Upon hearing of the new all-league and all-region selection process, which was given a test run this year by the Northern 4A coaches, my initial reaction was negative.
That's mostly because I don't like change.
After taking some time to think about it, I like the new process. A lot.
Basically, teams are given a certain number of spots on the all-league team based on their finish in league play. For example, first and second-place teams get two first-team spots and one second-team spot. Third- and fourth-place teams get one first-team spot and one second-team spot. The rest of the spots are awarded by a nomination-vote process.
What it does is remove a lot of the politics of coaches trying to convince opposing coaches of the worth of their kids. Now, if you team takes care of business during the year, they get their dues in the postseason honors.
The one negative is it does leave open the possibility of having a team with only one or two positions represented.
For example, generally your best player is either going to be a guard or a center. That could leave a first team of mostly point guards or mostly centers. Not a big deal, but still, I am fond of honors teams that closely resemble an actual roster.
I'm curious to see if a similar process is instituted in other sports. The remaining team sports (baseball, softball, football, soccer and volleyball) could be more tricky since they are all so position specific. I'm thinking particularly of the diamond sports. What do you do if everyone submits their best pitchers as their first-team picks?
I generally like to take a look at the teams when they are released and see if I would have done anything different. This year, and this doesn't happen that often, there simply isn't a lot I would've changed on any of the teams.
Austin Morgan and Bobby Hunter were hands down the most consistent and most valuable players to their teams this season. Corey Williams did a wonderful job coaching an upstart group out in Fallon and Dustin Hall was filling some big shoes at Reed.
Todd Ackerman was the obvious choice for girls' coach of the year in the Sierra League, but I was honestly surprised to see Reno's Shane Foster slip in there with Hug's Ed Shepard as coach of the year on the High Desert side.
Foster did exactly what he was supposed to do (i.e., winning the league and regional titles with a heavily-loaded roster) while Shepard produced a winner with a Hug program that looked like it might struggle heading into the year. That's no knock against Foster " He is a great coach and he has continued to build a phenomenal program " but generally I feel the coach of the year award should be reserved for teams that blatantly overacheived.
I was most surprised by the Sierra League girls' player of the year voting. Again, there's no arguing that Galena's Emily Burns is a phenomenal player and she is headed for a phenomenal career over her next two seasons.
But you have Douglas' Jessica Waggoner, a reigning regional co-player of the year and top career 4A scorer according to the NIAA record books, who gets left out in the dark.
The process is as it should be " coaches can nominate their own for the award, but can't vote for them. My take on Burns, and this is more a result of the team she played on, is that if Galena wasn't hitting from outside to spread the defense, she wasn't going to do much inside, particularly when facing a formidable post defender.
Waggoner, on the other hand, had some of her very best games when Douglas was off, or entirely non-existent, from behind the arc.
Take for example her three best games scoring wise. She put up 29 against Damonte Ranch this year when her team hit only one 3-pointer. She scored 29 against Carson as a junior and her team contributed two 3-pointers. As a sophomore, she had 29 against VoTech and her team added just one 3-pointer.
Compare that with Burns' games against Douglas this year. Waggoner got in early foul trouble in game one and sat out the first half. In the meantime, Burns scored 16 points. After Waggoner's return, Burns had just seven more points in the game. Waggoner had 11 points during the same stretch.
In game two, Burns managed just four points in the first half, but the Grizzlies bombed Douglas from the outside with six first-half 3-pointers.
Douglas expanded its defense out in the second half and Burns punished them with 28 points. Galena finished with nine 3-pointers in the game.
Waggoner had 21 in the game, despite the team not contributing any points from outside the arc.
Let's try matching the two up against a couple common denominators. Burns put up 19 and 14 points in two games against the tough Carson Senators defense (Galena hit seven and two 3-pointers in the two games respectively) while Waggoner went for 20 and 15 points against the Senators (with Douglas hitting one 3-pointer in each game).
Burns went for 20 and 14 points against eventual league champ Manogue with her team contributing three 3-pointers in each game while Waggoner went for 24 points in both games against the Miners with Douglas putting up five and six 3-pointers in the two games.
Just a little food for thought.
Spring sports at Douglas High got underway over the weekend with tryouts and the first official practices. We'll start our season previews next Wednesday and games and meets start next weekend.
The baseball and track & field teams are both looking like legitimate contenders for regional titles while the softball team looks to be the Sierra League favorite coming into the year, returning 10 players and seven all-leaguers from last year's league runner-up squad (defending league champ Reno departs for the High Desert League this year).
Baseball, on the other hand, returns 13 players, eight all-leaguers, 10 starters and its entire starting pitching rotation.
Golfer Thomas Wicker, runner/jumper Jessica Gorton, thrower Jessica Waggoner, swimmer Haley VonSchottenstein and diver Eddie Kollar are all in line for strong individual seasons as well.
Around the region, watch for Manogue and Galena baseball, Spanish Springs and Reno softball, Spanish Springs golf and Reno and Carson swimming to make some noise.
We'll get down to the details of it next week.
The top athletes, regardless of sport, at Douglas High determined by production during competition, overall value to their team, ability to perform with consistency in routine situations, performance compared to others at the same position throughout the state/region, ability to come up big in clutch situations, versatility, attitude, sportsmanship, overall athletic ability, heart, potential at the next level, and a host of other intangibles (emotional leadership, role-playing value, work ethic, etc.) This is all, of course, just my opinion.
Spring Sports Preseason
1. Thomas Wicker, golf
2. Stephanie Harper, softball
3. Tyler Hoelzen, baseball
4. Tim Rudnick, baseball
5. Jessica Waggoner, track & field
6. Katrina Morgan, softball
7. Jessica Gorton, track & field
8. Emily Weaver, softball
9. Eddie Kollar, diving
10. Haley VonSchottenstein, swimming
2008-09 School Year
1. Jessica Waggoner, volleyball/basketball/track & field
2. Tim Rudnick, football/basketball/baseball
3. Nico Barker, football/wrestling
4. Parker Robertson, football/basketball
5. Dany Heidt, soccer/basketball
6. Ally Freitas, soccer/basketball
7. James McLaughlin, basketball/football
8. Luis Pina-Duarte, football/basketball
9. Katie Dry, soccer/basketball/track & field
10. Tyler Hoelzen, basketball/baseball
Since I've been here (2003)
1. Luke Rippee, football/basketball/baseball (2003)
2. Jessica Waggoner, volleyball/basketball/track (2005-present)
3. Brittany Puzey, basketball/softball (2003-04)
4. Tim Rudnick, football/basketball/baseball (2006-present)
5. Bridget Maestretti, volleyball/basketball/softball/track (2004-08)
6. Tyson Estes, football/basketball/baseball (2003-05)
7. Ryan Pruitt, football/wrestling/baseball (2005-07)
8. Mike Gransbery, soccer/basketball (2004-07)
9. James McLaughlin, football/basketball (2006-present)
10. Andy McIntosh, football/basketball/track/golf (2003)
