[oneijoe]

The question isn't how weak someones district is, the real question should be how weak some teams schedules are. Some teams finish the season with only a loss or 2, because of their weak schedule, which often include schools in a lower class as their own. NewCath plays teams in 4, 5, and 6A every year, which only makes them a better team. For the last 2 years people talked about how it was a down season for NewCath because they started the season 1-4, but look where they ended up, in the state championship fame. People didn't take into consideration that those loses were to 4, 5 and 6A. If they had played a schedule like some 2A schools, they would have gone into the championship undefeated. NewCath will be a team to watch, for years to come for many reasons, but mostly because of the tough schedule they have year in and year out.

You hit it on the nose !!

IMO, the ability to make a schedule conducive to a team's talent/ability is a very under-appreciated talent in a head coach.

Though much easier for teams like NewCath, DeSales, and CAL to make good schedules (greater density of surrounding schools with a variety of sizes and talent level) than more spread-out rural schools, the importance of doing so is vital to bring a team up to potential. It also needs to be balanced the -other- way in not over-scheduling to a point where injury and/or breaking a team's spirit is possible.

Ideally, a coach wants to create a schedule which pushes his team to the breaking point but NOT past it.