ATWATER -- Once the honors and MVPs had been decided, six soccer coaches gathered around one issue during their year-end meeting.
The conference was changing, shrinking by one member, and a tough decision had to be made.
Would the Central California Conference continue to play a double round-robin format, or fill the void left by Los Banos with an additional round of games?
When it was his turn to cast a vote, Atwater coach Jimmy Brewer didn't hesitate. He voted to extend the season to 15 games, meaning each of the CCC's six teams would face each other three times.
The coaches voted in unison and the principals followed suit, delivering a new conference schedule for the fall. The sentiment was that a double round-robin, in a league of only six teams, left no margin for error. One slipup could cost you dearly in the standings.
Brewer knows.
He credits a disappointing sixth-place finish in 2008 to one result -- a 3-2 loss to Pitman that spun away in the final 5 minutes.
The game took place early in the league season, but the six-point swing was too much to overcome.
"With only 10 games, there is the potential that some results could have a heavy influence on the end result in the standings," Brewer said. "With a triple round-robin, the likelihood is that you're going to get the best two teams out -- even if someone stumbles one or twice.
"We saw that with Pitman. We lost to them and we were leading with 5 minutes to go and gave up two goals. If that match was flipped, we finish second and they finish sixth. Instead we were sixth. ... That was a six-point swing between the two of us.
"When it was put to us, that was the first thing that came to mind. Other people thought that, too. When you don't have many teams, it makes a big difference."
The longer season also gives young, unproven programs time to grow and round into playoff-caliber teams.
Like Atwater did a year ago.
Brewer's club took its lump early, but soon became a thorn in the side of the conference's brass.
After shocking eventual Division I finalist Golden Valley in their conference opener, Atwater proceeded to lose its next three games, including matching 2-1 defeats to Merced and Buhach Colony.
Then things began to click.
Atwater avenged a loss to Los Banos with a draw, ousted Pitman 3-2 and then handed reigning two-time CCC champion Merced a rare blemish with a 1-1 tie.
"Last year, we were really young and we came on at the end of the season," Brewer said. "We're looking for that momentum to continue.
"Hopefully, by adding some fresh players, it can put us where we can compete for a playoff spot."
The cornerstones are there.
Atwater will build around goalie Omar Fuentes and midfielder Juan Madrigal, a crafty playmaker with rabbit's speed.
Under fire for most of the 2009 season, Fuentes will be the foundation for a new-look defense that will likely feature several first-year varsity players.
Brewer may treat Madrigal like Julian Horta two years ago, moving the junior around the field like a chess piece.
"Juan is very, very athletic and very, very capable of being dangerous," Brewer said. "He'll get more attention than last year, because now he's tagged as a guy that is dangerous."
And with a revamped CCC schedule, he should get more exposure, too.
James Burns is managing editor/sports editor of the Sun-Star. He can be reached at jburns@mercedsun-star.com.
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