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First of all, most of the girls that were there this week haven't faced Ponte Vedra over the last 4 years. Most of those girls saw them for the first time this year.

Yes, Brayden Miller who scored two goals in this her first Regionals scored her first R3PLE goal against Ponte Vedra last August in her first year with our team, but for most of the starting field players this week this was not their first year. Again, you really don't know this team that well, do you.
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Second, is that really what you're worried about? Whether some kid in Florida respects your daughter as a soccer player?

well, we now know you obviously have no interest in whether anyone outside SC respects our players, but the players do and work very hard to gain that respect. Perhaps you should get to know them a little better.
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Wow! Since you seem to be a little slow in your understanding of human nature, let me break it down for you. The Ponte Vedra girls aren't thinking one bit about whether or not they respect your daughter. They've moved on and have other things to think about. I know, you'll tell me that she met a couple at region ODP camp and they're lifelong friends. That being the case, they'll still respect her. Or maybe they're awful friends.

Nope, no previous friendships, she just had to spend later that evening amongst them at Florida's hotel with her sister, who had an opportunity to play with a Florida u-19 team based on the respect the team and coach had for her after playing against her at last year's Regionals.
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Third, you've demonstrated on here that you know the ins and outs of CESA policy, SC high school rules, ODP procedures, and all else. So, I'll take you at your word that this is stated CESA policy.

Don't take my word for it, ask Pearse how he's not only answered that question every time asked but enforced it, all the way back to one of the team's player's first state cup finals at u-11 that was lost in pk's with a substitute coach. "Older team takes priority." Or, ask Carlos O. who several years later left his u-17 '90 girls to coach his u-18 boys at state cup, because "Older team...".
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I'll also suggest that any organization that doesn't leave room for common sense to alter policy, probably isn't very forward thinking or big-picture oriented or customer service guided.

Translation: Forget the policies we told you, we make them up as we go along based on our best interests at the time not your daughters'. Wait a minute, "customer service guided"? The u-18's aren't customers? Sorry, I forgot... not after that game was over.
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I'm sorry the alteration of policy didn't suit you. I'd venture to say that it suited the U-16 team

I'm sure, and I have no hard feelings or animosity toward them for the decision that was made.
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and I'd also venture to say that there are others on the U-18 team that saw the sense in it.

Before the second game the coach told the team what precarious shape the boys were in with only one point compared to the girls and in such need of his help, and they obliged. However, before the fourth game the entire team went as a group to the coach telling him they needed him at the Ponte Vedra game. Their earlier consideration was not returned. When I heard about it, the coach received a text from me briefly expressing my view before the game. He had also received at least one call I know of from another parent at the hotel expressing dissatisfaction with the decision being made after the team met with him. General consensus found amongst the parents at the game.
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Finally, the statement that his absence was "flat wrong any way you look at it" is completely inaccurate. The way I look at it, it made a lot of sense given the circumstances. Even if it didn't please you.

"given the circumstances"? What, that according to you the club had underestimated the strength of the team and had so little faith in them they were written off as going 0-3 before they even got to the opening ceremonies? Or, that their unexpected success just didn't fit in the club's plans to support the younger team?
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Ask yourself this question, if the U-18s had lost 4-0 like the South Texas Champs Lonestar did in the semifinal and your daughter maintained the respect of the Ponte Vedra players, would Russ' absence still been "flat wrong"? Since we didn't hear about it after the second day and are only hearing about it now, I'll bet not.

You'd lose that bet. Shelley is an excellent coach who is loved by the u-18 team. They came to compete for him, with him, but he wasn't at the game that they needed him most. Would his presence have made a difference in the team's performance in what could be it's last club game of youth soccer? Absolutely.

Very near the end of the game I was speaking with one of the parents from Ponte Vedra and noticed the coach had finally arrived (already 8-0). I pointed out the coach's arrival to the PV parent who was stunned. He couldn't believe any club would put a team on the field to play PV without its head coach, especially a R3PLE team that knows what PV will bring.

"Shame on DeltaDog"? No, shame on CESA for having so little faith in such a wonderfully competitive team of 12 players.