Unlike recent past, Coaches Tournament seems up for grabs

The winner of the South Jersey Soccer Coaches Tournament doesn't appear to be a foregone conclusion like recent seasons, although top-seeded Lenape on the girls' side and St. Augustine on the boys' are certainly favored.

The beauty of this tournament, which begins on Thursday, is that it matches schools of all sizes, and the champion has to earn four victories.

The Lenape girls' have captured the last three titles, and the Indians will be difficult to dethrone.

The Indians, who were 23-1 last year, have lost to Shawnee and tied Eastern this year. Both of those teams should also make a serious run, and several others could also make the claim.

"There are honestly five or six teams that have the same chance to win it," Eastern girls' coach Jamie McGroarty said. "Last year, you didn't get that feeling."

No, the last three years, Lenape has been a heavy favorite. The Indians allowed only three goals in their first 10 games this season, so scoring on them - let alone beating them - remains an exhaustive task.

As for the boys, St. Augustine reached last year's final, falling to Rancocas, 1-0, in the final.

At this time of the season, St. Augustine has to endure the questions about its schedule, competing in the Cape Atlantic League.

Yet the Hermits, who took an 11-0 record into Tuesday's game with Mainland, did beat The Inquirer's current No. 7 team, Delran, 4-0, a few weeks ago.

"Everybody uses that as an excuse, how we don't play a tough schedule," said St. Augustine forward Connor Hurff, who has 16 goals and has been playing as well as anybody in South Jersey. "In a different division we probably would have a loss. But I still think we have a very strong team."

Some teams use the Coaches Tournament as a tuneup for the state tournament.

"Being a smaller school you have everything to gain and nothing to lose," said Haddon Heights boys' coach Jeff Eppright.

Some veteran coaches relish the David vs. Goliath scenario. Eppright's team is a Group 2 school and will visit Group 4 Cherry Hill West on Thursday.

Hurff, on the other hand, doesn't see the tournament as a way to gain moral victories or to fine-tune things for the playoffs. He looks at it as a chance to earn South Jersey bragging rights.

"In a way it's more important than the state tournament because it is South Jersey, and you want to be the best in South Jersey, where everybody knows you," Hurff said.

There is something to be said about being the top gun in your own backyard.

A team that wins this tournament needs to have great depth and stamina. The girls' final is on Oct. 30, and the boys' championship on Oct. 31.

The state tournament begins Nov. 1.

There is always the worry that a team could get so banged up in this tournament that it may have nothing left for the states.

Trying telling that to the girls' team at Lenape.

In addition to winning three straight Coaches Tournament titles, the Indians also have won three consecutive state Group 4 crowns.