It is time to think re-alignment.
Maybe it is past time.
Wait it is past time.
Football has been in the middle of many controversies and I’m not talking about the off the field mess that is the NFL.
I am talking about how safe the game is and how some think football should be abolished.
I am not for that, not even close, but for football to make sense, it has to make sense. Some games just don’t make sense.
It wouldn’t be so bad if these games that are played that don’t make sense happened every so often, that would be fine. It is going to happen. Heck it happens in the NFL (as Niner fans saw last Sunday Night). But when it is an every week thing and that every week thing turns into two or three years it is time to do something about it.
This week in the SCL, Cal Preps is projecting two of the three games in the SCL to have a difference of 35 points or more. If you looked at the SCL games it isn’t hard to figure which two games they are and it has been this way for the last three years, when the last re-alignment happened. In one case it has been happening much longer.
One case is Analy, who since re-alignment is 15-0 in SCL play. Now a dynasty happens, but enough is enough. The closest of the fifteen games was the second league game in 2012, which was a 41-26 win over Piner. The average SCL score in 2012 was 55-12, last year it was 51-6 and so far this year it is 57-14 and that is only half the story. Most of the scoring in these games is done by halftime. If Analy wanted to, the scores could get really ugly. Last week they beat Healdsburg 67-8. It is the fourth time in the 15-0 record they have hit the sixty point mark. In all four of those games they were in the 50’s by halftime. They could have scored 60 points in many, if not all the SCL games they have played in the last three seasons.
Two of the other games they hit the 60 mark was against Elsie Allen, a team they haven’t played yet this year. The story with Elsie Allen is well known and this is a good time to repeat something that I have said before. These kids must really like football and they are keeping the football program going at that school, but it can’t be fun going through all the hard work it taakes to play football, when you know what is going to happen on game day. It is the adult’s job to help the kids out.
There are some easy fixes. All the adults have to do is fix it. I am pointing out the SCL, but there are teams in the NBL and the Marin County Leagues that are also in the wrong league. There should be a committee in each area that meets every two years to check out the situation and make the needed changes.
There is no reason, or no good reason, that this has to continue past this season.
I have talked about this before and nothing has happened.
I don’t expect anything to happen this time either.
THIS WEEK’S RANKINGS
No. 1 Analy (Last Week No. 1) (6-1)…Pretty much explained Analy’s week in my rant. These big wins are not helping the Tiger’s post season cause in more ways than one. It’s not helping in the rankings and it doesn’t help the development of a team.
No. 2 Windsor (2) (7-0)…This team needs some respect. A NBL team that is undefeated this late in the season is usually in some rankings. They aren’t in the top ten in the Nor Cal Division 2 power rankings or the SF Chronicle Top 20. The respect could start coming this week when they host Rancho Cotate.
No. 3 Cardinal Newman (4) (4-3)…Responded nicely to the tough loss to Rancho Cotate. They end the regular season with Windsor, so they are still thinking NBL title.
No. 4 St. Helena (5) (7-0)…One of two area teams still undefeated. They are ranked No. 6 in the Nor Cal Division 4. That is the highest ranked local team in any of the state rankings. That is in the future though. Huge NCL I game at Fort Bragg this week.
No.5 Rancho Cotate (3) (4-3)…A classic trap game and they got trapped. Big loss that will not only have league championship implications, but also NCS seeding took a hit. They can make up for the league problem this week at Windsor.
No. 6 Maria Carrillo (9) (4-3)…After a couple of near misses they pull off their most impressive win in years. Speaking of trap games, they go to Casa Grande this week. After that is a trip to Windsor.
No. 7 Montgomery (6) (3-4)…Made up for slow start against Ukiah with a win going away. The win over Maria Carrillo looks better now. Last scheduled road game this week at Santa Rosa.
No. 8 Middletown (7) (5-2)…Much like Cardinal Newman, no hangover after losing a big game with league championship implications. They host Cloverdale this week, who at the moment is the only team left on schedule over .500.
No. 9 Fort Bragg (8) (5-2)…Looked ready for showdown game with St. Helena with big win over Willits. The two losses are by a combined 19 points.
No. 10 Petaluma (10) (6-2)…Took impressive win over a decent El Molino team. Still has Analy on the schedule, but NCS playoff spot looking good.
HONORABLE MENTION…Cloverdale, El Molino, St. Vincent
PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Alex Netherda, Maria Carrillo…In one of the biggest results of the season he rushed for 221 yards and three touchdowns to lead Maria Carrillo to the 34-28 win over Rancho Cotate. All three of his touchdowns came when the Pumas were trailing. Two of them were long runs of 35 and 50 yards.
My email address is jacpasquini@comcast.net
RANKINGS: TIME FOR SOME CHANGES
Look at the records of the teams Windsor has beat and you'll know why they haven't got the respect. Win this week and that will change. The thing is if you know anything about there program you never would've lost the respect their no secret to me.
I dont think he was saying he didnt respect Windsor or their football program….think it was more that he felt they werent getting any respect from the state power rankings & Chronicle top 20…but that is a good point you made regarding their schedule strength…had they had a tougher preseason schedule & came out unbeaten they definitely would have gotten more recognition in rankings imo
I agree the leagues needs to be realigned! Kids are going to get hurt when schools of 1300+ play schools of 500. Where's the fun it that for either team.
The unintended consequence of school choice is segregation of schools, academically, racially, economically, and athletically. Analy's teams are made of athletes from El Molino, Piner, Elsie Allen and other Santa Rosa schools. I feel for the kids who live in Sebastopol but don't get to participate in athletics because of the 400 transfers. Analy should not be playing Healdsburg, Elsie Alen and El Molino.
Not only did Alex Netherda rush for 221yards and score 3 touchdowns, but he also had a 55 yard fumble return to set up his first score. Rancho defenders had the backs of their jerseys dirted all night as Netherda routinely ran over and through the first defender to meet him in any hole. In the last 2 weeks this kid has over 500 yards of total offense (rushing and receiving) and 7 total touchdowns. He has put his team on his back and is carrying Maria Carrillo to it's first playoff appearance in years. If Carrillo could throw the ball opposing defenses wouldn't be able to consistently stack 9 men in the box to stop him. But they do, and they still can't ever contain him for an entire game. During the last possession of the Rancho game Netherda converted a 3rd and 9 followed by a 3rd and 10 on inside handoffs to keep the ball with the Pumas and allow them to run out the clock. This kid is college D1 material and should at this point in the season be a front runner for All-Empire Player of the Year.
Not only did Alex Netherda rush for 221yards and score 3 touchdowns, but he also had a 55 yard fumble return to set up his first score. Rancho defenders had the backs of their jerseys dirted all night as Netherda routinely ran over and through the first defender to meet him in any hole. In the last 2 weeks this kid has over 500 yards of total offense (rushing and receiving) and 7 total touchdowns. He has put his team on his back and is carrying Maria Carrillo to it's first playoff appearance in years. If Carrillo could throw the ball opposing defenses wouldn't be able to consistently stack 9 men in the box to stop him. But they do, and they still can't ever contain him for an entire game. During the last possession of the Rancho game Netherda converted a 3rd and 9 followed by a 3rd and 10 on inside handoffs to keep the ball with the Pumas and allow them to run out the clock. This kid is college D1 material and should at this point in the season be a front runner for All-Empire Player of the Year.
you must have missed the Newman game.
I was wrong Analy has 500 transfer students out of 1350 total students. 110 of which are from El Molino's boundaries.
oh, where he still broke a 45 yard touchdown run? He splits reps in the wing t offense from the fullback position, meaning he never gets a lead blocker. He also had less than 12 carries that game, averaged over 6 yards per carry. I coach at Newman and know many of their players well. They have the best coach in the area. But no team has kept this kid under a 5 yard per rush average.
Although Windsor hasn't had a challenging schedule this far, I agree that if they beat Rancho Catate the respect will follow. I also had no idea about the number of transfer students attending Analy. As long as there is "open enrollment," the rich will get richer. I think that the young man from Maria Carrillo is a good football player and fun to watch, however, there are 3 or 4 other players in the NBL that are putting up a lot bigger numbers and there teams have better records.