SoutheasternOhioPreps.com

1. South Webster=4-0-0, 12 points
2. Clay=3-1-0, 9 points
3. Valley=2-4-0, 6 points
4. New Boston, 0-4-0, 0 points

If I have missed games please let me know and i can update.

With SW moving to SOC 2 and adding Ironton St. Joe to SOC 1 it should be a more balanced and competitive league next year. ISJ coming in will keep the league at 4 teams, they have played the other 3 teams this season with wins over NB and Valley, and a loss @ clay 4-0.

West, I like what they have going on right now with new coaching staff that has a soccer background. I still think they are not on the same level as Minford, Burg, NW, Waverly. No disrespect to west, but why are they not going to SOC 1 and evening out the teams at 5 each?

If the number of teams is ever evened out, the league should follow European soccer and make the winner or SOC 1 move up, and the bottom team in SOC 2 move down. Keep things competitive and never have a streak where SW wins 20 league titles in a row with no close games or good competition.

South Webster, IMO they are still the front runners to win SOC 2 next year, but i don't think they win it 2-3 years in a row let alone 20.

Just looking at the now and the future! Whats everyone think?

I would like to see the format you described with the SOC1 winner moving up for the following year. I don't like the idea of having 6 teams in the SOC2 and only 4 in the SOC1. There is no reason there cant be 5 in each group. I think SW will nearly always be the favorite to win the SOC2. SWs enrollment is not that much smaller than the other schools and without football, they get the best athletes in the school every year. Nothing at all against SW, but just the way it is.

Would like to see European approach also but dont think it will happen. Could be a scheduling nightmare.
As far as next year in SOC 2, I don't think anyone will be favorite to win. Minford loses couple players but keeps what I think is their best player; Wheelersburg best players are young; Waverly returns a lot; Northwest loses 5 starters but still have solid young group; West loses no one and is improving under new coach. South Webster loses a lot but has some good players behind them. I can see next year champs having 2-3 ties. Will be fun to watch.

GoAt 10 wrote: ↑Mon Sep 24, 2018 10:51 am If the number of teams is ever evened out, the league should follow European soccer and make the winner or SOC 1 move up, and the bottom team in SOC 2 move down. Keep things competitive and never have a streak where SW wins 20 league titles in a row with no close games or good competition.

I mentioned this idea to somebody a few years ago but never really thought schools would be in favor of it. I think this would make the leagues more competitive, and, in turn, help each team improve every year.

Goat10: agreed on West. If I was them, I'd consider a move to SOC I (at least for a few years) to get their program up and running. Gonna be hard to improve much with 10 games on the schedule each year against Burg, Minford, Waverly, SW, and Northwest. Contrast that with 8 conference games against SOC I schools, along with a thought-out nonconference schedule (SHL teams, OVC teams, Kentucky teams, etc), and they could be competitive every game and drum up interest in the program.

As for the relegation model, I like the idea, but I see a common scenario where the SOC I school that moves up was probably an experienced squad the year before (leading to the division championship), and then is getting smoked the following year playing an SOC II schedule with an inexperienced roster.*

I know that South Webster approached West about switching spots in the SOC a few times. The coaches were for it, but the administration at West was not.

They were against the move when Northwest moved down in football as well, but that one went through.

There is more to consider than just the number of boys in the school. Everybody knows that splitting athletes with football makes a difference in the number of boys available. The whole point of having two divisions is to make each league more competitive and in that sense fair.

I think next year should be an exciting year for both divisions.

UPDATED.

Yeah if you win the SOC 1 this year with 8 seniors that start and then you play next year in the SOC 2 with a totally different team that might start 5 freshman that would make it tough to consistently compete.

Clay isn’t that far behind Webster in terms of points in SOC1, but is that because weaknesses in this particular league??