<p>Could anyone who is an athlete at a BS help me understand how new england playoff tournaments work. After you qualify for the playoffs and all is there a conference tournament and then “New englands”? Or are there divisions you have to win from different sectors of New England to qualify for an overall bigger tournament.</p>
<p>There are several different leagues in the NE area, each with different rules. There are two or three just covering NE Prep schools that are mostly fairly close to Boston.</p>
<p>And out of those 3 how do you get an overall winner…</p>
<p>Like how can hotchkiss declare themselves NE football and basketball champions if there are 3 different leagues?</p>
<p>mpicz,</p>
<p>It depends on the sport and what you mean by “champion”. Football is somewhat unique in that a committee gathers in November and puts together a “slate” of games to determine champions. This year, Hotchkiss won the “top” game and are therefore Class A champions (so to speak). However, in cross-country, schools are designated Class A,B,C,D and all of those schools gather in their classes for a New England Championship. Hotchkiss certainly did not win New England’s (any division) in basketball but instead won the Founder’s League championship based on their record in league play just as an ISL school may win the ISL in (let’s say) field hockey but not win the overall New England title. It’s complicated since each sport does things slightly differently and the sub-leagues have overlap in some sports but not others. If you have a question regarding a specific sport, I may be able to help clarify…but then again, it’s compicated.</p>
<p>Ok, well for example right now Choate seems to be in the semi-finals of finals of the “Western New england tournament” after barely beating deerfield and salisbury in basketball. What does that mean…its not any class and its not a league.</p>
<p>There is a group of schools (Deerfield, Choate, Westminster and several others) who have decided not to participate in the “extreme” recruiting that has begun to dominate Class A and B New England basketball. If you’ve watched Class A basketball (a division that includes schools who normally compete in Division C/D in other sports), you probably recognize that some schools are recruiting Div. 1 basketball prospects in relatively high numbers. There is a group that has decided to pull themselves out of New England play and form their own postseason tournament. Not saying whether it’s a good or bad thing, just a decision that was made (and it seems like a unique situation to boy’s basketball).</p>
<p>hola3 - I have questions about football. I have a son that will be applying to BS as a repeat 9th grader for the 2010 year. I’m having a hard time choosing schools because I don’t know which ones are comprable (excuse my spelling)and how they stack up to the public schools. He is an average student (who does well at science/math) at this point so I want a good academic match but football is his passion. (He also plays lacrosse, indoor soccer as a goalie and is thinking of trying wrestling.)</p>
<p>I also know that past success does not always predict future success. </p>
<p>The schools we plan on visiting at this point are Blair, T-P, AOF, and Salisbury. We are also looking at Lawrence Academy but it has a low % of boarders. Is there a place to see the national rankings of all the high schools. (I know there is one for lax)</p>
<p>He may not want to play in college, but if he does can he get noticed at these schools?</p>
<p>Thanks for the help.</p>
<p>Oh ok, well do you know what class Exeter is in?</p>
<p>Because they went 14-5 and DIDNT make the playoffs. That sounds kind of crazy. And in football how many teams does this comittee put together. Because I see neither deerfield or andover made it with 5-2 records, and close loses.</p>
<p>mpicz-
Exeter is Class A in basketball. I think most of Exeter’s wins came against Class B/C schools which count less towards postseason play. Their record against Class A was not as strong and was likely a factor. As far as football, the committee looks at a broad range of schools and placed two undefeated schools (Hotchkiss and Proctor) in the top game. They also placed two undefeated ISL schools in the second game. Deerfield and Andover had great seasons but frequently 2-loss teams do not make the postseason and since both schools are large schools (with PG’s) it makes little sense to place them in the third or fourth postseason games that are usually filled by strong teams from smaller schools. It should be noted that Andover has made the postseason many times recently but has not won in a while.</p>
<p>Warriorboy- I don’t know much about Blair’s program but believe it is a very good one. He should get plenty of exposure at T-P, AOF and Salisbury. These schools usually have very strong squads and frequently send several players to DI schools and many to DIII schools. Lawrence has had many strong teams in the past decade and sends players to DIII programs frequently. Any of these schools would allow your son a great football experience and if they match up well academically, are great options. Another larger school such as NMH/Kent would also provide a good match with exposure to colleges. As far as comparing to public schools, it’s like comparing apples to oranges in that few public schools are allowed to play/scrimmage against the privates. It would be interesting to see Hotchkiss (Class A champs) go up against BC High or another top Mass. public school. I believe BB&N scrimmaged a top Mass. public school a few years ago and it was very, very close (but it was a pre-season scrimmage, so who knows). My two cents…</p>
<p>Good responses by hola3 – in general the NEPSAC people do a good job of matching the teams in all sports. They take into account the emphasis placed on each sport by the school, school size by sex, quality of competition etc. A few years ago, for instance, Brooks (with less than 200 boys played in Class A playoffs as they had loaded up on foreign players.) Hotchkiss-Proctor in football this year was a mis-match (though Proctor played well) as there really was no one else.</p>
<p>Basketball has gotten a little weird, with Tilton, South Kent and some others bringing in D-I college players. Some hypocrisy going on as the big schools have been doing this in hockey and lacrosse for years.</p>
<p>Incidentally, all hail the Salisbury Crimson Knights, as they defeated Exeter today 4-0 in the Division I championship game. Second title in four years.</p>
<p>Lol how did I know fif would respond to this. Thanks fif and hola3</p>
<p>So pretty much for football its just a random comitee. Do they call it like Class A championship, Class B Championship etc. Or just throw teams in random games. Is it kind of like the BCS with college football?</p>
<p>The games are named after legendary coaches, and its kind of hard now to discern which is B, C, D, etc. although it is usually pretty obvious which is A. Not random, the committee looks at results and tries to put together a good matchup. There were six games this year.</p>
<p>This year’s Hotchkiss team was a great one, which could have competed with almost any H.S. team in New England.</p>
<p>Hmm ok. So in basketball all it matters in regards to the playoffs is to beat teams in your “class”. Whats the point of leagues then?</p>
<p>Blair Academy has a strong football program under the fine leadership of Coach Jim Stone. The team won the MAPL Championship title this year, and sent six players to DI, IAA and III schools to play football next year (check out the school’s web-site <a href=“http://www”>www</a>. blair.edu). The facilities are amazing - new turf field, athletic center, new gym and student center. Blair is strong academically as well with very good college matriculation and an excellent counseling staff. The entire staff creates a close knit community and nurtures and develops the students. There are many interesting science and math courses as well - the best thing to do is visit, talk with the students there and plan to interview. You will definately be impressed and able to see if it is the right fit for your son. It’s a great school.</p>
<p>Blair Academy also has an amazing and successful wrestling program in addition to their success in football!!!</p>
<p>Blair seems to be a very impressive school in many ways. My son hasn’t taken the SSAT yet so not sure how much of a reach it will be. </p>
<p>hola3 - I was wondering what you meant by the NMH/Kent comment. I know that NMH had a bad season this past year. (My older son attends NMH and we love the school) Why would players get attention at these schools? Just because of their size??</p>
<p>Any other suggestions for schools to consider???</p>
<p>All Hail back at you Fun is Fun!!! </p>
<p>Warriorboy648 my second son is graduating from Salisbury this year and has had a blast there. He will be playing ball at an anonymous D1 school next year. PM me if you have any questions about the Crimson Knights please.</p>
<p>SSAT scores do not define the entire person…your application, essays, extra curriculars, community service, interest in boarding school, sports ability/interests (contact the coaches to express your interest and determine their needs/interests in your son’s skills/sports). Interviews are a very important component of the admissions process - be yourself and be prepared for these!! (student and parent should interview with admissions counselor)…these will all be determining factors as to your ability to contribute to the Blair community - and it is truly a wonderful community of learners.</p>
<p>Not to mention nurturing…</p>