Strong District vs Weaker District: Advantage & Disadvantages

[StormingCowboy]

One advantge of being in a weaker district is that your younger players get experience. Another is that your injured players can heal with out it costing you games.

A disadvantage is difficulty in making that adjusting to play tougher teams.



More thoughts?.......

[lonny23]

A tough district is always better. A weak district gets you beat early in the playoffs almost every year. The better districts almost always have teams that are more successful in the playoffs.

[LeanderLions3033]

Back during Austin Westlakes hay day, it was clear that a weaker district didnt mean anything. I think if you have a weak district, than you at least need to give yourself a very tough non district schedule. I think you have to have one or the other, and if you dont have either your at a disadvantage.

[Red Raiders]

A tough district is always better. A weak district gets you beat early in the playoffs almost every year. The better districts almost always have teams that are more successful in the playoffs.

I agree with you, take a look at 26-5A (I think) with Smithson Valley, Converse Judson and some other San Antonio teams. And also look at 12-5A with #3 Longview, Tyler Lee, Tyler John Tyler, Mesquite and North Mesquite. Last year, Mesquite got all the way to 3rd Round beating awesome teams because they had alot of influence from us and longview and also it made them get stronger all the way to the end of season.

[LoboFan07]

I definately think it has it's disadvantages and advantages.

I think Longview, Lufkin, and Tyler Lee all know that way to well. Well Lobos and Panthers more than Lee but still.

Advantages, 2002 for example. Longview went into the Bi-District againist one of the top ranked 10-0 Garland teams. Lobos win 45-0. Longview goes into Area againist one of the top ranked teams 11-0 Dallas Carter. Lobos win 17-7. Only team to beat Longview that season was Lufkin 3 times and Lee once, with Lufkin ended the Lobos season in the Quarters. Lufkin ran all the way to the Semi Finals, only to be shot down by undefeated Southlake Carroll. Tyler Lee also made it to the Semi Finals that season.

Disadvantages, 2003 for example. Those players were just wanting to kill each other every game. Dont know why it was as intense as in 2002 but man those players were ALWAYS hurt. I still cant believe Tyler Lee made it to the Quarters that year. Lobos and Panthers get knocked out in the first round, Not trying to take anything from Garland or South Garland in those two games, but man Longview and Lufkin were hurting big time.

Perfect examples IMO.

[mad_fan]

I agree with you, take a look at 26-5A (I think) with Smithson Valley, Converse Judson and some other San Antonio teams. And also look at 12-5A with #3 Longview, Tyler Lee, Tyler John Tyler, Mesquite and North Mesquite. Last year, Mesquite got all the way to 3rd Round beating awesome teams because they had alot of influence from us and longview and also it made them get stronger all the way to the end of season.

Advantage: I like being referred to as AND SOME OTHER TEAM all the time.
Disadvantage: You're referred to as AND SOME OTHER TEAM all the time.

[Big Daddy Cool]

A tough district is always better. A weak district gets you beat early in the playoffs almost every year. The better districts almost always have teams that are more successful in the playoffs.

Couldn't agree more with you there Lonny. Being a fan of a teram that plays in a very very weak district. I've seen all to well what playing a cupcake district schedual can do to a team come playoff time. For one since the competition is so bad mos tof your staters only really the equivalent of maybe two or three games. So then come playoff time they are not always as sharp as they need to be.

[warbird00]

One advantge of being in a weaker district is that your younger players get experience. Another is that your injured players can heal with out it costing you games.

A disadvantage is difficulty in making that adjusting to play tougher teams.



More thoughts?.......


Hmmm good question. Lets ask most of region 4 what cupcake districts are like... LMAO... sorry I couldnt resist.

[dragonsdaddy]

good coaches will make the best of whatever schedule they end up with. in 02, dodge had to scramble to fill some openings left when rockwall begged out of the et district. gone was allen, replaced with denison. sherman was a replacement for marcus when the uil threw them in the same district. that team and the 03 team weathered the lack of quality competition better than most expected. i used to think a strong reg season was required to be successful in the po's, but those teams convinced me otherwise.

[mad_fan]

Hmmm good question. Lets ask most of region 4 what cupcake districts are like... LMAO... sorry I couldnt resist.


Hmmmm, too bad we can't get some neutral third party accountant, wannbe statisticians from, say, around the lake, to crunch the SOS numbers (to prove the cupcakes are in region IV) and compare that with state titles....sorry I couldnt resist..

[mad_fan]

Hmmmm, too bad we can't get some neutral third party accountant, wannbe statisticians from, say, around the lake, to crunch the SOS numbers (to prove the cupcakes are in region IV) and compare that with state titles....sorry I couldnt resist..

That's not nice mad_fan......... :D

[svrangerfan]

I think it is an advantage to be in a strong district. Look at Clemens last year, there first in a weak district after coming from 265a Judson killed them in the playoffs. Same for Dallas Carter Skyline is the only legitimate threat to them every year and they still don't play Carter close most years. Carter plays a tough non dist schedule but a tougher district would help them go farther in the playoffs. I would love to see them play SLC this year and see how the Dragons deal with their size and especially their speed. Carters lack of discipline would get them beat though.

[StormingCowboy]

These are some interesting thoughts. And to validate what Lonny said about tough districts, In 1988 Carter was in the district with Duncanville, Desoto,SGP, GP, and Kimball...

[lonny23]

Hmmm good question. Lets ask most of region 4 what cupcake districts are like... LMAO... sorry I couldnt resist.
That's a valid point and the reason why 26-5A crushes South Texas the 3rd week every year. Not only do we devour turkey on Thanksgiving week, we also devour South Texas. Like clockwork, South Texas is out of the playoffs no later than 2 days after Thanksgiving.

[sendero]

I think another factor although it doesn't impact the team so much is your gate revenue. Let's face it the teams Clemens plays now don't bring a great crowd to the game other than SM & Seguin.

Someone speculated on a district with SV, Judson, Wagner, SM, Seguin, & Clemens if they were 5A. The UIL would love the gate take on those games with strong crowd support.

Maybe that's another part of the game a tough district prepares you for is all the energy and hype going up to the Friday kickoff each week.

[ruffshod]

there's both advantages and disadvantages for each case, but you still gotta go out and beat the teams are in front of you. However '03 NS played a weak non-district schedule and won a title, while '04 played a little tougher non-district ang lost 2nd round. Go figure. and thats something many NS had been wanting.

[bhs06]

Our district is so tough, you have to take each game one game at a time. Basically, its win 5+ and you're in, win 4 and pray, win 3 or less and your out. It's all really a double elimination round robin tournament really. The only gimmie game on the schedule is Grand Prairie, each other game any team can beat anyone. And since we have Grand Prairie last game of the season, we have to focus on each game one week at a time. This week, its the defending champs of 6-5A, and we are believing right now. 4A Lakeview Centennial took on IMac last week and jumped out to a 20-0 lead, but lost 27-20, as we saw on video tape. If they can do it as a 4A school, so can we, only win.

[StormingCowboy]

I definately think it has it's disadvantages and advantages.

I think Longview, Lufkin, and Tyler Lee all know that way to well. Well Lobos and Panthers more than Lee but still.

Advantages, 2002 for example. Longview went into the Bi-District againist one of the top ranked 10-0 Garland teams. Lobos win 45-0. Longview goes into Area againist one of the top ranked teams 11-0 Dallas Carter. Lobos win 17-7. Only team to beat Longview that season was Lufkin 3 times and Lee once, with Lufkin ended the Lobos season in the Quarters. Lufkin ran all the way to the Semi Finals, only to be shot down by undefeated Southlake Carroll. Tyler Lee also made it to the Semi Finals that season.

Disadvantages, 2003 for example. Those players were just wanting to kill each other every game. Dont know why it was as intense as in 2002 but man those players were ALWAYS hurt. I still cant believe Tyler Lee made it to the Quarters that year. Lobos and Panthers get knocked out in the first round, Not trying to take anything from Garland or South Garland in those two games, but man Longview and Lufkin were hurting big time.

Perfect examples IMO.


Just imagine if this same district had to play the revised schedule with only 4 and 5 days between games.

[CoppellCowboy57]

SLC has a much easier ride to the play-offs then Trinity does...I mean 5-5A has two..yes two teams that have not been beaten as for 6-5A 4 teams that are undefeated and one that is 3-1 to this point in the season...

[Carter Cowboy]

I think it is an advantage to be in a strong district. Look at Clemens last year, there first in a weak district after coming from 265a Judson killed them in the playoffs. Same for Dallas Carter Skyline is the only legitimate threat to them every year and they still don't play Carter close most years. Carter plays a tough non dist schedule but a tougher district would help them go farther in the playoffs. I would love to see them play SLC this year and see how the Dragons deal with their size and especially their speed. Carters lack of discipline would get them beat though.


I think a tougher district makes for a more play-off -ready team.
However, in carter's case they play a tough-non district to compensate....
Even the scrimage games i.e. Trinity...

I would like to see a SLC/Carter bout and to be honest I couln't call a winner...I think that game would come down to the 4th quarter...

I read various posts and I see that some believe there is a lack of discipline in cowboy land...care to elaborate??

If you are referring to penalties..what school doesn't have them. Is that what constittutes as lack of discipline? Just curious...

[pack0808]

There are advantages and disadvantages in both scenarios. It all depends on the results and then the fans will make their conclusions either way. I have seen team's win state from a very weak district and i have seen team's win state from a very tough district so there is no telling what is better?? We all have our theories though. It is kind of like people saying a team lost during a short week because they were not rested but if they won they will say the lack of rest was good because they were more ready to play. But if a team had lost with plenty of rest some fans will say the lack of competition was the reason they lost. ;) There is really no way to tell?? It all depends on the team?? Every team is different!!

[stevefoxsc]

A tough district is always better. A weak district gets you beat early in the playoffs almost every year. The better districts almost always have teams that are more successful in the playoffs.

i agree with lonny thats one of the reasson 13-5a usually fall's out early in play off's don't get me wrong im not saying were weak but only challenge in this district is A&MC and waco and i say them 2 cause they are Consistent, with an exception for waco this year. IF you end up playing cream puff's you wont adjust to a harder team with a faster offense and strong D cause you'll be stuck with ez to score on D and ez to stop O.

Advantage Ez play off slot and your record will make you look better
Disadvantage you'll probably lose to a better team