SC Soccer Forums SCSoccer.com Forums Girls Varsity Soccer Woodruff

Another bittersweet day at state finals for Woodruff.

I won't belabor, but I have to take a moment to say that I would suspect that most people familiar with Woodruff considered last year the last anyone would see of Woodruff.

The team lost well over 200 goals and over 100 assists embodied by three quality seniors after 2007.

The accomplishments of this year's team speaks volumes about the players, Coaches Gomez and Fran Thomas, the school/district, and, for the second year in a row, the largest crowd from the city of Woodruff.

Every person associated with Woodruff will treasure the shot hitting the back of the net today, our first score in the state finals.

Woodruff will be back.

Lots of Freshman on that team, two, all state players, plus several more, and a hurd of very good U14, and U13 coming behind them, Fernando coaches the U13s, getting them ready to take care of business, for him later. I really like the warrior spirit, of the Wolverines. The future looks bright... the girls should hold their heads up!!!!

BE was a size match physically for the Mauldin girls, the larger team in stature of the AAAA match. I guess they grow them big wherever BE is, or wherever they draw from.

Once again, two years in a row, Woodruff is the public school state champion in AA/A girls soccer!

Great job!

(No, I will not let this go; look at the boys side. . .Unfair is unfair. . .and if unfair impacted more important sports or larger schools. . .well. . .)

cc - i was hoping that woodruff would win. maybe schsl will move be up to 3a. how many years is this for be winning 2a title? if it was bb or football schsl would have long ago moved them out of 2a. why don't they play in the private school league?

I give Woodruff a ton of credit. The first time I saw them was three years ago when FM had their way with them in the Byrnes tournament. Since then, their coach has done a fantastic job building these girls into a competitive team.

However, I don't want anyone to mistake Woodruff for one of the schools along "the corridor of shame". I've seen enough of "the poverty index" and "the little country school" and "the limited access to club soccer".

Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't Woodruff less than 20 miles from CESA's MeSA Complex? Don't some of their girls play high-level club soccer? Don't they have players on the ODP team? Don't they have players on college soccer rosters?

There are players who need to travel 2 hours or better to get to CESA....is Woodruff really at a disadvantage?

cradle:
Country = land, land is money,Last time I checked it was the affluent that live in the country on their farms. Bet you could pay for a lot of club dues with the cost of a big new John Deer.

Hurst and others:

If you didn't notice my other posts:

Of the six girls teams alive for the state championship, five are public and four are in the top 13 most affluent schools in the state; two are from Greenville County:

Riverside; 3/210; 17
Wando; 8/210; 26
Mauldin; 9/210; 26
Hilton Head; 13/210; 31
Woodruff; 74/210; 55

RELATIVELY speaking, Woodruff has less affluence than other schools who are at the top each year. And compared to BE. . .well. . .no comparison. Still Woodruff is just below the top 1/3 of affluent schools.

To Hurst's Q: Not sure what your point is, but Woodruff players do play club; many past and present have had success at club, high school, and college. I would argue that these accomplishments are even more laudable when you compare Woodruff to BE, CC, and other schools with unfair advantages.

And to your last Q, Hurst, YES, Woodruff has an unfair disadvantage to PRIVATE schools.

Kyle:

Yes, BE and CC are and have always been the rightful champions because their participation is completely within the parameters created by the HSL.

As well, they are excellent programs with excellent coaches and players.

My points are two: (1) Private schools should not be allowed to compete with same-size schools when other factors are not (and cannot) be held constant (many states use a formula to adjust for these advantages); (2) private schools have different de facto rules that are NOT against HSL guidelines, and thus compete on an unlevel playing field.

Your other point, Kyle, is extremely important and almost never mentioned. We have profound disparities among public schools including affluence and open-enrollment allowances. A different disparity, but a disparity all the same.

If I were coaching AA/A girls, and I had a choice of who to play for the state, it would be BE without a doubt because they are the undisputed top team in AA/A girls soccer.

I think we do not disagree as much you think. But anyone who believes that the success of private schools in high school soccer has not in part been influenced by their advantages as a private school, then I believe that to be naive. (A similar and valid argument can be made for affluent public schools with many years of success as well.)

Another factor seldom mentioned:

• Wando has 31% more students than Mauldin.
  
• Riverside has 28% more students than Hilton Head.
  
• Woodruff has 1% more students than Bishop England.
  

Affluence is certainly a factor. The quality of clubs proximate to the high school is certainly a factor. I'm sure that there are other factors as well.

It appears that there are many factors that contribute to an "unlevel" playing field. Not sure how you'd ***EVER*** compensate for all of them.