A new trend will begin during this 2008-09 school year which will see the Sedona Red Rock High boys and girls soccer team now play in the winter instead of the more traditional fall season.
The soccer season starts Monday, Nov. 3.
The move was approved by board members of the Arizona Interscholastic Association back in May, so the Scorpions will get a chance to see new opponents and new road trips this coming winter.
The Scorpions will be placed in the 1A-3A North region, which boasts far more teams than the 1A-3A conference they have been in for 10-plus years.
By Brian Bergner Jr.
Larson Newspapers
A new trend will begin during this 2008-09 school year which will see the Sedona Red Rock High boys and girls soccer team now play in the winter instead of the more traditional fall season.
The soccer season starts Monday, Nov. 3.
The move was approved by board members of the Arizona Interscholastic Association back in May, so the Scorpions will get a chance to see new opponents and new road trips this coming winter.
The Scorpions will be placed in the 1A-3A North region, which boasts far more teams than the 1A-3A conference they have been in for 10-plus years.
For the boys, the competition will be a little more difficult, but travel-wise it will be a wash.
The girls, on the other hand, will cut their travel time in half, as most of their games will be against north Phoenix schools.
Sedona will play teams like Fountain Hills High, Phoenix Country Day High and Scottsdale Christian High.
New rivalries will begin and new competition will breed life into both programs.
Head boys coach Jared Grondin believes this move can only be good for Sedona soccer.
“It’s a program move. It will help the entire soccer program from top to bottom. It might be tough in the beginning because of the weather changes, but overall it is the best decision for everyone,” Grondin said.
Speaking of weather, no longer will the days of 100-degree temperatures in August affect the Scorpions’ training habits.
Cool, if not chilly November winds may do so, but Grondin says this will not be an issue.
“It may be difficult at first, but the boys will get used to it,” Grondin said.
On the girls side, second-year head coach Tom Cadigan is looking forward to the challenge.
“This will be good for us and will be more challenging for our players,” Cadigan said.
The Sedona girls team already has a 1A-3A fall state championship under their belts, and will be looking to add a winter one this season.
The Scorpions played in a 1A-3A conference that had only 11 teams in it, thus the motivation to get into a league with slightly better competition.
Also, a plus will be the ability to play more teams and more games for both squads.
Sedona usually had anywhere from 12 to 15 games on the schedule because of the lack of teams playing in the fall.
Most of the high schools in Arizona play soccer in the winter time, including Mingus Union High, which is just 15 miles away from Sedona, yet the Scorpions have never played them in a regular season match.
Instead of playing five games against one team, which the girls did a few seasons ago against Chino Valley High, they can now play four or five games against four or five different opponents.
The move should also create more opportunities for athletes in the winter to play a sport.
Since 1995, Sedona has had only basketball for girls and boys in the winter time; now soccer will be a choice as well.
“Now more kids can play more sports. Instead of just offering basketball, we now offer soccer in the winter as well. It will keep more kids involved in the classroom as well during the four-month span,” Cadigan said.
A problem with the student-athlete who plays both basketball and soccer will arise, but Grondin says that in any decision like this, not everyone will be happy.
