BHS: Section 8AA seedings announced
Bemidji gets #1 Twin Cities teams get robbed
Section 8AA announced the section seeding today before the last two games are played this season. This season was the first time in many years where the north teams have not dominated play outside of Bemidji. The Lumberjacks were seeded #1 and that made sense. Moorhead, leading the Mariucci Conference (but not won at this time) is second. After beating St. Michael/Albertville two weeks ago at Albertville, that made sense. But after that, the seeds don't make any sense. The three Twin Cities teams in the section (STMA, Rogers, and Buffalo) all were seeded lower than their season performance. The northern schools were promoted to higher seeds then they earned. The result maximizes the probably of a northern school going to state. Based on the seeding, all four northern schools can advance to the semifinals. If seeding followed performance, the semifinals would match north against Twin Cites teams.
The Section 8AA seeding was announced Thursday. Those doing the seeding righted the upside down Section 8AA Tournament and ignored performance this season going with history. As a result, Brainerd (13-11-1) was promoted over St. Michael-Albertville (14-7-2) to the #3 seed and will stay home to play Rogers (16-7-0) in a game that Rogers should win. Rogers will host St. Michaels/Albertville Thursday night. The Royals and Knights are now playing in a game tonight that should have meant everything to their seeding prospects but means nothing.
Now, St. Michael/Albertville seeded #4 plays #5 Roseau (10-12-2) at home next Tuesday. Roseau (10-12-2) was promoted moving up to the #5 seed spot to play at STMA. If the seeds followed season performance, Rogers would have played at STMA. The Knights game tonight with Rogers would have been a preliminary for the real playoff game next Tuesday. With STMA and Rogers neighboring towns that would have helped foster the sport in that area of the state. Buffalo (9-11-3) travels to Moorhead (14-9-0) to play the Spuds. Roseau should have made the trip to Moorhead.
There may be technical reasons for the draw (transportation, arena availabilty, etc), to cause this shift; but this corner of YHH has followed the players from peewee on as they have struggled at times. This should be the players time. And there should be consideration given to what is right for the players not what is most expedient.
It appears to those on the outside that the only rational for changing the seeding is to maximize the possibility of a “northern team” being in the Class AA State Tourney. Based on current seeding, there is no north versus north match-up in the opening round. That allows all three north teams in the section to advance to the semifinals and that maximizies the appearance of a north team. In this corner, that is all for naught. The #1 team in the Section is Bemidji and they should win, but Twin City teams (and STMA in particular) should be treated fairly. The Knights at STMA have played from peewees on to have an equal shot at the state tourney. Now that is gone forever.