Sir!

I think the birth year registration actually shifted things the other direction so that now half the 9th graders are playing club. There shouldn't be any 8th grader who can't find a select team of some level of play for the fall (unless they are a full year older).

So outside of the three 10-0 games, CCH has been scoring at 1.9 goals per game and conceding at 1.3 goals per game. Over the four games prior to Dixie CCH has been scoring at 1.75 goals per game and conceding at 2.0 goals per game. Ryle has kept 10 clean sheets and outside of 3 goals conceded against Anderson has only allowed 3 other goals this year. Should be a tremendous battle. I'll go with a 1-1 tie, but could also see it ending 2-1 for either team.

It's not so much a question of whether schools should care about club soccer -- it's a question of whether schools care about the student-athletes who get put in the grinder with too much play. Coaches are, or should be, well aware of how much load is being placed on kids trying to do both high school and club at once. Ignoring the issue or calling it unsolvable doesn't seem like the right response, but I guess it's the easiest response.

^ I wasn't aware that most frosh teams played the bulk of their schedule on weekends. I thought most of the schools with lights played tri-matches. As for ref availability, I was suggesting overall fewer games AND they currently get the games covered for the tournament at T&C.

Uh... I was suggesting fewer overall games. Feshmen already play most T/TH weeknights, You just use the games that are scheduled prior to regional to count as your first one or two two rounds of games. Alternately, set an upper and lower division to get rid of 4 games in 24 hours. Alternately do away with freshmen regionals all together. Never-going-to-happen is generally a result of close-minded thinking... and I know you're open minded right?

I'd love to see the max games for freshmen set at 14 or 16; frosh games played on mostly weekdays; weekends generally left open for club games; and freshmen regionals changed in format to get first two rounds self-scheduled and played prior to the finals weekend so that on finals weekend you could do semis on Friday night and finals and 3rd/4th place game on Saturday on a full sized field (same tournament format for JV regionals, too).

No doubt. If you look at what would make sense for periodization of play to prevent injury and ensure best long term athlete development (LTAD) doubling up on club and high school is a horrible idea. The peak height velocity (PHV) age for boys is 14 (it's 13 for girls). So during the year when most are going through their growth spurts they are also getting a pounding physically with 3 games and 3 days of training at high school and then hustling off to 2 or 3 club practices and another couple club games each week. Many of the best persevere and come out just fine... and we tend to know and remember their names. But I have also seen kids whose bodies take a beating and they either end up with recurring nagging injuries (hip flexor very common) or their level of play drops off due to overuse or fatigue and it hurts their confidence going forward. I was once a believer in doing both club and high school soccer as 8th and 9th graders... not so much anymore.

That sounds like a great situation for CovCath. The numbers should allow the freshman team to be able to accommodate if a player has to miss for a club conflict. Also gives great depth to get through freshman regionals weekend where the two teams who play in the finals maybe playing their 4th game in a 24 hour period. I wasn't referring to Ryle's specific situation, just wondering if missing some of the very best players who choose to play club only in 8th or 9th grade could make freshman teams across the board look a little down. The birth year change did add to the number of players with potential conflicts and possibility for burn-out or overuse injuries (5/12ths of the 9th grade age group -- August through December -- added to that pool with the birth year change). From my perspective, if the kids are healthy, happy and enjoying their soccer it's all good.

Might be a down year; might be players choosing to play only club in the fall; maybe a little of both. I'd be curious how many on the top '02 and '03 club teams are playing high school soccer. Anyone have info/insight?

With the change to birth year registration in select soccer there are more conflicts now between club and freshman soccer. Previously it was mainly the 8th graders who had conflicts, but now many 9th graders have conflicts with club soccer in the fall as well. It is especially difficult if there's a conflict over fresham regionals weekend.

Is there a website or other place with any info? For boys soccer, what NKY teams are in it? What function does it serve for boys soccer or other sports for that matter?

Who got the third for Cooper?

Great result for Brossart!

St Henry scores well enough. They've only been shut out once and they scored against both KY-#6 Cov Cath (a 2-1 loss) and KY-#20 Ryle (a 1-1 tie). DJ Sanders has 12 goals so far including the those 2 "quality" goals. Key to success for St Henry is more attack on the flank and not playing directly into the heart of Cooper's D... The heart of Cooper's D, IMO is Cornforth. Cooper has been sharp, only allowing 2 goals in games when Cornforth plays. He's back for the St Henry match-up, which ought to make a big difference. Adam Snow is a great scoring threat, but can also turn provider when he draws extra numbers. My prediction... 2-2 tie with advantage in the run of play to St Henry.

Yea... my boy Caleb Wilson (Junior at Franklin-Simpson) tops the boys scoring list with 24 in 8 games played. Puts his career total now at 114. All time KY career scoring record is 176. It'll be interesting to see if he can break that mark. Disclaimers: 1) Franklin-Simpson plays a "weak" schedule, 2) 7 of his goals came in a 10-0 mercy-rule win, 3) he wouldn't put up the same stats if he played on a better team that played a tougher schedule, and 4) I've seen him play Club soccer, he's good and shares well when he plays with others.

Less yelling; more building into kids.

Looks like Mike Dewald and Conner Harper contribute a lot of offense for PC. Is.Conner the younger brother of Aven (and son of coach Harper)? Aven was an amazing player. Co-OPOY for NKY in 2013 I if I recall right.

A result against St X tonight will guarantee Ballard with a bullet on the charts.

Colton Schneider with 4 goals and an assist against Calvary. He's at 11 goals now including 1 against (KY-6) CovCath and 2 against (KY-22) Montgomery County.

Great result for Ballard who goes to 6-0 on the year knocking off KY-6 CCH. With Ballard playing at home Maher would have called the game a push. Ballard's highest (current Maher Ranked) opponent to date was KY-35 Christian Academy-Louisville. Ballard has KY-3 St X at home tonight.

Best SK team in years, IMO. First half was good soccer on both sides with HHS having the clear edge. Wonder-strike from top left of the 18 by Brandon Zachary gave Birds the halftime lead. Second half the game turned chippy and was much less enjoyable to watch.

In the Northeast the regular season was comprised of playing each team in your league and the league champ went to states. Probably made scheduling a whole lot easier, travel a whole lot less, and debates about strength of schedule and relative team strength a whole lot less common. If you wanted to know where your team stood, you just looked at the league standings in the paper.

Thought so.

Which NKY teams play a weak schedule and travel to play without getting a return visit? That sounds crazy. Fabrication or just exageration?

All great points. I think the biggest factor may be how good your team is, year-in and year-out. CovCath has done a nice job establishing itself as a (if not the) premier team in NKY. I also think that now that Maher allows comparison between Ohio and KY schools it may be used more to allow coaches on both sides of the river to evaluate cross-over opponents.