Booters get WIAA ranking love

Feeds:: Posts; Comments

Booters get WIAA ranking love

September 20, 2023 by David Svien

Coupeville soccer is ranked #9 among 2B/1B teams. (Ryan Blouin photo)

Get rid of the private schools and Coupeville is sitting pretty.

Ranked in the top 10 for the first time in years, the Wolf boys’ varsity soccer squad (and its female assassins) is currently slotted at #9 among 2B/1B pitch programs according to the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association.

Toss out all the private schools, however, and CHS would jump to #2 in the RPI rankings, trailing just defending state champs Friday Harbor.

Of course, Washington state refuses to hold separate championships for public schools and private schools, even when private schools are able to offer “scholarships” and other incentives to steal athletes away from their rivals.

But that’s an argument for another day.

Today, according to the computers that rank teams in soccer, volleyball, and football, Coupeville’s booters (2-1) are #9, while Friday Harbor (3-0) is #2 and fellow Northwest 2B/1B League rival Mount Vernon Christian (5-0) is #3.

Auburn Adventist Academy (2-0) tops the list, while NWL heavyweight Orcas Island (2-2), which won the state title in 2021 and finished as runners-up in 2022, are #11 ahead of a trip to Whidbey this weekend.

The rest of Coupeville’s NWL foes sit in a bunch, with Cedar Park Christian-Lynnwood (#13), Lopez Island (#14), La Conner (#15), Providence Classical Christian (#16), and Grace Academy (#19) lumped together in a field of 21 schools.

And what about the other sports using RPI?

Coupeville volleyball (1-2) is ranked #26 out of 53 schools in 2B, while Wolf football (0-3) finds itself at #33 of 43 after opening with losses to three 1A schools who are a combined 8-1.

Is RPI important? It can be, as it’s used when committees seed teams in the various state tournaments.

Is it correct?

Well, your computer may say Northwest Christian (Colbert) is the #1 football team in 2B and defending champ Napavine, which has won 16 straight games, is #2.

But that just means your computer, or the person programming it, is a moron.