Basketball, track schedules set;
No decision on all-star games
The Santa Cruz Interscholastic Sports League basketball season will tip off beginning Tuesday, February 17, when the Cooperative and International junior varsities will clash at International.
The varsities from International and Cooperative will play Thursday, Feb. 19, again at International. The games between Christian Learning and Cambridge that were originally scheduled for these dates have been postponed until later in the season. (See full schedule at right.)
The two SCISL track meets are scheduled for February 27-28 and March 27-28. There will be other track events as well including an invitational cross-country-style event at International School at a date still to be determined, and a mini-Olympics for middle school students (grades 6-8) at Cooperative on May 13. There will also probably be a varsity competition incorporated into the Cooperative School’s “Fun Run” on April 18.
In addition to setting the schedule, the SCISL board approved a number of rule changes and made other policy decisions. However, no final determination was made on the question of whether to have any more all-star games. The future of such games was called into question by the large number of no-shows at the soccer and volleyball all-star games, especially on the boys´ teams.
It was decided that at the beginning of the basketball season the players and coaches would be surveyed to see if there was any interest in continuing such games. If there is, there might be a basketball all-star game like last year’s, in which the top players in the League would play one another. The League will not try to arrange an all-star game with non-League teams again anytime soon because of last November’s embarrassing outcomes.
The rules regarding the punishment for teams that arrive late or fail to show for matches was clarified by the board. As now written, if a school’s junior varsity is more than ten minutes late then that school loses by forfeit both the junior varsity and the varsity games in that sport that day (assuming both a varsity and junior varsity game are scheduled). If the coaches agree, the two varsities may play a “friendly” game, but it will not count in the standings.
If a school fails to field a junior varsity team for a scheduled match then that game is, of course, forfeited. But if the varsities are present they will play an official game that counts in the standings.
The change reduces the degree of discretion given to the coaches regarding whether to play, and eliminates an ambiguity in the wording of the regulation that made it unclear whether tardiness or failure to field a junior varsity team affected all sports played that day, or just the sport in which a team was late or failed to show.
The board members also made a small change in the rules regarding tie scores in consolation games in the soccer playoffs, eliminating the provision for overtime play in these games, which determine third and fourth place. The teams will go directly to a penalty shoot-out. The change was made because the consolation games were frequently ending in ties that unduly delayed the tournament schedule, pushing the championship game deep into the night.
No change was made in the requirement for a shoot-out in tie regular season games to determine points in the standings, or the provision for a 20-minute sudden death overtime in tied championship games. In championship games there is a shoot-out only when no team scores in the overtime period.
Another change stated that no school can be eligible for the Fair Play Trophy in soccer unless it fields both varsity and junior varsity teams. The trophy is awarded to the school whose teams accrue the fewest penalties.
COMING SOON: Previews of the boys and girls varsity seasons.
