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Post by hdkjga on Jan 21, 2004 2:10:06 GMT -6
Simple........who is the best highschool team in Louisiana in any division. Let's be realistic. Don't come on here posting a team that has a losing record or anything like that. I posted the top 3 from D1 and the top 2 from D2 and D3. I am sure others feel that I missed a team. Well, that's why I put other. Just post them. IMHO, I think Lafayette and Jesuit are dead locked as to who is the best team. Jesuit, aside from the lapse against Catholic BR, is almost perfect. Lafayette has an offense and a defense that scare teams. (11 games in district 3 and they have scored 51 goals and had 9 scored against them.) Both these teams look to be a crash course with each other in the semis of the playoffs.
After these two, I like Rummel, CL, Vandy, St. Louis, then St. Paul's.
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Post by McScruff on Jan 21, 2004 9:11:58 GMT -6
I mean Jesuit has lost ONE game all year. There is something to be said about that. I wasn't overly impressed with them, but I only saw them play once. They keep racking up the W's and they are the two-time defending state champ. Lafayette is right there, and in my obviously biased opinion is playing the best soccer in the state right now. Don't misunderstand that statement. There may be teams that are playing just as well as Lafayette, but I would have a hard time believing that there is a team out there that is playing better than them.
I have not seen Rummel, Vandy or St. Louis since the Showcase, but from scores I have seen and what I have heard, I would have Rummel third.
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Post by goat on Jan 21, 2004 10:46:32 GMT -6
mcsruff you are right about jesuit and lafayette playing great soccer right now. i would say it is probably a tossup between those two. however that being said the playoffs haven't started and several thing could happen before they do start. one thing i know, the lafayette coach talks about all the time is playing your best once the playoffs start. has lafayette peaked to earlie? they have won easily for the past 3 weeks, what will they do if they get scored on first and play a team with a solid midfield? don't get me wrong i will be pulling for lafayette AFTER THE RAMS every time they play, but really how will they react in a tight game, (they haven't had one in a while). i don't think they will be tested in the playoffs until the semi's but what do ya'll think? some of there players have a tendency to lose there cool in tight games, (you know who i'm talking about).
this is not ment to push any buttons i just want to know what you and some of the other lafayette fans on this site think.
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Post by Frank the Tank on Jan 21, 2004 12:37:15 GMT -6
I think Lafayette will play strong soccer for the rest of the year. They have 2 more tough district games in Carencro and Acadiana. As far as the playoffs go, if you assume they will play the district champs and runner-ups, then they would have some easy games, but you never know where some of those top wildcard teams will be placed. I do expect Lafayette and Jesuit to meet in the semi's and i think that will give us a good idea of who the best team in the state is. I think both teams have been playing great soccer and taking it to some teams, but I don't have an opinion towards one team over the other yet.
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Post by McScruff on Jan 21, 2004 13:21:38 GMT -6
As far as the playoffs go, if you assume they will play the district champs and runner-ups, then they would have some easy games, Frank, what do you mean by that? |
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Post by goat on Jan 21, 2004 15:31:16 GMT -6
guys i think your missing my point. lafayette has not been overly impressive against other teams with strong midfields. one loss and a tie with acadiana, spilt with st. louis and a split with BM.
they have been steam rolling teams where their midfield dominates but their record against other good teams with good midfields is 500 a best. you don't see this as a problem? when a team wins as easy as the lions have been winning they may be setting themselves up for an upset, ( i'm not talking about this friday either). look at there schedule real close and you will see that i am telling the truth.
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Post by McScruff on Jan 21, 2004 17:14:47 GMT -6
First off, I don't believe in the whole "peaking too early" thing. It is up to the coaches and players to work to improve every game they play. If a team is committed to winning, then they'll take each game as it comes and play to their abilities. I don't believe that a team just begins to regress for no reason. If a team begins to regress, you can usually find a reason for it, namely injuries. Has anyone accused Jesuit of peaking too early the past few years? They continue to roll through the regular season after regular season and then through the playoffs. The fact is that talented high school soccer teams will win most of their games and the really talented teams will win a lot of them fairly easily.
How will Lafayette respond is a tight game or if they are scored on first? That is a very good question and something I was thinking about last night. Will this team have the strength and desire to fight through adversity? I don't know. They are a very young team and they might not have a sense of urgency. With 7 juniors and sophomores in the starting lineup, they might not have the sense of urgency needed to come back from a deficit or to win a tight game at the end. It is really on the seniors and coaches to instill the need to win. I will say this, though. Lafayette's underclassmen are very tough for the most part. They do not shy away from physical contact in the least. That said, I still hope that Acadiana gives them a good game on Friday.
About the midfield. I completely agree that a team that has a good midfield will give Lafayette infinitely more trouble than a team with a poor midfield. But, teams with good midfields are also usually your best teams overall also, so I don't know how much of that rests on the midfield alone. Lafayette is 8-4 against the current top ten from each division. 7-4 if you throw out Catholic of New Iberia. That is a little better than .500 by my calculations. I think they have more than held their own against the strong teams in the state.
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Post by hdkjga on Jan 21, 2004 17:16:35 GMT -6
I see where you are going with your statement goat. The only thing is that Lafayette did not start playing this good until St. Louis woke them up. They have changed some of their midfield around since that loss. I think that is the difference. I think the team leaders will make sure everyone stays in check if they get behind in a game. Lafayette made several comebacks last year and the leaders on the field now, were playing then, so I don't think McNamara, Joey, Brennon, Los, Menard will have a problem. Also, when they beat Bro Martin 2-1, they were down 1-0 at one point, so I think they know that they may give up a goal or two, but they have the killer instinct to make sure they get one or two of their own to make up the difference. I always try to think objectively, but I am obviously a little bias to the Lafayette area. When I look at Lafayette High, I see a team that can be beaten, but I can't see how they could be. They are solid up top, very strong mid, solid D. The same thing happened last year with Lafayette. They went to St. Louis and got beat 3-0 by Kelly TX on the Friday night game. After that, Lafayette went nuts and won every game after that until the finals of the state tourney. At one point they had 8 or 9 shutouts in a row. I honestly don't see Lafayette slowing down this year. They can be beat, but I don't see that happening in the near future. Good thoughts goat, but I have a feeling Lafayette and Jesuit will be meeting up in the semis.
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Post by Frank the Tank on Jan 21, 2004 18:29:38 GMT -6
McScruff, with my previous statement I was saying that Lafayette's first few games in the playoffs will probably be against some weaker teams. But, you never know how the brackets could fall. There are a few districts, including dist. 3 & 9, where the 3rd and 4th best teams in that district are better than half of the teams that make the playoffs. It might turn out that Lafayette has to play one of these teams coming in as a Wild Card, which would give them at least one tough game in the opening rounds.
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Post by goat on Jan 21, 2004 20:22:13 GMT -6
all good points guys. i do disagree with one statement, but i'm not sure who made it. the one about good teams not slumping unless they have injuries. i disagree with that, i think all teams are capable of having a slump, even without injuries.
lafayette is a very strong team with a coach that expects his team to play very hard every game. i'm not saying lafayette will even have a slump. i do question how they will play if they have to come from behind in a big game. as far as being 8-4 against top ten teams i'll have to take your word on that one. if you are counting stm i wouldn't put much stock in those wins because stm has a very weak midfield,(sorry stm just my opinion). i was comparing the teams i know they have played with good to strong midfields.
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Post by goat on Jan 21, 2004 20:32:52 GMT -6
one more thing, if you throw out stm and cat. new iberia their record is 5-4 not that great. i don't think stm would even be in the top ten in div.1 guys. i don't want the stm people getting all over me because i know and respect a lot of their players but their strenght lies in hernendez, dooley and lewis, two defenders and a striker.
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Post by McScruff on Jan 21, 2004 21:42:22 GMT -6
I don't know, goat. STM might be in the top ten of DI. They really showed me something in their game against Jesuit. Also, when you included St. Louis, I thought you must have been including top teams, so I included STM. I don't think that St. Louis has that great of a midfield.
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Post by goat on Jan 22, 2004 8:23:24 GMT -6
jesuit didn't have three of their top players that game, including their top scorer. i am not saying lafayette will have a melt down, i just won't be suprised if they do. you and i both know that a couple of their players have a tough time controlling their emotions in tight games. in the playoffs you never know what kind of ref you are going to get, one that lets the kids play or one that calls a tight game. a ref that lets the kids vent a little or one that doesn't put up with any venting at all.
we could talk about this all day and probable never agree. i will see ya'll friday night. i'm looking forward to a typical acadiana - lafayette game.
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Post by Frank the Tank on Jan 22, 2004 12:09:16 GMT -6
So how well do you think Acadiana will play for the rest of the season? Is their melt-down over or are they still in their slump? Are they playing strong again? Has the team improved since the district game against Lafayette?
Also- I think Brother Martin is one of the best teams in the state. They don't have any superstar players who really take advantage of teams, but they pass quickly and are quick to the ball on defense. They are good at give and goes and wall passes through the mid and 1 and 2 touch through-balls to their forwards (who do have enough speed to burn some defenses).
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Post by McScruff on Jan 22, 2004 12:35:46 GMT -6
I agree with everything you said about Brother Martin. They also have a winger, #7 I think, who is a very sure finisher. I saw them in the Showcase and it seemed like he never missed an opportunity to put the ball in the back of the net.
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