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Could Grafton have won the E.D.C. this year?

PostPosted: Thu Nov 03, 2011 10:29 pm
by Irish89
This season Grafton went 9-0 against a AA East Region that swept the quarterfinals. With the exact opposite happening in AAA (WDA sweep of EDC teams in the quarters), showing that the EDC is not nearly what it has been the past few years, is it safe to say that Grafton could have taken the EDC crown had they played AAA this year?

Re: Could Grafton have won the E.D.C. this year?

PostPosted: Thu Nov 03, 2011 11:52 pm
by Unity77
No. IMO, Grafton doesn't have the depth or talent to win an EDC title.

Even when Grafton had between 400 and 500 students it couldn't compete for several reasons including the fact that football has always taken a back seat to hockey and basketball. Many of Grafton's top athletes never played football because they didn't want to get hurt before the start of the hockey or basketball season. Grafton has also had a pretty weak program with bad coaching and no player dedication. I might be wrong, but during the late 80s there were a few years in a row where Grafton didn't win a game. All of this led to a lack of interest and it showed in their numbers and depth.

The Spoiler football program has come a long way and I'm hoping they can win it all this year.

Re: Could Grafton have won the E.D.C. this year?

PostPosted: Thu Nov 03, 2011 11:58 pm
by Run4Fun2009
I think Grafton would have been very competitive this year in the EDC. I don't think they would have won it...but they would have definitely made the playoffs.

Re: Could Grafton have won the E.D.C. this year?

PostPosted: Fri Nov 04, 2011 12:04 am
by ndfan
At worst this year Grafton would have been the #2 seed in the EDC in my opinion. But I think they could have beaten Devils Lake this year in my opinion.

Re: Could Grafton have won the E.D.C. this year?

PostPosted: Fri Nov 04, 2011 4:19 am
by old#63
I think that this year Grafton's starters have every bit as much talent as any team in the EDC, and in any one game they could beat any EDC team. But Grafton lacks the depth to overcome the inevitable injuries that occur if you play in a tougher league. Grafton has had the luxury this year of letting players sit out a game or only play a half game due to large leads. This has helped them stay healthy or get healthy. If they were in the EDC, they would be up against stronger, deeper teams week in and week out. I think it would have taken a toll. Whether or not they could have won the league is questionable.

Re: Could Grafton have won the E.D.C. this year?

PostPosted: Fri Nov 04, 2011 8:14 am
by PR23
I'm a Spoiler fan, but they wouldn't compete in the EDC. As others have posted, depth would really hurt them. My guess (and this is only a guess) is 1/2 of the starters wouldn't start on EDC teams because of the depth.

They are good and we can't take anything away from them - they are having a great season, but one great season doesn't put them atop the EDC.

Re: Could Grafton have won the E.D.C. this year?

PostPosted: Fri Nov 04, 2011 8:39 am
by thewanderer
ibhun10 wrote:I'm a Spoiler fan, but they wouldn't compete in the EDC. As others have posted, depth would really hurt them. My guess (and this is only a guess) is 1/2 of the starters wouldn't start on EDC teams because of the depth.

They are good and we can't take anything away from them - they are having a great season, but one great season doesn't put them atop the EDC.

They just about beat devils lake last year when Hanson was inured, then lost to them in the playoffs with 3/4 of their line sick or injured. I agree that they could not compete year in/year out with the EDC. But this year EDC was down and Grafton has one of its best teams ever. "this year" they could have. JMHO

Re: Could Grafton have won the E.D.C. this year?

PostPosted: Fri Nov 04, 2011 9:15 am
by nick1016
Grafton has an awesome team this year, and I think that whether it's Class A, AA or AAA, Grafton Football could win out. I just wish there was a chance for Grafton to play the winner of the AAA ND State Championship Team and show how good this team really is.

Does anyone know if Grafton has received some national (rankings or recognition) attention this year?

Re: Could Grafton have won the E.D.C. this year?

PostPosted: Fri Nov 04, 2011 4:31 pm
by thewanderer
thewanderer wrote:
ibhun10 wrote:I'm a Spoiler fan, but they wouldn't compete in the EDC. As others have posted, depth would really hurt them. My guess (and this is only a guess) is 1/2 of the starters wouldn't start on EDC teams because of the depth.

They are good and we can't take anything away from them - they are having a great season, but one great season doesn't put them atop the EDC.

They just about beat devils lake last year when Hanson was inured, then lost to them in the playoffs with 3/4 of their line sick or injured. I agree that they could not compete year in/year out with the EDC. But this year EDC was down and Grafton has one of its best teams ever. "this year" they could have. JMHO

Just to clarify my opinion, the question was "could" Grafton win the EDC not "would" Grafton win. i believe they "could" have competed for the title. JMHO

Re: Could Grafton have won the E.D.C. this year?

PostPosted: Fri Nov 04, 2011 5:15 pm
by Indy5
I believe they could have and I think they would have. Every year except this one, I would say absolutely not. But this year, the EDC was awful and Grafton is great. Devils Lake won it, and I really think Grafton would've been better than DL if they were still AA. All the Fargo teams were ridiculously down this year.

Re: Could Grafton have won the E.D.C. this year?

PostPosted: Fri Nov 04, 2011 5:40 pm
by nick1016
I don't think the Fargo area teams are down that much. I think the Grafton FB team is simpy REALLY THAT GOOD.

Re: Could Grafton have won the E.D.C. this year?

PostPosted: Fri Nov 04, 2011 5:45 pm
by Run4Fun2009
snohcs wrote:I don't think the Fargo area teams are down that much. I think the Grafton FB team is simpy REALLY THAT GOOD.


woah...woah...woah! Yes...the WHOLE EDC was down this year (my only exception would be that GFRR was decent even though they didn't win the EDC). I think Grafton would have competed just fine in the EDC this year...I'm just not sure they would have won it. They would have been very competitive.

Re: Could Grafton have won the E.D.C. this year?

PostPosted: Fri Nov 04, 2011 11:16 pm
by heimer
Every year this comes up. Could this team or that have won the next level? If you want to know, then when you see a good team coming up, opt up. We've known Grafton was top-shelf well before the season started. They were my pick to win AA East two days after the season was over last year.

Lets keep in mind that AA East was DOWN this year. The league graduated heavily last year. Shanley, Wahpeton, VC, Lisbon, Central Cass, all hammered by graduation. Grafton was good in a year when the east was, as a unit down. The west was just really down, which makes the east look better.

Fargo Davies nearly beat Shanley this season. Shanley was #2 in the east. Davies was 2-7, 2-4 in the EDC. I don't think Grafton was that much better than Davies, and Davies was the fourth-best team in that league.

if you're not gonna choose to opt up when your team is coming, then don't start talking about if you would have competed. This state cherishes the idea of playing down to competition, not stepping up to it. The school district you speak of is asking the NDHSAA to allow co-ops in softball to go over 325 and still keep teams Class B in a two-class system. Yep, one of the same schools that voted to make 325 a hard cutoff number to separate the classes now wants to change the rules so they can play at a lower level, not a higher one. What's next? Maybe Grafton-Park River-St. Thomas-Drayton-Valley will win a state "B" softball title, and then start wondering if they could have competed with West Fargo.

If you want to know if you could have won up, you should have played up. If you want to talk about being up, either play up, or shut up, and enjoy your status.

Re: Could Grafton have won the E.D.C. this year?

PostPosted: Sat Nov 05, 2011 12:49 am
by old#63
I think the overwelming sentiment by most of us who know Grafton's team is that this year is one year in the past couple decades that Grafton could have competed well in the EDC (and Grafton probably would have made the playoffs, but probably wouldn't have won the EDC). I don't really think we deserve the "play up or shut up" comment...... and we are enjoying our status.

Re: Could Grafton have won the E.D.C. this year?

PostPosted: Sat Nov 05, 2011 4:12 am
by Flip
Unity77 wrote:No. IMO, Grafton doesn't have the depth or talent to win an EDC title.

Even when Grafton had between 400 and 500 students it couldn't compete for several reasons including the fact that football has always taken a back seat to hockey and basketball. Many of Grafton's top athletes never played football because they didn't want to get hurt before the start of the hockey or basketball season. Grafton has also had a pretty weak program with bad coaching and no player dedication. I might be wrong, but during the late 80s there were a few years in a row where Grafton didn't win a game. All of this led to a lack of interest and it showed in their numbers and depth.

The Spoiler football program has come a long way and I'm hoping they can win it all this year.

What does all of this have to do with this year?


snohcs wrote:Grafton has an awesome team this year, and I think that whether it's Class A, AA or AAA, Grafton Football could win out. I just wish there was a chance for Grafton to play the winner of the AAA ND State Championship Team and show how good this team really is.

Does anyone know if Grafton has received some national (rankings or recognition) attention this year?

lol @ all of this.
national attention? you must be kidding yourself. I don't think I have ever seen a ND school get any type of national ranking, it is rare that you see a MN or WI team ranked nationally.

Grafton is the best team in AA this year, but are they better than last year's Shanley team? or would anyone be shocked if they lost this weekend?

Re: Could Grafton have won the E.D.C. this year?

PostPosted: Sat Nov 05, 2011 11:54 am
by Run4Fun2009
Flip wrote:
Unity77 wrote:No. IMO, Grafton doesn't have the depth or talent to win an EDC title.

Even when Grafton had between 400 and 500 students it couldn't compete for several reasons including the fact that football has always taken a back seat to hockey and basketball. Many of Grafton's top athletes never played football because they didn't want to get hurt before the start of the hockey or basketball season. Grafton has also had a pretty weak program with bad coaching and no player dedication. I might be wrong, but during the late 80s there were a few years in a row where Grafton didn't win a game. All of this led to a lack of interest and it showed in their numbers and depth.

The Spoiler football program has come a long way and I'm hoping they can win it all this year.

What does all of this have to do with this year?


snohcs wrote:Grafton has an awesome team this year, and I think that whether it's Class A, AA or AAA, Grafton Football could win out. I just wish there was a chance for Grafton to play the winner of the AAA ND State Championship Team and show how good this team really is.

Does anyone know if Grafton has received some national (rankings or recognition) attention this year?

lol @ all of this.
national attention? you must be kidding yourself. I don't think I have ever seen a ND school get any type of national ranking, it is rare that you see a MN or WI team ranked nationally.

Grafton is the best team in AA this year, but are they better than last year's Shanley team? or would anyone be shocked if they lost this weekend?


Actually as of late Wayzata (MN) has been getting the national attention (they've been ranked in the Top 100 poll off and on throughout the year). Also a few years ago, Fargo South was in the Rivals Top 100 (National Poll). So it does happen...But usually its a team from the top division that receives the recognition for it

Re: Could Grafton have won the E.D.C. this year?

PostPosted: Sat Nov 05, 2011 12:27 pm
by thewanderer
heimer wrote:Every year this comes up. Could this team or that have won the next level? If you want to know, then when you see a good team coming up, opt up. We've known Grafton was top-shelf well before the season started. They were my pick to win AA East two days after the season was over last year.

Lets keep in mind that AA East was DOWN this year. The league graduated heavily last year. Shanley, Wahpeton, VC, Lisbon, Central Cass, all hammered by graduation. Grafton was good in a year when the east was, as a unit down. The west was just really down, which makes the east look better.

Fargo Davies nearly beat Shanley this season. Shanley was #2 in the east. Davies was 2-7, 2-4 in the EDC. I don't think Grafton was that much better than Davies, and Davies was the fourth-best team in that league.

if you're not gonna choose to opt up when your team is coming, then don't start talking about if you would have competed. This state cherishes the idea of playing down to competition, not stepping up to it. The school district you speak of is asking the NDHSAA to allow co-ops in softball to go over 325 and still keep teams Class B in a two-class system. Yep, one of the same schools that voted to make 325 a hard cutoff number to separate the classes now wants to change the rules so they can play at a lower level, not a higher one. What's next? Maybe Grafton-Park River-St. Thomas-Drayton-Valley will win a state "B" softball title, and then start wondering if they could have competed with West Fargo.

If you want to know if you could have won up, you should have played up. If you want to talk about being up, either play up, or shut up, and enjoy your status.

didnt get enough sleep last night heimer? have a cup of coffee and relax a little. there a few folks on this thread that are over hyping grafton. It is not the whole community, school board, or superintedant that are begging for an Grafton vs EDC playoff. Have a nice day :) JMHO

Re: Could Grafton have won the E.D.C. this year?

PostPosted: Sat Nov 05, 2011 12:31 pm
by thewanderer
Run4Fun2009 wrote:
Flip wrote:
Unity77 wrote:No. IMO, Grafton doesn't have the depth or talent to win an EDC title.

Even when Grafton had between 400 and 500 students it couldn't compete for several reasons including the fact that football has always taken a back seat to hockey and basketball. Many of Grafton's top athletes never played football because they didn't want to get hurt before the start of the hockey or basketball season. Grafton has also had a pretty weak program with bad coaching and no player dedication. I might be wrong, but during the late 80s there were a few years in a row where Grafton didn't win a game. All of this led to a lack of interest and it showed in their numbers and depth.

The Spoiler football program has come a long way and I'm hoping they can win it all this year.

What does all of this have to do with this year?


snohcs wrote:Grafton has an awesome team this year, and I think that whether it's Class A, AA or AAA, Grafton Football could win out. I just wish there was a chance for Grafton to play the winner of the AAA ND State Championship Team and show how good this team really is.

Does anyone know if Grafton has received some national (rankings or recognition) attention this year?

lol @ all of this.
national attention? you must be kidding yourself. I don't think I have ever seen a ND school get any type of national ranking, it is rare that you see a MN or WI team ranked nationally.

Grafton is the best team in AA this year, but are they better than last year's Shanley team? or would anyone be shocked if they lost this weekend?


Actually as of late Wayzata (MN) has been getting the national attention (they've been ranked in the Top 100 poll off and on throughout the year). Also a few years ago, Fargo South was in the Rivals Top 100 (National Poll). So it does happen...But usually its a team from the top division that receives the recognition for it

i do agree that is rediculous to talk about national rankings.

Re: Could Grafton have won the E.D.C. this year?

PostPosted: Sat Nov 05, 2011 5:10 pm
by Run4Fun2009
heimer wrote:Fargo Davies nearly beat Shanley this season. Shanley was #2 in the east. Davies was 2-7, 2-4 in the EDC. I don't think Grafton was that much better than Davies, and Davies was the fourth-best team in that league.


Yes Davies nearly beat Shanley this year (16-10) but Shanley lost to Grafton (48-14). Something tells me that Grafton could have played with the EDC teams.

Re: Could Grafton have won the E.D.C. this year?

PostPosted: Sat Nov 05, 2011 5:46 pm
by Unity77
heimer wrote:Every year this comes up. Could this team or that have won the next level? If you want to know, then when you see a good team coming up, opt up. We've known Grafton was top-shelf well before the season started. They were my pick to win AA East two days after the season was over last year.

Lets keep in mind that AA East was DOWN this year. The league graduated heavily last year. Shanley, Wahpeton, VC, Lisbon, Central Cass, all hammered by graduation. Grafton was good in a year when the east was, as a unit down. The west was just really down, which makes the east look better.

Fargo Davies nearly beat Shanley this season. Shanley was #2 in the east. Davies was 2-7, 2-4 in the EDC. I don't think Grafton was that much better than Davies, and Davies was the fourth-best team in that league.

if you're not gonna choose to opt up when your team is coming, then don't start talking about if you would have competed. This state cherishes the idea of playing down to competition, not stepping up to it. The school district you speak of is asking the NDHSAA to allow co-ops in softball to go over 325 and still keep teams Class B in a two-class system. Yep, one of the same schools that voted to make 325 a hard cutoff number to separate the classes now wants to change the rules so they can play at a lower level, not a higher one. What's next? Maybe Grafton-Park River-St. Thomas-Drayton-Valley will win a state "B" softball title, and then start wondering if they could have competed with West Fargo.

If you want to know if you could have won up, you should have played up. If you want to talk about being up, either play up, or shut up, and enjoy your status.


Nice idiotic rant. I have yet to see one person from Grafton state the Spoilers would or even could win the EDC. Aside from a few people who probably know next to nothing about sports or perhaps one or two trolls, everyone from that town knows numbers play a crucial role in winning and everyone knows that even this year's team would not win the EDC conference.

BTW, the Grafton school district IS NOT going to Park River, St. Thomas, Drayton, Valley, etc... and asking each of them to send their handful of students (if that) to play for the Spoilers in hopes of competing at a AAA level. Those districts are next to dead in terms of enrollment and the majority probably won't even be around within 25 years. Grafton is giving those few kids (very few kids) who want the chance to participate the ability to do so. This doesn't mean Grafton wants to or should be subjected to playing at the next level. Honestly, everyone knows the enrollments in 99% of ND's school districts are going to continue to decline; that includes Grafton and the dying districts around it.

Re: Could Grafton have won the E.D.C. this year?

PostPosted: Sat Nov 05, 2011 5:47 pm
by Unity77
Flip wrote:
Unity77 wrote:No. IMO, Grafton doesn't have the depth or talent to win an EDC title.

Even when Grafton had between 400 and 500 students it couldn't compete for several reasons including the fact that football has always taken a back seat to hockey and basketball. Many of Grafton's top athletes never played football because they didn't want to get hurt before the start of the hockey or basketball season. Grafton has also had a pretty weak program with bad coaching and no player dedication. I might be wrong, but during the late 80s there were a few years in a row where Grafton didn't win a game. All of this led to a lack of interest and it showed in their numbers and depth.

The Spoiler football program has come a long way and I'm hoping they can win it all this year.


What does all of this have to do with this year?


This year's Spoiler team would have the same issue as previous Spoiler teams did back when Grafton was playing against the larger schools - not enough depth. Grafton never had the depth to compete as a Class A school (old system) and it doesn't have the depth to compete as a AAA school. The fact that Grafton also has two other programs (hockey and basketball) is also a factor when it comes to depth. What was so hard for you to understand?

Re: Could Grafton have won the E.D.C. this year?

PostPosted: Sat Nov 05, 2011 7:14 pm
by PeopleRTalkin
This topic is [u]ridiculou[/u]s. Ill give credit that Grafton is good but they returned just about every starter from last seasons team that was decent. Teams are truly hurt when they lose a lot of starters. AAA is also a lot different from AA. Grafton would be competitive and maybe make playoffs but there is NO WAY they would contend for a state championship in AAA.The Bismarcks, Mandan, and most of the rest of the West are to tough. South is just having a down year; expect them to be a title contender again next year.

Also, since it is the almost the same exact team from last year should of Devils Lake and Shanley teams from last year received national recognition?? Shanley beat them and Devils Lake was 2-0 against them last year including a blowout in the playoffs. This is just rediculous thinking Grafton JUST MIGHT be nationally ranked. Only way a ND will make rankings is if the team is undefeated year after year after year after year etc. That was the case for South when they were ranked in Top 25 or whatever it was a couple years ago.

This topic should be about Bismarck High who is great year after year. Not a small town team that has one decent year.

Re: Could Grafton have won the E.D.C. this year?

PostPosted: Sat Nov 05, 2011 7:42 pm
by Unity77
PeopleRTalkin wrote:This topic is [u]ridiculou[/u]s. Ill give credit that Grafton is good but they returned just about every starter from last seasons team that was decent. Teams are truly hurt when they lose a lot of starters. AAA is also a lot different from AA. Grafton would be competitive and maybe make playoffs but there is NO WAY they would contend for a state championship in AAA.The Bismarcks, Mandan, and most of the rest of the West are to tough. South is just having a down year; expect them to be a title contender again next year.

Also, since it is the almost the same exact team from last year should of Devils Lake and Shanley teams from last year received national recognition?? Shanley beat them and Devils Lake was 2-0 against them last year including a blowout in the playoffs. This is just rediculous thinking Grafton JUST MIGHT be nationally ranked. Only way a ND will make rankings is if the team is undefeated year after year after year after year etc. That was the case for South when they were ranked in Top 25 or whatever it was a couple years ago.

This topic should be about Bismarck High who is great year after year. Not a small town team that has one decent year.


LOL!! One person, as in 1 person, asked if Grafton has received some national (rankings or recognition) attention. She/he didn't state Grafton should be nationally ranked. Don't get your panties in a bunch over a question.

Re: Could Grafton have won the E.D.C. this year?

PostPosted: Sat Nov 05, 2011 10:37 pm
by Flip
Unity77 wrote:
This year's Spoiler team would have the same issue as previous Spoiler teams did back when Grafton was playing against the larger schools - not enough depth. Grafton never had the depth to compete as a Class A school (old system) and it doesn't have the depth to compete as a AAA school. The fact that Grafton also has two other programs (hockey and basketball) is also a factor when it comes to depth. What was so hard for you to understand?

I don't understand how not winning a game a few years in a row in the 80s would hurt their chances of winning an EDC title this year.

Re: Could Grafton have won the E.D.C. this year?

PostPosted: Sat Nov 05, 2011 10:38 pm
by Flip
Run4Fun2009 wrote:
Actually as of late Wayzata (MN) has been getting the national attention (they've been ranked in the Top 100 poll off and on throughout the year). Also a few years ago, Fargo South was in the Rivals Top 100 (National Poll). So it does happen...But usually its a team from the top division that receives the recognition for it

So what you're trying to say is that Moorhead's Cinderella run is going to be over next week?