First half story: Close races
By David Boldt
SCISL Weblog
The acknowledged goal of the National Football League in the United States has been to achieve a condition called “parity,” meaning that any team would be capable of beating any other team in any given week of the season.
The Santa Cruz Interscholastic Sports League seems to have come close to achieving that goal this season, at least in soccer.
At more or less the halfway mark in the season three of the boys varsity soccer teams are locked in a tie for first place. In addition, more than half of the games played by the varsity girls teams have ended in ties. (Some might say the latter achievement was carrying parity too far.)
And there is a distinct possibility that in the second half things could become even more tightly meshed in both soccer and volleyball.
The Cambridge puzzle
The boys varsity soccer teams of Christian Learning, International, and Co-operative head into the second half of the season with identical 2-1 records.
And although fourth-place Cambridge is winless at mid-season, the games have been close. One of its three losses was by one goal, and two were by two goals. Moreover, the Knights, who are the defending champions, have seemed the better team during portions of all three contests.
The key to the second half of the season might be the answer to this question: Who will the Knights finally decide to beat?
Analyzing the teams by scoring disclose some gaps between them, but less than among the girls' teams:
Varsity Boys Soccer -- Team Scoring
School name – goals scored – opponents’ goals – difference (+/-)
Christian Learning – 6 – 3 -- +3
Co-operative -- 7 – 6 -- +1
International – 8 – 7 -- +1
Cambridge -- 2 – 7 -- (-5)
The individual scoring records also show a balance, with no player or players dominating action. The 23 goals recorded have been scored by 12 different players. Four players from three different schools are tied for the league lead with three goals each.
There is one category in which there is a clear distinction: Penalties. International players have received 12 yellow cards and two red cards so far this season. No other team has received half that many.
Cambridge has received the fewest penalty cards, though a Cambridge player did account for the only other red card shown. At the end of the season the league presents its “Fair Play” award to the school whose teams have received the fewest penalties.
A visit to “Tie City”
As the season opened the competition seemed to break neatly into an upper division, containing Christian Learning and Co-operative, and a lower division pitting International against Cambridge.
The two schools in the “lower division” were beaten badly in their opening encounters with the “upper division.” Christian Learning beat both International and Cambridge by the same 7-0 score. Co-operative gave International a 4-0 pasting in their first meeting.
Things seemed to be set up for two fights: Christian Learning vs. Co-operative for first place, and International vs. Cambridge for third place.
And it looked as if they would be close fights. Christian Learning and Co-operative tied 1-1 when they met, while International and Cambridge tied 2-2 the same day.
However, things took a funny twist in the final games right before the Santa Cruz Day break. International tied Christian Learning 0-0, while Cambridge and Co-operative were also fighting to a 0-0 tie.
That meant there had been four ties in the first seven games of the season. (Co-operative and Cambridge still have to play the games that were postponed when a general strike prevented play on the scheduled opening day of the season. They will play Wednesday, Sept. 26.)
Still, despite these indications of equity, Christian Learning starts the second half in possession of first place, and with a clear edge in terms of goals scored (though one needs to keep in mind that Cambridge and Co-operative have played one less game):
Girls Varsity Soccer -- Team Scoring
School name – goals scored – opponents’ goals – difference (+/-)
Christian Learning – 21 – 7 -- +14
Co-operative -- 13 – 5 -- +8
International – 6 – 18 -- (-12)
Cambridge -- 5 – 15 -- (-10)
The individual scoring among the girls has been almost as diverse as among the boys. The 24 goals have been scored by 14 different players. Daniela Brooks of Christian Learning leads the league with five goals, but no other player has more than two.
Penalties have not been a major factor in the varsity girls games, where players still help fallen opponents get up. Only four cards have been shown -- all yellow -- and no team has more than two. Cambridge has not been penalized.
International takes lead in volleyball
International defined itself as the team to beat in all volleyball categories during the opening weeks of the season. All their teams had a nucleus of outstanding players, and seemed to be better prepared for competition. In the first three weeks of the season both the Griffin boys and girls varsities were undefeated and undisputed possession of first place.
The Griffin boys, however, were given a sobering shock in their last game before the break when Christian Learning beat them in convincing fashion, thereby moving into a tie for first place, with identical 3-1 records.
However, in overall scoring statistics, the Griffin boys still had an edge. (Note that the numbers are somewhat distorted by the way in which Cambridge’s forfeit to Co-operative is scored. It was recorded as if the set scores were 25-0, 25-0. Prior to the forfeit Cambridge had a better points for/ points against balance than Co-operative.) :
Varsity Boys Volleyball -- Team Scoring
School name – points scored – opponents’ points – difference (+/-)
International – 188 – 161 -- +27
Christian Learning -- 167 – 160 -- +7
Co-operative -- 169 – 160 -- +9
Cambridge -- 76 – 153 -- (-77)
The International girls varsity still had its 3-0 undefeated status at the mid-season break, and a two-game lead in the standing. (The other three teams were tied for second place with 1-2 records.) The Griffin girls had, however, lost their straight sets streak in the third game when the Cambridge girls, the defending champions, won one set. International prevailed, however, 2-1
An analysis of the scoring underscores the Griffin girls’ dominance:
Girls Varsity Volleyball -- Team Scoring
School name – Points scored – Opponents points – difference (+/-)
International – 159 – 104 -- +55
Christian Learning – 120 – 126 -- (-6)
Cambridge – 124 – 144 -- (-20)
Co-operative – 112 – 141 -- (-29)
League play resumes Wednesday, Sept. 26, when Co-operative and Cambridge play their postponed girls soccer and boys volleyball games at Co-operative. The regular schedule picks up Thursday, with International at Christian Learning, and Cambridge at Co-operative, for boys soccer and girls volleyball. Junior varsity teams will participate both days, in both sports.
The really big story in volleyball, though, has been the overall improvement in the quality of play.
For all teams serving has become more effective, setting more precise, and "spikes" are being made into "kills." Yet at the same time that most difficult skill of all -- blocking a spike -- is being more widely used, and defenders are becoming more adept at "digging" hard-hit balls by diving to insert their fist between the ball and the floor so that it pops up to be played. With the defense keeping pace with the offense in these ways, the result is long, exciting rallies with fine plays being reciprocated again and again.
Commenting on this general improvement, Alejandra Salto, athletic director and girls volleyball coach at Christian Learning, said, "At the beginning of the season the teams were getting to know each others abilities, but now they are more competitive because they know what to expect. I think that they underestimated their abilities."
The league might be well advised to try to sell tickets to the next rematch between the International and Christian Learning boys, probably in the play-offs. It should be one of the best sports events in Santa Cruz this year.
-- Statistics for this article provided by Alejandra Salto, Christian Learning Center athletic director
