes in the same net with progressing programs. If you want to see the poster program for the Success Factor, take a look at Scecina. The same year that LCC moved up to 2A for winning back-to-back state titles in 2011 and 2012, Scecina moved up and is the only team so far to move up who didn't win a single state title. They remain in 2A based on size at this point; I think, having crossed the enrollment levels for 2A during their Success Factor time in 2A ... similar to Linton who moved up to 2A via Success Factor and ended up with 2A enrollment while there.

This game appears, at least by the numbers, to be an even matchup. Sagarin has LCC and Adams Central right next to each other in the rankings at 114 and 115 in the state and 4 and 5 in 1A. Most likely will come down to those "intangibles" that @BendNotBreak always talks about.

I'm not sure. I know they had someone out. @Coach Nowlin can probably go e us the details as well as his take on schedule impact having seen LCC up close and also playing a similar schedule.

Time for "next man up" ball at LCC again. Smith stepped in for Schrader last week. Will see who will step up for Roach this week. Roach is a difference maker for sure, but there are some hungry guys just waiting to step in and get one of those one-way starter slots for next season and there's no better time to audition than when the chips are down.

Looks like LCC and Adams Central will also play at 8:00 pm.

You can see it in the wlfi.com Frenzy highlights: https://www.wlfi.com/content/news/Central-Catholic-captures-first-regional-title-since-2015-565029422.html

Does schedule strength give LCC any advantage at all in this match? LCC's three losses this season came to West Lafayette, Guerin, and Tri-West ... all three from Class 3A. Win over ranked 2A RCHS who hung tough with Andrean was also in the mix.

??? Roach is a senior, but if he wasn't, why would he also have to sit a second, the one you've stated for Week 1 of 2020, if he's already sitting out semi-state? I wasn't sure if you were talking about the Cass player, in which case I understand that an underclassman would sit out the Week 1 2020 game since the Cass season is over, or LCC's Roach.

There was also a targeting call later in the game against NJSP for a hit in the back of the head on Smith who was already on his way down. I've seen three helmet calls this season at the LCC games and two were in this game against NJSP on a player who was in the grasp or off of his feet.

IHSAA by-laws 9-5 and 16-2 basically state that a judgment call made by an official during a contest cannot be appealed or protested. 9-5 Official’s Decisions are Final - In all Contests the decisions of the officials shall be considered final and binding. 16-2 Contest Official’s Decisions are Final - Contest decisions by game officials are considered final and binding. In the Q&A area of Rule 8, there's a specific question that reads, "May a member School file a protest regarding the ejection of a player for unsportsmanlike conduct?" The corresponding answer is "No, neither a judgment call nor misapplication of a game rule by an official may be protested or appealed. (rules 9-5, 16-2)." https://ihsaa.org/Portals/0/ihsaa/documents/about ihsaa/2019-20 By Laws.pdf

Was having this discussion last night with @Paccolpur ... this is actually a rebuilding year for LCC. Not bad, however, to be playing a semi-state game in a rebuilding year. @LCCAlum and I had been discussing the ebb/flow of the program here on GID all the way back in 2011/2012 and talking about the up/downs that we anticipated based on pipeline. The pipeline looks good coming up through the ranks. Watch for some of the "same animal" coming in the next couple of seasons ... especially given the focus on moving back to mainly one-way players that was seen back around the 2009 and 2010 teams. I think if the game is close going into the half, I think LCC has the edge. They have been uncharacteristically slow-starting this season ... averaging just one TD per game in the 1st quarter in the tourney. They have very nice halftime adjustments. If your prediction is correct, then I'd would expect the halftime score to be something like AC 14-0 like the 2014 semi-state game that LCC lost to RCHS 17-14 where LCC was down 14-0 at the half.

Hoping this one turns out like the last two semi-states when LCC had homefield advantage ... a 17-0 win over then-ranked IFCA #6 Sheridan in 2011 and a 42-14 win over then-ranked IFCA #5 Churubusco in 2010. The difference though is, in those two seasons, LCC was undefeated and ranked IFCA #1. This time around, they are 10-3 and ranked IFCA #7, while Adams Central is 12-1 and IFCA #4.

Might take Harrell's with a grain of salt. Right before the LCC-NJSP, it had the game listed as a 7:30 pm start, but the game was actually scheduled to start, and did start, at 8:00 pm. MaxPreps also had the wrong time listed as well.

LCC represents the Hoosier Conference as the last remaining team in the tourney as Andrean eliminated Cass last night after knocking off fellow-Hoosier member, RCHS, the week before. LCC will face Adams Central who pulled off an upset defeating Adams County rival, South Adams, in a revenge game last night. LCC notches its second post season title, following on last week's sectional title, of the Brian Nay era. LCC mixed things up last night using a short passing attack that was primarily effective in moving the ball, although LCC coughed up the ball on the NJSP 3-yard line on the opening drive after pretty much moving at will. Similarly, the defense was able to stifle NJSP who spent the vast majority of the night trying, unsuccessfully, to run between the tackles against LCC's defense. The 17 points scored is a bit deceiving as one of the TDs came again in the last minute of play and the field goal came after NJSP started with the ball at the LCC 23, pushed it to first and goal, and then was forced to kick it. Hopefully, teh stats will get updated to MaxPreps to do a bit more detail analysis. Smith, the freshman, did a nice job coming in and filling in for Schrader, who got a well-needed rest to make sure he's ready to go for semi-state. Despite Schrader returning for semi-state, LCC will be without Roach who was ejected after reacting to being hit in the helmet on a targeting by NJSP on a late-whistle play. That occurred just before the half. The call is not able to be appealed. You can see it here: https://www.wlfi.com/content/news/Central-Catholic-captures-first-regional-title-since-2015-565029422.html. The upset of South Adams by Adams Central puts LCC in the enviable position of playing its fourth game of the tourney at home including a regional followed by a semi-state. Pioneer defeated LCC last season at LaRocca. The last time before that that LCC has lost at home was all the way back in 2008 when eventual state-runner up, Sheridan, beat LCC in a second-round sectional game 34-28. LCC would follow that loss with three undefeated seasons in a row en route to their 1A four-peat.

LCC 43 NJSP 17 Final LCC will play Adams Central in semi-state next week.

LCC 43 NJSP 3 Start of 4Q

LCC 22 NJSP 3 Half

LCC 9 NJSP 3 End of 1Q