What a wild few days

The last seven days have been pretty eventful in the world of southern Indiana high school soccer, eh?

I’m not quite sure where to kick off, so I’ll start in the middle and end with the beginning. And I’ll present it to you as thus: Four statements we can all keep in mind going into the future.

1 Girls are unpredictable
This is one I learnt from an early age, ever since a young colleen called Lisa (or was it Sharon) gave me my first kiss at the age of six or seven. If I thought we were destined to be together for all eternity, my illusions were shattered the next day when she told me she had acquired another boyfriend.

Every year, for fun and debate, I try to predict girls’ sectional games and every year I end up with all sorts of egg on my face, no matter how many times I see the main protagonists in action.

Going into sectionals, the Bulldogs would have been pretty confident of beating the Pioneers in the quarter-finals after a decisive 5-3 regular season win at Prosser Field. Having seen the game, it would have taken a small leap of faith to plump for Providence.

However, New Albany was just plain flat, while Providence showed up ready on the night and was a deserving winner.

The answer to whether the Lady Bulldogs would have given Floyd Central a good battle in the semi-final was consigned to the guesswork department and the Highlanders remain the area’s dominant force.

Speaking of Bull Dogs, next up for Lewie Stevens’ girls is regional foe Columbus North (17-2-1), and the pair clash for the third year in a row tomorrow (at Columbus North, 7 p.m.).

Last year, North won 5-0, while the year before, it was 2-0. This year, number 12 ranked Bull Dogs have scored 14 goals in its three post season games and conceded none. However, you won’t be getting a prediction from me.

2 Rip up the form book
I think I can safely say there is no one around that has seen more of New Albany boys this season than yours truly, other than those who are directly connected to the team in some way.

If you had told me after the Bulldogs’ 2-1 home loss to Corydon at the end on August that here was a team that was going to win sectional, progress further than any other school in the area and become regional champion, I would have been straight on to the men in white coats and requested that they take you away.

However, Ben Vigar – in his first season as head coach -- did a great job turning New Albany’s fortunes around after its 4-0 defeat to Floyd Central in mid-September. While only posting four regular season wins, it improved after that one sided affair with Highlanders and its ensuing losses were by one goal margins to decent enough teams. One of those losses was to Jeffersonville, a defeat it avenged when beating the Red Devils in the regional semi-final on Saturday. So may ripping up the regular season form book before playing for hardware isn’t such a bad idea.

3 Play to the whistle
Last Monday, on an evening when seven sectional boys’ and girls’ games were up for decision, one was always going to grab the headlines the following morning.
However, Jeffersonville’s boys’ sectional final battle with rival Providence was thrust into the spotlight for all the wrong reasons.

At the time of writing, the match report on the Evening News And Tribune's had attracted over 40 comments. (www.newsandtribune.com/archivesearch/local_story_286003857.html)

Among the contributors thus far have been parents, players, and referees.

Providence coach Adam Giovenco (who has since announced his resignation to the team due to family commitments) was, to put it mildly, unhappy with a decision made by the referee team with just over six minutes to go.

At the time, the Pioneers were 2-0 up and looking the likely winner. Then their central defender, Keenan Spark – arguably the best player on the field that evening -- picked the ball up in the box to toss it back to the keeper after he thought the ball had gone out past the goal line.

The resultant penalty kick was converted and some four minutes later Jeffersonville equalized to send the game to overtime. Jeff went on to win the game on penalties.

I was standing only yards from where the incident took place and I couldn’t tell if it was out or not. What I can tell you though is that, as a player, we were constantly told to play to the referee’s whistle.

4 It’s only a game
It was the great Liverpool coach Bill Shankly that said, oft quoted, that, "Some people believe football is a matter of life and death … it is much, much more important than that."

Maybe said a little tongue-in-cheek, but when all is said and done, soccer is actually only a game. Arguably the best game there is, but a game nonetheless.

It can be a welcome distraction from life’s worries and concerns, whether you support club, high school, college or country. And for those who play it, it’s pretty healthy exercise, when you don’t get injured, of course.

Some of the anger vented at officials during and after the above mentioned game was uncalled for, heat of the moment or not. As have been some of the comments I’ve read from both sides. We all feel hard done by at one stage or another, and what comes round usually goes round, but stick the to the futbol, debate it in a dignified manner, and remember that most of you will all probably meet again in not too distant future!