J's World: State soccer reclassification — The good, the bad, and the stupid

I can only sum up ASAA’s effort to reclassify prep soccer in one way. ASAA had clear chance on a breakaway, but missed wide of the net.

Prior to the 2018 season, soccer was one of only four single-classification high sports in Alaska. Of that group (soccer, Nordic skiing, baseball and tennis), soccer was in the most desperate need for an additional class. ASAA did the right thing and added a second division. But the offseason change also included the unfortunate, and frankly head-scratching, call to reduce the number of berths in each state tournament.

The traditional eight-team state bracket is gone. There are now six-team fields for the boys’ and girls’ state tournaments at what are now known as the Division I and Division II levels. The top two seeds in each of the tournaments receive a first-round bye.

“There’s not a lot of positive feedback from the coaches on that,” Dale Ewart, Palmer High activities director the Region III representative on the ASAA Board of Directors, said. “They don’t like the idea of giving two teams a first-round bye. Other teams are all playing back-to-back-to-back. That’s a pretty significant advantage.”

Jeremy Johnson, the head coach of both the Colony boys and girls soccer teams, is among the most vocal opponents of the move.

“It’s categorically unfair to the third, fourth, fifth and sixth seeds as far as I’m concerned,” Johnson said.

Johnson argues that two teams in each tournament will play a team in the semifinals that’s on a week of rest. He said it’s far too much of an advantage. Johnson said he also has a problem with ASAA’s lack of consideration of retaining the eight-team state tournament.

“I was told to my face an eight-team tournament wasn’t even on the table,” Johnson said.

Johnson said the physical demands of the sport make a day of rest that much more valuable. Players spend 80 minutes running back and forth on a field 120 yards long and at least 68 yards wide in a regulation match. Johnson compared it to asking an athlete to run in a 5-kilometer race two days in a row, but asking another to run on just the second day.

“Who is probably going to be faster (on the second day)?” Johnson said.

A six-team state tournament, at least on the Division I level, could make an already top-heavy sport in Alaska that much more predictable. Cook Inlet Conference boys and girls teams are a combined 52-8 in the quarterfinals since 2008. Let’s take the Dimond girls program as an example. The two-time defending state champions were a combined 37-0-1 in 2016 and 2017. Off to a 3-0-0 start, Dimond is said to be even better this year. Awarding a power like Dimond an extra day of rest makes even the strongest that much stronger.

“ASAA dropped the ball in my opinion,” Johnson said. “ASAA dropped the ball.”

And that’s what’s so frustrating. ASAA took such a big step forward with reclassification, but then fell flat on its proverbial face by tinkering with the state tournament.

Service and Eagle River are set to host the 2018 ASAA/First National Bank State Soccer Championships at both the Division I and Division II levels. With the addition of the Division II boys and girls tournaments, a total of 24 teams will earn state tournament bids this season. Each of the four tournaments will feature seven total games.

With eight-team tournaments, there would be 32 total teams and 44 total matches.

Proponents of the move to a six-team field argue a reduction in the need of support staff and field time. But I have a hard time listening to that argument when ASAA hosts 48 total teams over a four-day stretch during the 1A and 2A state basketball tournaments. That weekend also includes 66 total games.

I understand ASAA can run games on multiple courts in the same venue, but with the abundant availability of turf in Southcentral Alaska, there are more than enough viable options. Maybe venues closer than the 20-mile trek from Eagle River High to Service?

To me, all the positives of an eight-team state tournament outweigh the negatives. More teams in the state tournament mean more opportunity for Alaska athletes to have an opportunity to experience a state tournament. And an eight-team state tournament also allows for a much more even playing field.

“ASAA did not do justice to soccer,” Johnson said.

The good, the bad and the stupid

Parts of ASAA’s soccer reclassification fall into three categories to me.

The good, the bad and the stupid.

There’s the good. I appreciate the addition of a division. There are now 19 Division II schools that have a much better shot at advancing to state. Let’s use Palmer as an example. The Palmer girls have not advanced to the state tournament since 2007, one year after the Palmer boys made their last trip to state. The Houston and Redington girls and boys are all in search of their first trip to a soccer state tournament.

Now for the bad.

No more region soccer tournaments in the Valley, for at least the near future. Colony and Wasilla are now part of the four-team Division I Railbelt Conference, and Palmer is a member of the Division II Northern Lights Conference, alongside Houston and Redington. Both the Railbelt and NLC opted to not include a region tourney on the schedule and state berths will be awarded based on conference standings. Ewart said it’s part of an ongoing effort to cut costs.

“It adds a money savings aspect. Region tournaments are really expensive, and really not a money-maker,” Ewart said.

The region tourney will be missed.

And now the stupid.

Six-team state tournaments. I think I spent most of this column covering this category.

Contact Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com.