Girls 5A HS Playoff Parity

This is a season that some perennial favorites will not make it their regional finals. There are several that are considered 2nd tier teams that are more balanced offensively with shutdown
defenses that will upset the favorites. Some of these match ups will be fun to watch. HS March Madness.

No tougher district in the State than 5-5A.

I agree. What sets the district apart is high caliber coaching that set some of the toughest non district competition in the state. The district is off this season offensively but will take most games to the wire. Not sure any match up with
Southlake Carroll"s speed and scoring ability but thats why they play the games.

gold digger wrote:No tougher district in the State than 5-5A.  

I'm thinking 4-5A or 10-5A may have a say in that as well...

Looking ahead to the next couple of years, 9-6A is going to be redonkulous...

powerkeep1 wrote: Not sure any match up with
Southlake Carroll"s speed and scoring ability but thats why they play the games.

Keller seemed to match up with them just fine. It's easy to look dominant against Northwest or Haltom, but put them in with the Lewisville schools, and Southlake would struggle to make the playoffs.

bwgophers wrote:
I'm thinking 4-5A or 10-5A may have a say in that as well...

You're joking, right? 10-5A and 5-5A are hands down the toughest in the state, 4-5A can't hold a candle to them.

Mission accomplished...  

1. 5-5A
2. 10-5A
3. 4-5A
4. 7-5A
5. 6-5A

District 10 has perhaps a better chance of producing the State champion IMHO, but 5-5A goes a bit deeper.

11 5-A has a team that go all the way as well

SoccerDad24 wrote:1. 5-5A
2. 10-5A
3.  4-5A
4. 7-5A
5. 6-5A

District 10 has perhaps a better chance of producing the State champion IMHO, but 5-5A goes a bit deeper.

-------
Both 5-5A and 10-5A are strong districts from top to bottom.
Head-to-Head goes to 10-5A.
5 wins, 2 ties, 4 losses.

soccersounder wrote:11 5-A has a team that go all the way as well

And that would set a few scoring records along the way!

The best HS soccer programs stay on top for a reason good coaching and playing top flight teams with elite talent in the pre-season. For whatever reason 11-5A teams are excluded for those premier showcase tournaments to test their real skills. scoring 100 season goals against patsies won't help against the best defenses with junior or senior elite goalkeepers. There are only a couple of true game changing keepers and 4-5A and 5-5A have them both. Several other top teams are rebuilding their defenses with talented young keepers that are not quite there yet. Plano West, Coppell, and Mckinney Boyd graduated their most talented keepers and the later two don't have the balance to compensate for those key losses. Too many ties illustrate my point.

11-5A teams are exluded, because they only have 1 1/2 top level teams: Sachse & Rowlett. But Sachse plays a high level preseason schedule.

I disagree with why HS teams are good. They are good because their mailing address is in the middle of areas that are soaked with families that play Club Soccer... Or in Sachse's case, the district allows choice of school and families actually choose their HS, based on soccer ?!?

soccersounder wrote:11-5A teams are exluded, because they only have 1 1/2 top level teams: Sachse & Rowlett. But Sachse plays a high level preseason schedule.

I disagree with why HS teams are good. They are good because their mailing address is in the middle of areas that are soaked with families that play Club Soccer... Or in Sachse's case, the district allows choice of school and families actually choose their HS, based on soccer ?!?

Agree. It is about 80+% what players are on the team and 20% coaching, assuming the coach does not mess up a good roster which has been done frequently in the HS ranks.

powerkeep1 wrote:The best HS soccer programs stay on top for a reason good coaching and playing top flight teams with elite talent in the pre-season. For whatever reason 11-5A teams are excluded for those premier showcase tournaments to test their real skills. scoring 100 season goals against patsies won't help against the best defenses with junior or senior elite goalkeepers. There are only a couple of true game changing keepers and 4-5A and 5-5A have them both. Several other top teams are rebuilding their defenses with talented young keepers that are not quite there yet. Plano West, Coppell, and Mckinney Boyd graduated their most talented keepers and the later two don't have the balance to compensate for those key losses. Too many ties illustrate my point.

Grapevine has such a keeper and they're in 6-5A she is also a pretty good forward.

Wylie East has a very good keeper as well. She could start on any 5-5A team.

John Galt wrote:

powerkeep1 wrote:The best HS soccer programs stay on top for a reason good coaching and playing top flight teams with elite talent in the pre-season. For whatever reason 11-5A teams are excluded for those premier showcase tournaments to test their real skills. scoring 100 season goals against patsies won't help against the best defenses with junior or senior elite goalkeepers. There are only a couple of true game changing keepers and 4-5A and 5-5A have them both. Several other top teams are rebuilding their defenses with talented young keepers that are not quite there yet. Plano West, Coppell, and Mckinney Boyd graduated their most talented keepers and the later two don't have the balance to compensate for those key losses. Too many ties illustrate my point.

Grapevine has such a keeper and they're in 6-5A she is also a pretty good forward.

She is great, and they have 3 other keepers (two of which aren't even playing HS Soccer), who could start for 99.8% of Texas High School teams. Unfair!

SoccerDad24 wrote:

John Galt wrote:

powerkeep1 wrote:The best HS soccer programs stay on top for a reason good coaching and playing top flight teams with elite talent in the pre-season. For whatever reason 11-5A teams are excluded for those premier showcase tournaments to test their real skills. scoring 100 season goals against patsies won't help against the best defenses with junior or senior elite goalkeepers. There are only a couple of true game changing keepers and 4-5A and 5-5A have them both. Several other top teams are rebuilding their defenses with talented young keepers that are not quite there yet. Plano West, Coppell, and Mckinney Boyd graduated their most talented keepers and the later two don't have the balance to compensate for those key losses. Too many ties illustrate my point.

Grapevine has such a keeper and they're in 6-5A she is also a pretty good forward.

She is great, and they have 3 other keepers (two of which aren't even playing HS Soccer), who could start for 99.8% of Texas High School teams. Unfair!

Yep its true and 2 are already commited to large Div 1 Universities and at least one of the others will almost certainly do so as well. Not the best High school to get playing time at keeper.

Keller has a strong keeper as well

ekkeeper1 wrote:Keller has a strong keeper as well

Keller is in 4-5A I think thats who powerkeep1 is refering to.

SoccerDad24 wrote:

soccersounder wrote:11 5-A has a team that go all the way as well

And that would set a few scoring records along the way!

Starting to feel good about this prediction

That's great. The playoffs will certainly separate the ladies from the girls in the regional semi-finals and finals and momentum built will certainly help. The most balanced teams will prevail and the best defenses tend to limit shots on goal to single digits and win in low scoring battles. The teams that have played playoff caliber teams all season will have the edge. Playing only a couple of good teams a season leading up to playoffs generally won't get it done. How a team responds to adversity really sets the tone.

powerkeep1 wrote:That's great. The playoffs will certainly separate the ladies from the girls in the regional semi-finals and finals and momentum built will certainly help. The most balanced teams will prevail and the best defenses tend to limit shots on goal to single digits and win in low scoring battles. The teams that have played playoff caliber teams all season will have the edge. Playing only a couple of good teams a season leading up to playoffs generally won't get it done. How a team responds to adversity really sets the tone.

Are you predicting that 4-5A is overrated and wont get it done?

gold digger wrote:No tougher district in the State than 5-5A.  

5-5A sweeps 6-5A tonight in bi-district playoffs   
Hebron v LD Bell 6-2
Marcus v Euless Trinity 3-0
FM v Colleyville Heritage 4-1
Coppell v Grapevine 1-0

Likewise for 4-5A
Southlake over Lamar 5-0
Keller over Weatherford 6-0
Timber Creek over Arlington 2-0
Central over Martin 3-1

ninja1 wrote:Likewise for 4-5A
Southlake over Lamar 5-0
Keller over Weatherford 6-0
Timber Creek over Arlington 2-0
Central over Martin 3-1

There has been a well-documented demographic shift from Arlington into northern Tarrant county over the last couple of decades. It's interesting how girl's soccer success conforms to those changes, while in boy's soccer, it ain't necessarily so. I believe the #4 seed from 3-5A took out the #1 seed from 4-5A last night as a case in point.