Ups and Downs of an Upset of an 8 over top seeded number 1

Houlton boys and girls enjoyed a double dip upset special today as the 7th seeded boys upset the 2nd seeded Sumner Tiges 67-51 and the 8th seeded Houlton Girls upset top seeded number 1 Orono 45-44.

Most everyone love an upset over a high seeded favorite team, but I have a problem with it, because usually when a team has a big unespected upset they usually do not go on to win a toiurnament. Thus, usually you do not have the best team represent your class in the state championship game.

As a coach I have been on both sides of that 8 over a 1 upset. We upset a number 1 as the 8th seed but we never went on to win the tournament and the years we were upset by an 8 seed that team did not go on to win the tournament.

It’s is great for the average fan of the teams, except the number 1 team. but in the long run it is not good when that number team is not representing you in the state final, so don’t get upset when the bedst team does not get to the state game and the team that does, does not represent the East as well as the 1 probably would have.

In the 26 years I coached in high school the only time I can rember we won a state championship was when we were not a number 1 seed, was when we were a 6 and 2 3’s and we beat the number 1 team in the finals and went on to win the state championship when we were a 3 seed.

I know the feelings of “the sweet smell of victory and the agony of defeat” in these 8-1 matchups.

I can tell you this, the negatives of the upset defeat far outweighs of the great feelings of success,  believe. I feel good for the upset winners, but I can really sympathize and feel really bad for the teams that lost, especially their senior players.

Number 1’s have alot of pressure on them and they are usually in a no win situation, if they lose, some people will ask “What Happened” ? and if they win, they many times say, “Well You Should Have Won You Were the Best Team”.

Unless you have been a player or coach of an upset winner and loser, you really have no idea what the real true individual feelings are personally for the players and coaches, especially the players and the senior players.

They are the ones that have put in the time and effort in each basketball season. Many root for the underdog low seed 8th team., but I for one if the number 1 team has been a good positive attitude team,  made up of good human beings who demonstrate good sportsmanship and character I never root for an upset of the number one team, because I personally know and have seen qwhat and how this upset loss effects players. especially the seniors. The underclassmen still have next year as does the coach.

That is why, when my teams were in a situation  where we were behind in a tournament game with little time left and we needed a hoop to tie or win I always went with an underclassman to take the final shot because if he is not successful he has next year, but not the senior if he was not successful.