EQUUS GREVYI

Newport may not get the chance to knock off NCC. They had better not look past the second round vs. Walton. As far as the winner coming out of the West.....It is obvious that the depth is greater in the West this season, but anything can happen in 1 game. Other than CAL and DeSales, I'm not convinced that anyone in the west plays enough defense to set themselves too far above the best in the East. It should be a great playoff season in 2A this year.

Senior? I hate to hear anyone end their season this way, much less their career.

See? Silly statement.

Again, maybe Newport is better than given credit for.....

I think you are truly underestimating what can happen on a soccer field on any given night. CovCath has been a technical superior team for the last 3-4 years with no regional championships to show for it. Favorite, certainly. No way they lose without officials blowing a call, silly statement.

6 - 0 final

Why do you say that? Is there animosity between the two programs?

Is it possible that says more about Newport than it does NCC. I still wonder why it's a given that Walton is ahead of Newport. I'm anxious to see the Newport / Lloyd results.

It can be "either" Caldwell or DeSales in the final, not both.

I am starting to get sneaky feeling that the championship game could look a lot like last year' game.

That goes to my point too. Newport appears to be pretty comparable to Walton and I would lobby for them to be in the top 15.

I agree, and I'm not lobbying for Newport to be ahead of Walton. However, they did get the "W" when they played and at least would be considered somewhat even. What was the score of the Newport vs. Walton game at half? They gave NCC a much tougher challenge than Lloyd. I know nothing of LCA, Middlesboro or Leslie County but would likely place Newport above Lloyd at this point.

Newport? They've beaten Walton (I know, I know, he didn't play the 2nd half) and I think they're a little better than Lloyd.

I almost always agree with this sentiment, especially during regular season games. This is a district final with implications in the regional draw. It's not inappropriate to expect a well officiated game in the playoffs.

It's not about being even, it's about calling the game correctly. The "being even" thing is what leads to the perception of "make-up" calls. You also see the game being called blatantly differently when the score or talent level is lopsided. I see officials making calls to benefit the weaker team to give them a break or holding the stronger team to a higher level. Make the "correct" call and don't worry about "even".

Actually a well played game by both teams. It's obvious that there is mutual respect among the players from both teams and it shows on the field. No "chippyness" whatsoever and players from opposing teams helping others of the turf. Both teams play very strong defense but need to show more offensive aggressiveness to increase scoring.

"Curious Call" to say the least. Likely a foul on the HHS player trailing the run at that point. He trips the NCC player who lands with the ball in his hands and he calls "handling"???? The only time the center ref sprinted all night was to chase a player and chastise him for a comment made. Maybe he should put that much effort into getting in position to make the correct call.

I think Holy Cross has trouble stopping Newport's running attack and getting stops. If Newport minimizes penalties, I'll take Newport 38 - 14.

Agreed Frank, NCC appears to have won their district with games yet to play against Brossart and Holy Cross. Newport still plays Lloyd to determine second place in the district. The quickest way for Newport to get the NCC rematch would be to lose to Lloyd and play them in the second round of the regional tournament. If the Wildcats beat Lloyd and place second in the district, they will need to go through Walton prior to having a possible NCC rematch in the regional final. As much as Newport wants another shot at the Breds, Walton may have quite a bit to say about that!

Unless there is a random draw, why would Holmes be the #4 seed when they've beaten Latin? They should be the #3 seed and play HC. With the runner-up advancing to the regional tournament, the seeding is important.

I think Newport's inability to throw the ball effectively will be a big factor in this game. Newport has good size on the line and speed in the backfield but so did Lloyd. NCC had to defend against Lloyd's passing offense and the Juggs were still was unable to run the ball effectively. My guess is that NCC stacks the box and Newport has trouble sustaining drives. Joseph runs the ball hard and Price can be elusive so they may get loose a couple times, but long deliberate drives will be a problem for the Wildcats.

Upset, maybe but hardly a fluke. NCC may be just as good as Cooper, much to your dismay. Note to the hog, nobody likes a "hater".

2 of 3 or 3 of 5?

Neither NCC nor Brossart play Saturday games with any regularity. I think they both play 1 Saturday afternoon game this season and Brossart plays two Thursday night games. I dislike the crowd aspect as much as the heat, routine, sun, etc. Nothing beats Friday night under the lights with a big crowd.

If that "thing they call a football field at Holmes" is so bad, maybe this game can be played at either Holy Cross or Brossart's home field. Ooops