Football: Less is more when it comes to Moore League
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There’s a certain league mucking up the Pac-5 Division playoffs, and you might have guessed by now which one I’m referring to: the Moore League.
I mean, really, do we have room for four Moore League teams in the 16-team bracket when it means that two teams from the trio of Edison, Bishop Amat and St. John Bosco have to call it a season? To recap, the Moore League gets four automatic playoff berths because it is the only team in the Pac-5 that includes seven teams.
But beyond Long Beach Poly, what are the credentials of the other three Moore League teams that will keep playing this week? Compton has exactly zero credible victories outside its league and was manhandled by Lakewood and Poly. Long Beach Jordan lost to Santa Monica--Santa Monica!--and Compton. Lakewood is 4-6, though admittedly four of the losses were forfeits.
Personally, in addition to the three aforementioned teams whose playoff fate will be determined Sunday when the Pac-5’s lone at-large spot is announced, I’d take Crespi (even though it finished 0-3 in the Serra League) and Newport Harbor (which won its last three games) ahead of the No. 2 entrant from the Moore League. These teams have played and beaten quality opponents.
I’m not the only one who thinks the Moore League doesn’t deserve four playoff teams.
Edison Coach Dave White said there had been some grumbling among Sunset League coaches in the off-season, presumably loudest among those whose teams stayed home for the playoffs in 2007 while their Moore League counterparts kept playing.
‘I don’t think it’s fair,’ White said. ‘Because they have seven teams, they have four playoff spots? Can we just add any old team so we can get another one?’
It will be interesting to see how the Moore League fares this week. I would imagine every team besides Poly will be considered the underdog in its first-round matchup, and the Jackrabbits could be the league’s only flag carrier come the second round.
--Ben Bolch