Team's strength of schedule

[Guest T Rocks]

After this Fridays 2nd round playoff games, has your opinion changed or stayed the same about teams strength of schedule during the regular season preparing them for the playoffs. IMHO I think Trinity's tough schedule made it possible for them to beat Male...Will we start seeing a trend where more schools start looking for tougher regular season games whether that be in state or outside the state....What say you...

[LEX]

Strength of schedule is a must for any team looking to make a run in the postseason. It's even more important if you have a cupcake district. I think it gives the players and coaches confidence after a tough schedule.

[Beach Bumm]

Just ask Johnson Central. Weak non district schedule got them again. It is so important to schedule a power team that would give your program some competition and challenge.

[thenamerobdigity]

Each team is different. Dixie didn't schedule Highlands and this is the best team they have had in a while. Scheduling too tough can be bad (if a bad small school team scheduled Trinity, Male, Highlands, Bowling Green etc), but scheduling too easy can be worse (ie Johnson Central). Scheduling tough teams that you can be competitive with is important imo.

[tcjkbt]

Although it is a case-by-case, team-by-team consideration. For example, I think Trinity's hard schedule in the '13 season ended up stunting their development as the players were not yet mature enough psychologically (and maybe physically) to handle the losses.To play a tough schedule week in and week out, you have to have a certain type of team. The problem is you may not know if your team is capable of handling the schedule unil you are in the midst of it and then it is obviously too late to change.

[Eagle2013]

I don't think it's any higher than 5th or 6th on the list of what makes a good/quality team. Tough schedule didn't prepare Trinity last year so how did it help this year. It may have been an ingredient in their recipe of success but I don't think it is the main ingredient. Players, coaching and confidence are much more important than SOS, IMO.

[Imhisdad]

A tough schedule won't make a bad team better. IMO it has a bigger affect on a good but not great team that may lose their edge by playing a weak schedule and falling into a false confidence. A mediocre team that plays a weak schedule can cause them to lose their edge in preparation and game day intensity.

[Lawnboy13]

Everyone of NewCath's non-district opponents (except 6A Campbell Co.) are playing for a Regional title this week, 6A Simon Kenton, 6A Dixie, 5A Cooper, & 1A Beechwood.

[Imhisdad]

Everyone of NewCath's non-district opponents (except 6A Campbell Co.) are playing for a Regional title this week, 6A Simon Kenton, 6A Dixie, 5A Cooper, & 1A Beechwood.

 

NCC and BW are arguments for the tough sked. Mt Healthy, Dixie, Cov Cath and New Cath all still alive from their non district schedule. Neither of those back down from anyone.

[truebluefan89]

Tilghman seems to thrive off of a tough schedule

[Voice of Reason]

SOS is about one thing - playing a challenging enough schedule that it exposes your team's weaknesses. That is how it makes your team better. The players and coaches are forced to dig deeper and find ways to get better. If you are playing a weak schedule, that weak team can't stop you from doing what you want to do and you can get wins doing your basic things. Play the tough team and suddenly those two plays that always worked against the easy team don't work - now what do you do? It is about getting better every weak, facing all the things the really good playoff teams will do to you and knowing how to overcome that.

 

The second point on SOS is impact on opinion and team record. Let's use Johnson Central. Their undefeated record was an illusion. Covington Catholic's 8-4 record was more impressive because they played the toughest SOS in all of 4A. People will often talk about how good an undefeated team is but you always have to weigh that against their SOS. The tough thing on this is JC may have been better than CCH but you have no idea because of who JC played. A team can be a great team playing a weak schedule.

 

To the Male/Trinity game, I don't think SOS had any impact. Male played a tough schedule and was challenged enough. If you flipped the schedules, I don't think it would have much, if any impact on who wins when those two play each other at this point in the season. The players on both teams were well prepared. At the end of the day, it comes down to the players getting it done.

[tcjkbt]

Tilghman seems to thrive off of a tough schedule

Louisvile Central, too.

[ggclfan]

I think scheduling is more art than science. The coach has to juggle how good he thinks his team will be and be able to find the kind of team he wants to play that is willing and available to play his team. It is often a great challenge. I know GCL teams in Ohio, Trinity, Lex Cath, HHS and others have trouble getting teams to play them. I have heard the same thing with JC this year.

 

I will say that if you go the whole season basically without being challenged (eg: JC this year), you have no idea how your team will react when it is challenged. A team like JC needs to play at least 2 games a year (not 5 but a couple) against as good or better teams just to see how they match up and then look at the tape after and see how they can improve.

 

The downside of over scheduling is you can get pretty beat up. CCH has seen that this year for sure and HHS has lately (lost two key starters in the Elder game).

[Wits-end]

Tilghman seems to thrive off of a tough schedule

 

Dead on with Paducah comment. Always schedule tough opponents and flourish in the playoffs.

[Voice of Reason]

Dead on with Paducah comment. Always schedule tough opponents and flourish in the playoffs.

 

They were flourishing before the playoffs - the record just doesn't show it.