La Verne Lutheran pays Price for tough schedule

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Playing an extremely tough non-league and tournament schedule, check that again, by far the toughest non-league and tournament schedule of any team in the San Gabriel Valley did not reward La Verne Lutheran(18-4) in the Division 3AA playoffs, where they were seeded fourth, which means they will likely have to face No. 1 Price, whom they already faced, in the semifinals. CIF screwed this up, lets leave it at that. No. 3 La Canada (23-3) should NOT have been seeded ahead of Lutheran. Not only was the Rio Hondo League one of the worst in decades, La Canada’s tournament schedule was one of the easiest around, staying in the SGV to compete in three area tournaments, where their biggest non-league win of the year is against Bonita, who they beat at home in their own tournament. The Spartans’ other tough nonleague games were against Montebello, who they lost to twice. We see this time and time again, CIF not factoring in strength of schedule as much as they should, instead looking at wins and losses. I know CIF has a tough job, especially when you consider how many divisions they have to seed, but time and time again we learn that tough schedules aren’t rewarded. My advice to Lutheran next year is to compete right here in the valley, whip everyone and get a high seed come playoff time.

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  • Lut Fan

    said: I agree Fred ! Lets look at it a different way coach Coop had the tough scheduled for this exact scenario,when the boys played these two top ten tournaments ,facing 5 state champs, so they are already battle tested, facing Price in the semis (which by the way is the final)at a neutral site is a showcase game for cif may the best team win! Go Trojans! The upside is making the semis will guarantee us a invite to State!

  • Love the Lut Fan’s energy

    The bottom line is the 3AA championship runs through Price, plain and simple. Hopefully Lut can make it to the Semis to play Price and will make it a better game than the prior ones they have played against one another.

    Good luck to all the SGV teams!

  • Joe Amat

    Fred,

    I think you’ve got it a little wrong here and are mixing you metaphors a bit from sport to sport. You rank teams every year in multiple sports and avoid (for the most part) strength of schedule, and put a greater emphasis on record. You, Steve, and Aram have often said the ranking is not who is better or who could beat who, but rather rewarding teams for the winning the games on their schedule (might even be an exact quote form one of you).

    Basketball is one of the few sports that seems to let the coaches have a large say in the playoff bracketing. The brackets that come out on Sunday for the past several years have been a direct reflection of the Coaches Poll and their final rankings. If they are using “The Fish Bowl Formula” of ranking as you do to a large extent – then what you see is what you get.

    Visitors here often remind Amat that simply being in the top division in football or being invited to the National Prep Classic isn’t enough, and they’re right. It’s wins like OLu, Crespi, ND, and St.Bonnies that places Amat in that company and victories over highly ranked teams from other states that do so in baseball. I guess if I was ranking LVL and had not seen them play – I’d ask (and maybe Lut Fan can answer) “what is their signature win?” I’m actually really curious to have someone answer that one.

    As Lut Fan said, there are two ways to look at things when it comes to scheduling. 1) you could schedule a little softer get some wins, develop some confidence, and help your ranking. 2) you could schedule tough, be battle tested, and prepared for any team you might face.

    Coaches pick their poison, and how ever it works out, shouldn’t complain about the end result and have decided that is the best way to get ready for the playoffs. Let’s hope it works out for them.

  • oh boo hoo.

    so maybe they should be a 2 or a 3 seed?? who really cares. i agree with the points made, especially over la canada, BUT the cream always rises to the top. we all know that. doesnt lav.lut have 3 top 100 players? ya. i feel really bad for them. lol. id love to have that talent and be a 4 seed. i think i would be able to deal with it. and im sure other coaches across so cal, especially the ones sitting at home, would gladly take a 4 seed with that team. lol and price vs. lav. lutheran, no matter how you put it, would be the SEMI-FINAL. the game they played earlier this year was very exciting and fun to be at. so im hoping for a rematch, so i can see what kind of adjustments lav.lut will make to negate the match up issues they had the first go around. i know alot of us wanted this match up in the final, but i think it will be a better game in the semis especially in a less-spacious venue. but thats just me. but even before the possible semi game, a possible lav.CDM QF match up should be pretty good as well.

  • Big Dog

    Hey LL fans, it comes down to this, that we have to play them sooner or later, and why not now? If you can beat them, it put your team in position to win it all, Don’t you like that!!!!! I do,Great teams find a way to win?

  • Lut Fan

    Lut Fan to Joe Amat sais:To your above tread well said!To the question on our pre season scddule, by the way our league is a joke ,tanks to cif that will not let us out of our league hopefully next yr will be different !Now to you specific challenge who have wwe played and do we have a signature win, here are the facts you will be the judge, Myrtle Beach classic- vs St. Rita-W 2010 st chmps,Prestonwood Christian-L had the best rnk. soph. in the nation lost by 13,Greater Atlanta Christian-l by 13 rnk top 50 nationally at the time, Bass Pro TOC- Nixa MO. L-by 1 2010 st chmps. rnk 3 in thier state, 2nd time around Greater Atlanta Christian-w by 14 (this is our signature win in my view) you be the judge Branson-W by5, Moringside-w by2. at the time #1 in cif Price- by15 no excuses! Now that we have our 6-8 center back hopefully we make a run to the finals1

  • truth in advertising

    LVL 14-0 in league
    LVL non-league wins (as Lut Fan said-league is a joke-not their fault)
    St Rita 5-12
    Branson 13-9
    Morningside 13-12
    Greater Atlanta Christian (won one-lost one=best win?)

    LVL MaxPreps Rankings
    National
    2334
    State
    197
    State Division
    42
    Section
    102
    Section Division
    14
    Looks like they should be happy CIF seeded them 3rd

  • Can’t Argue

    The fact is the LVL Trojans have not performed as well as they could have or should have this season. Losing X before the season started was a big hit. Not playing any meaningful games before heading to Myrtle Beach was a problem to be sure. The fact is, LVL has to make do with their situation just like all the other schools that have to deal with injuries, ineligibility etc… They need to FIRST get to the SEMIS before they can face the predominant favorite in Price and then they need to beat Price, finally, to shut up the critics, naysayers, haters and jealous envious bloggers. This is the time to put up or shut up. Take it one game at a time because if you look ahead to Price and get upset by Claremont or beat by a tough CDM team then it will be on and popping and you will never hear the end of it.

  • http://asdf Bob

    Shocker,
    La Canada beats Price high school.
    I guess they deserved to be ranked higher than LVL