Let the Controversial Matchups Begin!
The Northern Region's playoff seeding format has received a lot of flack for creating what some view as uneven matchups. It's a legitimate gripe, but the system has been slowly accepted through the years.
Photo By: Helene Shain / GamedayMagazine
It's playoff time! Whoo! Yeah, alright! Cool.
No, it's really not all that cool for coaches. Playoff time for them in the Northern Region means that it's time to sweat bullets. Sure, from a fan's perspective, it's amazing to see a Chantilly/West Springfield matchup and an Annandale/Westfield tilt. You'd have to be nuts not to like that. But for the coach? You know, the guy whose job it is to ensure victory? Well, his life becomes a bit tougher.
You see, the Northern Region playoffs are incredibly unique. It's a system which can take the top four teams in the entire region and put them all on the same side of the bracket. It's a system which can end a dominant team's season in a heartbeat. It's a system hated by many, but it sure as heck makes for great entertainment.
For those maybe a bit unfamiliar with this "system", it operates as, what I like to call, an "equal opportunity competitor". It doesn't matter what you did in the regular season or how tough your district is, but the system will assume every district is equal. Problem is, they're not. I know, I know, it's a bit taboo to say it, but the National is not equal to the Concorde. In fact, the National is not equal to any district. (I once played in the National, so maybe I'm allowed to say that?) Anyways, so when the National, Patriot, Liberty and Concorde are seeded one through four and paired against each other, things become a bit hectic.
To get what I'm talking about, just imagine the NCAA tournament in basketball having the ACC top four seeds match up against the Big East's top four teams, and then the SEC paired against the Sun Belt. Now, the first round would sure as heck be interesting! Duke vs. Pitt in the first round would dominate the ratings and would become must-see TV. Yet those involved with the program would hate it. Why, after all, should Duke have to play Pitt in the first round when Tennessee gets to play North Texas?
That type of scenario has dominated the talk and characterized the Northern Region lacrosse playoffs for years. Yet at this point, everyone's used to it. Any complaining of the system now just gets you labeled as a whiner. A bit harsh, I know, but look at this way: the treacherous Annandale/Westfield and Chantilly/West Springfield games were products of each team not winning when they had their chance. Simple as that. Just win your district and you get a much easier game. Yes, Woodson was paired with a tough Oakton squad, but at least they wouldn't have to play Westfield or Chantilly.
But like I said before, most are used to the system. No one really complains anymore, but instead, others are starting to get along with it. Personally, I wouldn't mind inviting a change, but it just wouldn't happen at this point. Ever. Just get it out of your head. Plus, we all know Power Points are not the most beloved thing in this area.
So instead, these games and this tournament becomes non-stop action. It's great and quite frankly, there isn't anything like it, not to mention it places the ultimate premium on the district tournaments. On Thursday, we'll have Chantilly face off against Langley in a rematch of last year's overtime state championship game. Please try and tell me any other playoff system that can offer that great a game in the quarterfinals. Is it a bit unfair for those two play each other in just the quarterfinals? Yeah, I'd say it is. But you know what? It is what it is. There's nothing anyone can do about it, and all parties involved knew a scenario like this would happen.
So me and others will sit back and enjoy what will hopefully be an incredible quarterfinal matchup, but as for those coaches? Well, they'll be spending the next couple of days about as tense as a fifteen year old boy on a date with Taylor Swift.
