Big South posters, you are cordially invited to the Purple Pretenders Pity Party aka the Stuart Cramer "I didn't get picked" Crying Fest. According to a report by the Gaston Gazette, the coach for the Storm (who finished 5-6 overall, 2-5) was disappointed that the team missed the playoffs.
Excuse me, but the playing rules are the same for us all. There were other 5-5/5-6 teams that had better conference records but did not make the 2A brackets. Draughn and East Rutherford had better conference records (3-5) and are sitting at home. Maybe Huss didn't deserve consideration, but based on their finish neither did Cramer.
He also bemoaned that his team was a little bitty 2A school playing in a split conference with a majority of big boys from the 3A division and that it created a 'competitive' disadvantage. Again, please refer to the previous referenced Draughn and East Rutherford who compete in the SMAC which has 3 3A teams and 6 2A teams. While there are 5 3A teams and 3 2A teams in the Big South, this year's ADMs give lie to being disadvantaged.
Stuart Cramer failed to beat the two schools who are the #1 and #2 seeds from the 3A division and ironically have smaller enrollments than they do. Also, South Point (392 difference) and Lake Norman Charter (608 difference) both defeated Ashbrook. In the SMAC, last Friday night 2A Shelby with an ADM of 840 gave 3A Crest (1288) all they could have wanted in their match. Obviously, someone doesn't understand the saying, "It's not the size of the dog in the fight, but the size of the fight in the dog."
Furthermore, Stuart Cramer had its opportunities to make the playoffs. They went into the Huss game with the advantage, knowing that a victory would assure them of a 6-win season and a playoff berth, and failed to capitalize upon it. Had they beaten 2A R-S Central in their non-conference match earlier in the season, the Hilltoppers (the 64th team in) would be playing basketball next week instead of the Storm. Only later in his comments does he admit this:
I don't know about the rest of you, but I think I will decline the invitation.
Coach Ben McMillan is quoted as saying,
“In my opinion Huss should not have been in consideration because they didn’t have enough wins to qualify. Then it would have been between us and Lake Norman Charter, we would have gotten the 2A top seed hosting a game.”
“In my opinion Huss should not have been in consideration because they didn’t have enough wins to qualify. Then it would have been between us and Lake Norman Charter, we would have gotten the 2A top seed hosting a game.”
Excuse me, but the playing rules are the same for us all. There were other 5-5/5-6 teams that had better conference records but did not make the 2A brackets. Draughn and East Rutherford had better conference records (3-5) and are sitting at home. Maybe Huss didn't deserve consideration, but based on their finish neither did Cramer.
He also bemoaned that his team was a little bitty 2A school playing in a split conference with a majority of big boys from the 3A division and that it created a 'competitive' disadvantage. Again, please refer to the previous referenced Draughn and East Rutherford who compete in the SMAC which has 3 3A teams and 6 2A teams. While there are 5 3A teams and 3 2A teams in the Big South, this year's ADMs give lie to being disadvantaged.
Ashbrook.......................1413
Forestview.....................1186
North Gaston.................1109
Hunter Huss...................1104
Stuart Cramer................1035
South Point.....................1021
East Gaston....................974
Lake Norman Charter.....805
Forestview.....................1186
North Gaston.................1109
Hunter Huss...................1104
Stuart Cramer................1035
South Point.....................1021
East Gaston....................974
Lake Norman Charter.....805
Stuart Cramer failed to beat the two schools who are the #1 and #2 seeds from the 3A division and ironically have smaller enrollments than they do. Also, South Point (392 difference) and Lake Norman Charter (608 difference) both defeated Ashbrook. In the SMAC, last Friday night 2A Shelby with an ADM of 840 gave 3A Crest (1288) all they could have wanted in their match. Obviously, someone doesn't understand the saying, "It's not the size of the dog in the fight, but the size of the fight in the dog."
Furthermore, Stuart Cramer had its opportunities to make the playoffs. They went into the Huss game with the advantage, knowing that a victory would assure them of a 6-win season and a playoff berth, and failed to capitalize upon it. Had they beaten 2A R-S Central in their non-conference match earlier in the season, the Hilltoppers (the 64th team in) would be playing basketball next week instead of the Storm. Only later in his comments does he admit this:
“If we beat Huss a few weeks ago we wouldn’t be talking about this now. But it’s still kind of disappointing to be in this position,” McMillan said.
I don't know about the rest of you, but I think I will decline the invitation.
