Eureka fans will need to keep track of color-coded pools this year to see where the Wildcats stand during regular-season conference competition.
Last October, the superintendents from each school district in the St. Louis Suburban Association voted to realign the association’s 30 high schools into different competitively seeded pools in each sport (with the exception of football), based on records in 2015 and 2016.
The top-tier school teams will compete in the Yellow pool, followed in descending order by the Red, Green and Blue pools. Eureka’s athletic teams are all in either the Yellow or Red pools. The previous conference alignments, with Eureka in the American Division of the Suburban West Conference, remain in place for football.
“I don’t think it will be that different,” Wildcats softball coach Mark Mosley said. “Most of the teams from the Suburban West are in that top tier. We are used to playing a tough schedule.”
Eureka’s softball team will compete in the Yellow pool along with former Suburban West opponents Lafayette, Lindbergh, Marquette, Oakville, Parkway South and Seckman. Rockwood Summit also made it into the Yellow pool.
The Wildcat baseball team sees only two new foes – Kirkwood and Summit – in its Yellow pool, which features former conference rivals Lafayette, Lindbergh, Marquette, Oakville and Parkway South.
While many of the teams are the same, Mosley and Wildcats baseball head coach James Daffron said the weighted pools could make district seeding harder.
“Let’s say a team in our pool goes just over .500, but there is a team in a lower pool with a .700 or .800 record,” Daffron said. “I can see arguments coming with, ‘I’m 20-2 and you are 14-12, but I played 15 teams ranked in the top 10 and you played one and lost to them.’ I can see some arguments at districts.”
Gary Schneider, head coach of Eureka’s boys and girls soccer teams, doesn’t like the switch.
Make that, he really doesn’t like it.
“I absolutely hate it,” Schneider said. “I think it’s the stupidest thing in the world. If you think about all-conference (selections), we are going to have a really difficult conference. We will have great players who are on second and third team, if they are going to make it at all.”
Both of Schneider’s squads will play in the Yellow pool. The boys have new opponents in Kirkwood, Ladue, Rockwood Summit and Webster Groves, while retaining familiar faces Lafayette, Lindbergh, Marquette, Mehlville and Oakville.
The girls team, which won the 2017 Class 4 state title and finished third at state this past season, has almost the same setup, with Kirkwood, Rockwood Summit and Webster Groves joining ex-Suburban Westers Lafayette, Lindbergh, Marquette and Oakville.
Schneider said the Yellow pool is so challenging, it put great pressure on scheduling nonconference opponents; the Wildcats cut back to make sure they were ready to compete in their pool.
“We had a heck of a time finding nonconference games,” he said. “We were struggling to find games that fit into the right spots. Every (pool/conference) game is going to be an absolute battle. You are going to win the conference with two or three losses.”
Jodie Fowler, entering her first season as the Eureka girls head volleyball coach, said the shift to competitively seeded pools from traditional conferences doesn’t affect her outlook for the season. Eureka will compete in the Yellow pool with Lafayette, Lindbergh, Marquette, Kirkwood, Parkway West and Webster Groves.
“I don’t know it any other way,” Fowler said. “I know our schedule is extremely tough. We play a lot of the best teams in the area. If you want to be the best, you have to play the best.”
Girls basketball head coach James Alsup said winning the Red pool, where his team will play this season, doesn’t have the same ring as winning the Suburban West. The Red pool has Eureka pitted against Lafayette, Ladue, Lindbergh, Marquette, McCluer North, Parkway South and Pattonville.
“Our conference was always very competitive,” Alsup said. “I’m looking forward to competing against some of the same teams and a couple of new ones.”
Boys basketball and golf head coach Austin Kirby said he is looking forward to the new hardwood competition and doesn’t see the boys golf season changing much.
The basketball team dives into the Red pool with Kirkwood, Lindbergh, McCluer, McCluer North, Parkway Central, Parkway West, Pattonville and Ladue.
“I’m excited for the new pool system,” Kirby said. “Night-in, night-out, the level of competition will be higher since the pools are created on competitive balance. It allows us to play some teams we haven’t seen in a few years. That is a good thing in my opinion.”
In boys golf, Eureka is in the Yellow pool, surrounded by familiar faces in Lafayette, Lindbergh, Marquette, Oakville and Parkway South, along with Kirkwood again.
“For the most part, it’s the Suburban West minus Northwest and Seckman,” Kirby said. “It’s pretty much the same. There will be things to work out with the conference tournament, but I don’t see a big change there. It’s probably a good thing.”
Cross country is unaffected by the change as the Suburban Association schools had been competing in one giant meet at the end of the year for the last two seasons, said head coaches Brad DeMattei (boys) and Darrell Lewis (girls). Thus the Yellow pool has 29 schools running (all except Jennings).
DeMattei and Lewis also will oversee the boys and girls track teams next spring. Lewis is expected to be approved by the Board of Education as the new girls head coach after serving as an assistant to former head coach Keith Pardeck, who is staying on to assist Lewis in a reversal of roles.
Unlike cross country, track will use all four pools and Eureka landed in the Yellow (for both boys and girls) with Hazelwood Central, Hazelwood West, Lafayette, Lindbergh, Marquette, Northwest and Ritenour. DeMattei and Lewis said they like that mix.
“If you add a couple more teams, then you pretty much have the state meet,” DeMattei said. “It is going to be a competitive track meet.”
“I like it,” Lewis said. “The way the Suburban West played out for us, we were pretty distance- heavy. We had good sprint teams in the conference, but we weren’t a Hazelwood Central. Having the Hazelwoods and Ritenour into the fold, I think it will make it a more competitive all-around track meet.”
The Suburban Association realignment scheme has no effect on Eureka’s club sports, which are not sanctioned by the Missouri State High School Activities Association. Those sports include girls field hockey, boys ice hockey, boys and girls lacrosse, boys volleyball and boys water polo.
Suburban Association pools
Boys basketball
Yellow pool: Hazelwood Central, Jennings, Lafayette, Marquette, Parkway South, Ritenour, Webster Groves
Red: Eureka, Kirkwood, Lindbergh, McCluer, McCluer North, Parkway Central, Parkway West, Pattonville, Ladue
Green: Hazelwood East, Hazelwood West, Mehlville, McCluer South-Berkeley, Oakville, Summit, Riverview Gardens
Blue: Affton, Clayton, Normandy, Northwest, Parkway North, Seckman, University City, Fox
Girls basketball
Yellow pool: Hazelwood Central, Hazelwood West, Kirkwood, Parkway Central, Parkway North, Webster Groves
Red: Eureka, Ladue, Lafayette, Lindbergh, Marquette, McCluer North, Parkway South, Pattonville
Green: Clayton, Fox, McCluer, Mehlville, Oakville, Parkway West, Ritenour, Summit, Seckman
Blue: Affton, Hazelwood East, McCluer South-Berkeley, Normandy, Northwest, Riverview Gardens, University City, Jennings
Boys soccer
Yellow pool: Eureka, Kirkwood, Ladue, Lafayette, Lindbergh, Marquette, Mehlville, Oakville, Summit, Webster Groves
Red: Clayton, Fox, Hazelwood West, Northwest, Parkway West, Parkway Central, Parkway North, Parkway South, Pattonville, Ritenour, Seckman, Affton
Blue: Hazelwood Central, Hazelwood East, McCluer, McCluer North, University City
Girls soccer
Yellow pool: Eureka, Kirkwood, Lafayette, Lindbergh, Marquette, Oakville, Summit, Webster Groves
Red: Fox, Ladue, Mehlville, Parkway Central, Parkway South, Parkway West, Pattonville, Seckman, Northwest
Green: Affton, Clayton, Hazelwood West, Hazelwood Central, McCluer North, Parkway North, Ritenour
Blue: Hazelwood East, Jennings, McCluer, McCluer South-Berkeley, Normandy, Riverview Gardens, University City
Softball
Yellow pool: Eureka, Lafayette, Lindbergh, Marquette, Oakville, Parkway South, Seckman, Summit
Red: Fox, Hazelwood West, Kirkwood, Mehlville, Northwest, Parkway Central, Pattonville, Webster Groves, Parkway West
Green: Affton, Hazelwood Central, Ladue, McCluer North, Parkway North, Ritenour
Blue: Hazelwood East, Jennings, McCluer, McCluer South-Berkeley, Normandy, Riverview Gardens, University City, Clayton
Girls volleyball
Yellow pool: Eureka, Kirkwood, Lafayette, Lindbergh, Marquette, Parkway West, Webster Groves
Red: Ladue, Northwest, Oakville, Parkway Central, Parkway North, Parkway South, Mehlville, Summit
Green: Affton, Clayton, Fox, Hazelwood Central, Hazelwood West, McCluer North, Seckman, Pattonville, Ritenour
Blue: Hazelwood East, Jennings, McCluer, McCluer South-Berkeley, Normandy, Riverview Gardens, University City
Baseball
Yellow pool: Eureka, Kirkwood, Lafayette, Lindbergh, Marquette, Oakville, Parkway South, Summit
Red: Hazelwood West, McCluer North, Parkway Central, Parkway North, Parkway West, Pattonville, Ritenour, Webster, Ladue
Green: Affton, Clayton, Fox, Hazelwood Central, Mehlville, Northwest, Seckman
Blue: Hazelwood East, Jennings, McCluer, McCluer South-Berkeley, Normandy, Riverview Gardens, University City
Wrestling
Yellow pool: Eureka, Lafayette, McCluer North, Mehlville, Northwest, Parkway South, Seckman, Lindbergh
Red: Fox, Hazelwood Central, Hazelwood West, Kirkwood, Ladue, Marquette, Pattonville, Ritenour, Webster Groves, Summit
Green: Affton, Clayton, Hazelwood East, McCluer, McCluer South-Berkeley, Normandy, Oakville, Parkway Central, Parkway North, Parkway West, University City
Boys swimming and diving
Yellow pool: Eureka, Kirkwood, Ladue, Lafayette, Lindbergh, Marquette.
Red: Parkway Central, Parkway South, Parkway West, Pattonville, Summit, Webster Groves.
Green: Clayton, Hazelwood West, McCluer North, Mehlville, Oakville, Parkway North
Blue: Affton, Hazelwood Central, Hazelwood East, McCluer, McCluer South-Berkeley, Ritenour, University City
Girls swimming and diving
Yellow pool: Eureka, Kirkwood, Lafayette, Lindbergh, Marquette, Parkway Central, Parkway South, Parkway West
Red: Clayton, Hazelwood West, Ladue, McCluer North, Mehlville, Oakville, Parkway North, Pattonville, Summit, Webster Groves
Blue: Affton, Hazelwood Central, Hazelwood East, McCluer, McCluer South-Berkeley, Ritenour, University City
Boys golf
Yellow pool: Eureka, Kirkwood, Lafayette, Lindbergh, Marquette, Oakville, Parkway South
Red: Affton, Fox, Ladue, Mehlville, Northwest, Seckman, Summit, Webster Groves
Green: Clayton, McCluer North, Parkway Central, Parkway North, Parkway West, Pattonville, Ritenour, University City
Girls golf
Yellow pool: Eureka, Kirkwood, Lafayette, Marquette, Seckman, Summit
Red: Oakville, Fox, Lindbergh, Mehlville, Northwest, Parkway South, Webster Groves
Green: Clayton, Ladue, McCluer North, Parkway Central, Parkway North, Parkway West, Pattonville, Ritenour, Affton
Boys tennis
Yellow pool: Kirkwood, Ladue, Lafayette, Lindbergh, Marquette, Parkway Central, Webster Groves
Red: Clayton, Eureka, Oakville, Parkway South, Parkway West, Summit
Green: Hazelwood West, McCluer North, Mehlville, Parkway North, Pattonville, Ritenour
Blue: Hazelwood Central, Hazelwood East, McCluer, University City
Girls tennis
Yellow pool: Kirkwood, Lafayette, Marquette, Parkway Central, Parkway West
Red: Clayton, Eureka, Ladue, Lindbergh, Oakville, Parkway South, Summit
Green: Hazelwood West, McCluer North, Mehlville, Parkway North, Pattonville, Webster Groves
Blue: Hazelwood Central, Hazelwood East, McCluer, McCluer South-Berkeley, Ritenour, University City
Boys and girls track and field
Yellow pool: Eureka, Hazelwood Central, Hazelwood West, Lafayette, Lindbergh, Marquette, Northwest, Ritenour
Red: McCluer North, Mehlville, Parkway South, Pattonville, Seckman, Fox, Kirkwood, Oakville
Green: Hazelwood East, Ladue, Parkway Central, Parkway North, Parkway West, Summit, Webster Groves, McCluer
Blue: Affton, Clayton, University City, Jennings, McCluer South-Berkeley, Riverview Gardens, Normandy
Boys and girls cross country
Yellow pool: Affton, Clayton, Eureka, Fox, Hazelwood Central, Hazelwood West, Hazelwood East, Kirkwood, Ladue, Lafayette, Lindbergh, Marquette, McCluer, McCluer North, McCluer South-Berkeley, Mehlville, Normandy, Northwest, Oakville, Parkway Central, Parkway North, Parkway South, Parkway West, Pattonville, Ritenour, Riverview Gardens, Rockwood Summit, Seckman, University City, Webster Groves