CHS boys hoop misses tourney after rankings shakeup
By Mike Berger
CHS senior basketball players, including team scoring leader Lanse Dorcelus, missed their last shot at a tournament berth due to a rankings adjustment. (Mike Tureski photo)
Unfortunately, through no fault of their own, the CHS boys basketball team will not get to participate in this year’s Division 2 state tournament after a last-minute shuffling of the power rankings pushed them out of the top 32.
While finishing just short of the .500 mark needed to earn an automatic qualification, the Bulldogs, at 9-11 overall and with a solid strength of schedule, still went into last weekend as a virtual playoff lock after climbing to No. 20 in the final regular season rankings. (Under the MIAA’s new system, the top 32 teams in each division qualify for the postseason, regardless of record.)
What no one could have anticipated, however, was the domino effect that ensued after one of Canton’s opponents — a team they had beaten in back-to-back meetings — was slapped with eligibility violations and retroactively forced to forfeit several games. While the two Bulldog victories still stood, the opponent’s ranking plummeted, which had the unintended consequence of reducing the schedule strength for any team they faced.
As a result of the rankings adjustment, which was announced on Saturday, Canton sunk from No. 20 to No. 33 — one spot below the pool of eligible playoff teams. Despite immediately reaching out to MIAA officials for clarity and later requesting a formal appeal, Canton school officials were notified on Sunday that their request had been denied and that the Bulldogs would “not be involved in the MIAA tournament.”
In a lengthy statement released Monday on the CHS Athletics Blog, CHS Athletic Director Danny Erickson and Principal Jeff Sperling said they “share in the disappointment” felt by members of the boys basketball team, who they said were effectively punished because of the misconduct of an opponent. “This was through no fault of our own as we did nothing wrong,” Erickson said. “I understand the importance of adhering to posted criteria, but the request for the MIAA to reassess given this unprecedented incident with a member school seemed reasonable and prudent.”
The administrators’ statement noted that other programs were similarly impacted by the rankings adjustment — including Stoughton High, Canton’s longtime rival and a fellow Hockomock Davenport school, who also finished 9-11 and fell to No. 36 in the rankings.
While acknowledging that shifts in the rankings are to be expected late in the season, Erickson and Sperling said the “massive drop” experienced by the Bulldogs solely due to the infractions of an opponent “did not seem logical.”
While unable to achieve the desired result for this year’s team, Erickson and Sperling commended the players, Coach Eric MacKinnon and his staff, and family members for their hard work and dedication throughout the season. “It is an understatement to say our situation has garnered the attention of many in the sports community, and the least we can ask for is that this situation will lead to a change in the ranking/weighting process in future seasons,” they said. “Seniors, congratulations on your career as a CHS Bulldog basketball player, and we certainly wish your season and career ended under better circumstances.”
Short URL: https://www.thecantoncitizen.com/?p=84991
Posted by Mike Berger
on Mar 3 2022. Filed under High School, Sports.
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