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Is there a Group of Death this year?!?!

http://ladybengalsoccer.com/Main_All_Teams/Schedule/Schedule_main_page_files/page0002.htm

I think Steve did a good job keeping this draw very balanced, but it would be a boring thread if I didn't take a stab at this. Here is a breakdown based on playoff seedings and performance regardless of classification:

Bracket A:
Two #1 seeds
One #2 seeds
Three semifinalists
One champion

Bracket B:
Three #1 seeds
Three #2 seeds
Three quarterfinalists
One semifinalists

Bracket C:
Three #1 seeds
Two #2 seeds
One quarterfinalists
One semifinalists
One finalist
Two champions

Bracket D:
Three #1 seeds
Three #2 seeds
two quarterfinalist
One semifinalists
One finalists

As you can see, this tournament is very top-heavy and that is what makes it fun. Still, no bracket really stands out as the bracket of death. I would say that bracket C is the toughest based on number of high seeds and having 5 of its 8 teams make it to at least the quarterfinals. Add to that two class champions (3A and 2A) and the 4A runner-up and you can see that it will be a very good team that gets through this group.

[No guts, no glory -- 3 minute analysis based on my understanding of returning classes - excludes any teams in which I have a personal interest]

Bracket Winners:
Wando
Irmo
Bishop England
Fort Mill

Semi-Finals:
Wando
Fort Mill

Finals:
Wando


Several notes. Wando is returning a lot of very good players; that's what make them the top pick. Fort Mill is returning the player that in my opinion (which I've stated previously) was clearly their best player last year and has a team that works incredibly well together. Irmo is returning a strong team and has some really good rising players -- what they lost last year should be made up for by their strengths. I'm not as familiar with Bishop England.

Most probable reasons I'm wrong. Mauldin will be very strong with a lot of wonderful younger players maturing. Summerville should be strong as well. South Aiken could be a spoiler -- very, very young last year -- but has some core talent -- Spring Valley is rumored to be getting an excellent transfer in that could really help them -- Hilton Head has some of their really strong players coming back who with maturity might push them all the way. No disrespect to Eastside or Riverside; but they were both hurt by graduation; will be a tough row to hoe but these programs are always strong so who knows.

Group A
AAAA - #1, #10, #11, unranked
AAA - #3, #4, #8
SCISA - #3

Group B
AAAA - #4, #5, #6, #14, unranked, unranked
AAA - #5, #10

Group C
AAAA - #2, #12, #13, Unranked
AAA - #1, #7, #15
AA/A - #1

Group D
AAAA - #3, #7, #8, #9, #15, unranked
AAA - #2, #6

1st - Group D looks to be the thickest top to bottom with Hilton Head or Dutch Fork punching through

2nd - Group B The unranked could just as easily be #14 or #15. No "Super Power" in the group but Irmo or Dorman take it home...Airport is the dark horse (get'em Morris!)

3rd - Group C Eastside, Bishop England, and Lexington could beat anyone in any other group on a good day. Top heavy, but I think Lexington choo-choo's through this one.

4th - Group A Any group with South Aiken, despite Wando, Myrtle Beach, Riverside, or Ben Lippen can't be all that. Wando and Riverside throw blows for top spots with my buddy Terry watching the substitutions carefully and pulling out the win.

Semi's
Riverside over Dorman
Lexington over Dutch Fork

Finals
The Side over The Hollow

Fort Mill, barring injury, should be strong this year and they generally play well in this tournament. Getting through the likes of Hilton Head, Dutch Fork and Mauldin....just to reach the semi-final, is a tall task.

As always, this will be a great tournament. This year, I hope I can see a lot more games than I generally have in the past.