Shoutout to Karl(East)!

[kniven]

It was a pleasure meeting you and your ThunderHawk fan(friend) tonight at the game in Cloquet. Hopefully my boys softened EP for your team tomorrow. I'm going to try and make it to the Heritage for the game tomorrow. By the way....I'm a huge fan of Karl(East)!

[Goldyismoldy]

It was a pleasure meeting you and your ThunderHawk fan(friend) tonight at the game in Cloquet. Hopefully my boys softened EP for your team tomorrow. I'm going to try and make it to the Heritage for the game tomorrow. By the way....I'm a huge fan of Karl(East)!

Yeah, that will help your teams rankings...

[kniven]

It was a pleasure meeting you and your ThunderHawk fan(friend) tonight at the game in Cloquet. Hopefully my boys softened EP for your team tomorrow. I'm going to try and make it to the Heritage for the game tomorrow. By the way....I'm a huge fan of Karl(East)!

Yeah, that will help your teams rankings...

Na. His passion for his Hounds and high school hockey is refreshing. Just addicted to the game as I am

[karl(east)]

Good to meet you tonight, kniven! Thanks for the invite into your luxury box, too.

The real question of the night is whether Danny's bid will win the auction for the Lumberjack jersey, though.

[goldy313]

It was a pleasure meeting you and your ThunderHawk fan(friend) tonight at the game in Cloquet. Hopefully my boys softened EP for your team tomorrow. I'm going to try and make it to the Heritage for the game tomorrow. By the way....I'm a huge fan of Karl(East)!

Yeah, that will help your teams rankings...

Karl"s AA rankings...... 7AA teams but St.Franny, Edina, and two 6AA teams to round out the top 10.....A 1AA team could go 31-0 win the state tournament but still come in at "the next 10" on good day.

[karl(east)]

It was a pleasure meeting you and your ThunderHawk fan(friend) tonight at the game in Cloquet. Hopefully my boys softened EP for your team tomorrow. I'm going to try and make it to the Heritage for the game tomorrow. By the way....I'm a huge fan of Karl(East)!

Yeah, that will help your teams rankings...

Karl"s AA rankings...... 7AA teams but St.Franny, Edina, and two 6AA teams to round out the top 10.....A 1AA team could go 31-0 win the state tournament but still come in at "the next 10" on good day.

I would send you a tissue, but do you even have mail down there in the Third World of Hockey?

[kniven]

It was a pleasure meeting you and your ThunderHawk fan(friend) tonight at the game in Cloquet. Hopefully my boys softened EP for your team tomorrow. I'm going to try and make it to the Heritage for the game tomorrow. By the way....I'm a huge fan of Karl(East)!

Yeah, that will help your teams rankings...

Karl"s AA rankings...... 7AA teams but St.Franny, Edina, and two 6AA teams to round out the top 10.....A 1AA team could go 31-0 win the state tournament but still come in at "the next 10" on good day.

Oh my. 1AA hockey guy. Love the passion my friend...love the passion. It's al about respect.....I get it. Cloquet has a hard time up here in 7AA. First, we opt up when we don't have to, and have to compete year in and year out with Duluth East, Grand Rapids, Elk River, Andover, and now Duluth Marshall.....and soon to come, probably Hermantown. I truely know how you feel down there in 1AA.

[goldy313]

This will be a better topic in another 2 months but......

1AA is about to go through a pretty big upheaval, if not this year then in two years, when sections are redone. Aside from co-ops, the bottom 64 AA schools in terms of enrollment are:
64-Chaska, growing fairly fast
63-Rochester Century, opted up 4 years ago, rapidly increasing f/r lunch rate
62-Owatonna, has dropped fairly fast the last two cycles, was a fringe 6A football team once.
61-Cambridge-Isanti, growing I believe
60-John Marshall, opted up not long ago, down about 300 students in the last 4 years.

3 of the bottom 5 programs are in 1AA. The schools likely to move up are metro schools; Spring Lake Park, St. Louis Park, Johnson, Minneapolis, along with fringe schools like Monticello, New Prague, and Northfield. Teams getting exemptions are the only thing keeping 1AA as a largely outstate section. Austin, Faribault, Winona, and Albert Lea all went to 1A over the past 5-15 years. Century, John Marshall, and Owatonna will all follow in the next 1-3 years, they just can't compete with the top 30-40 AA schools anymore and their enrollments are falling.

Not that long ago Century's non conference schedule had Edina, Benilde, Duluth East, Lakeville North, and White Bear Lake on it. Now it has Waseca, South St. Paul, Chaska, and Dodge County, the writing is on the wall. I don't think any Rochester school plays either Lakeville school anymore.

[elliott70]

This will be a better topic in another 2 months but......

1AA is about to go through a pretty big upheaval, if not this year then in two years, when sections are redone. Aside from co-ops, the bottom 64 AA schools in terms of enrollment are:
64-Chaska, growing fairly fast
63-Rochester Century, opted up 4 years ago, rapidly increasing f/r lunch rate
62-Owatonna, has dropped fairly fast the last two cycles, was a fringe 6A football team once.
61-Cambridge-Isanti, growing I believe
60-John Marshall, opted up not long ago, down about 300 students in the last 4 years.

3 of the bottom 5 programs are in 1AA. The schools likely to move up are metro schools; Spring Lake Park, St. Louis Park, Johnson, Minneapolis, along with fringe schools like Monticello, New Prague, and Northfield. Teams getting exemptions are the only thing keeping 1AA as a largely outstate section. Austin, Faribault, Winona, and Albert Lea all went to 1A over the past 5-15 years. Century, John Marshall, and Owatonna will all follow in the next 1-3 years, they just can't compete with the top 30-40 AA schools anymore and their enrollments are falling.

Not that long ago Century's non conference schedule had Edina, Benilde, Duluth East, Lakeville North, and White Bear Lake on it. Now it has Waseca, South St. Paul, Chaska, and Dodge County, the writing is on the wall. I don't think any Rochester school plays either Lakeville school anymore.

So if you were to redraw 1AA what would it look like?

[Goldyismoldy]

Not that long ago Century's non conference schedule had Edina, Benilde, Duluth East, Lakeville North, and White Bear Lake on it.

That was a hell of a team, that everyone knew of from Peewees thru Bantams.

[Goldyismoldy]

So if you were to redraw 1AA what would it look like?

Cancel 1AA, and use that spot for the Class A winner.

[goldy313]

So if you were to redraw 1AA what would it look like?

Cancel 1AA, and use that spot for the Class A winner.

Better yet disband 8AA, since 1AA has been better recently

1AA would look like 3 -6A football minus Prior Lake and add Mayo.

[Section 8 guy]

Better yet disband 8AA, since 1AA has been better recently.

When was that?

You aren't confusing Eigner's Army with an entire section are you? If Section 8 put together a section all star team they'd probably have a few unbeaten teams along the way too.

[Goldyismoldy]

If Section 8 put together a section all star team they'd probably have a few unbeaten teams along the way too.

Been tried. Moorhead lost that year too.

[goldy313]

Better yet disband 8AA, since 1AA has been better recently.

When was that?

You aren't confusing Eigner's Army with an entire section are you? If Section 8 put together a section all star team they'd probably have a few unbeaten teams along the way too.

2016 Farmington 6th, Bemidji 5th
2015 North 1st, Bemidji 0-2
2014 North 2nd, Roseau 5th
2013 North 0-2, Moorhead 5th
2012 South 3rd, Moorhead 4th
2011North 5th, Moorhead 0-2

So even before Eigner 1AA was doing better, beating 8AA 3-2 in head to head games.

[Section 8 guy]

So you are seriously trying to compare the success of section 1 and section 8 at the state tourney......???

I'm going to walk away from this one and allow you to keep your dignity. {shakes his head}{tries with all his might to hold Elliott back}

[Section 8 guy]

If Section 8 put together a section all star team they'd probably have a few unbeaten teams along the way too.

Been tried. Moorhead lost that year too.

Specifics please?

[Hockeyfan2000]

This will be a better topic in another 2 months but......

1AA is about to go through a pretty big upheaval, if not this year then in two years, when sections are redone. Aside from co-ops, the bottom 64 AA schools in terms of enrollment are:
64-Chaska, growing fairly fast
63-Rochester Century, opted up 4 years ago, rapidly increasing f/r lunch rate
62-Owatonna, has dropped fairly fast the last two cycles, was a fringe 6A football team once.
61-Cambridge-Isanti, growing I believe
60-John Marshall, opted up not long ago, down about 300 students in the last 4 years.

3 of the bottom 5 programs are in 1AA. The schools likely to move up are metro schools; Spring Lake Park, St. Louis Park, Johnson, Minneapolis, along with fringe schools like Monticello, New Prague, and Northfield. Teams getting exemptions are the only thing keeping 1AA as a largely outstate section. Austin, Faribault, Winona, and Albert Lea all went to 1A over the past 5-15 years. Century, John Marshall, and Owatonna will all follow in the next 1-3 years, they just can't compete with the top 30-40 AA schools anymore and their enrollments are falling.

Not that long ago Century's non conference schedule had Edina, Benilde, Duluth East, Lakeville North, and White Bear Lake on it. Now it has Waseca, South St. Paul, Chaska, and Dodge County, the writing is on the wall. I don't think any Rochester school plays either Lakeville school anymore.

I am confused by this post. Both SLPs are already AA and Spring Lake Park's enrollment numbers are lower than the teams listed as the bottom 5 (both on MN Hockey Hub and MSHSL). In addition, Spring Lake Park's f/r lunch numbers are high. Spring Lake Park can barely put two Bantam teams on the ice. I believe that the only way they have a second team was to get players from another association.

[goldy313]

I apologize, the enrollment numbers were current but the section assignments were from 2015, I didn't realize I had old sections until you pointed it out.

Rochester has 5 bantam teams to field 4 high school teams, my guess is nearly every team at the lower end of the AA enrollments have similar issues. Spring Lake Park High's numbers aren't that high, relatively, but at lower levels it is approaching 60%. John Marshall's will exceed 50% soon, many other schools at the low end are high as well, Moorhead for example.

Since your clarification....
64-St Louis Park
63-Cretin
62-Spring Lake Park
61-Chaska
Then on and on....

65-New Prague
66-Sibley

Some growing schools in the next 10..... Monticello, Northfield, Waconia, Sauk Rapids, Sartell, Alexandria.

[Hockeyfan2000]

Are you able to tell me where you are getting your data? I found the free and reduced information for the fall of 2015 on the State of Minnesota Education website. Moorhead high school is at 31.94, John Marshall is 36.35 and Spring Lake Park High School is 42.75.

[Zamman]

watchout.When Holy Angels decides to drop back to class A, someone will need to take their place in AA. Just sayin....

[goldy313]

Are you able to tell me where you are getting your data? I found the free and reduced information for the fall of 2015 on the State of Minnesota Education website. Moorhead high school is at 31.94, John Marshall is 36.35 and Spring Lake Park High School is 42.75.

Look at the schools feeding the high schools.....the middle schools and elementary schools. The rates drop some as kids age and parents make more but not much. So if, as an example, Lincoln High has a f/r rate of 30%, the junior high that feeds has a f/r rate of 60%, you can logically assume each year the 30% will rise until in 3 years it is close to 60%. That's not always the case as local factors like immigration and migration play a part along with the local job market.

If Holy Angels goes back to A nothing changes, it is the largest 64 plus opt ups that make up the AA field.

[CommunityBased]

I know this will be unpopular with the back to 1 class group but should we consider adding another class/tier. (Please no "give everybody a trophy" comments we seen it enough.) The gap from the bottom of AA to the top of AA has grown significantly. Or maybe expand A to include more teams and make AA the "super group" like football 6A. I don't hear too much complaining about 7 levels of football...maybe 3 tiers of hockey make sense for the mid size schools.

Last year I pulled the enrollment numbers and for the most part enrollment = success. You can pick your top 10 using enrollment, add a couple privates, and the outliers (schools who get all athletes to play one sport (moorehead/duluth) and "cheaters" (open enrollment)/ ex Apple Valley wrestling).
http://www.mshsl.org/mshsl/enrollments15.asp?sort=2

Rochester Century 1282 vs. Wayzata 3078 probably shouldn't be in the same class.

[Puckguy19]

I know this will be unpopular with the back to 1 class group but should we consider adding another class/tier. (Please no "give everybody a trophy" comments we seen it enough.) The gap from the bottom of AA to the top of AA has grown significantly. Or maybe expand A to include more teams and make AA the "super group" like football 6A. I don't hear too much complaining about 7 levels of football...maybe 3 tiers of hockey make sense for the mid size schools.

Last year I pulled the enrollment numbers and for the most part enrollment = success. You can pick your top 10 using enrollment, add a couple privates, and the outliers (schools who get all athletes to play one sport (moorehead/duluth) and "cheaters" (open enrollment)/ ex Apple Valley wrestling).
http://www.mshsl.org/mshsl/enrollments15.asp?sort=2

Rochester Century 1282 vs. Wayzata 3078 probably shouldn't be in the same class.

What if we just gave everyone a trophy?

[dlow]

What if we just gave everyone a trophy?[/quote]

This is one of the stupidest and most repeated comments in youth sports. After mites players don't give a rip about trophies. They care about meaningful games. And surprise surprise, so do fans, which are most consistently parents and local supporters. The games against similarly skilled teams that have tight scores are what any team or fan wants. Why? Because those games are fun and hockey is a game. If we hate trophies so much we should eliminate all the in season youth tourneys, because thats what those are all about, right? Obviously not, those tourneys create a fun and competitive atmosphere.

Anything that can improve scheduling to get more games with similar competition or more in season tourneys could help all teams.