Getting Started
So I got this wild idea last Tuesday night while watching my nephew’s JV game. Thought, “Heck, why not try ranking NEPSAC teams for 2025 since nobody’s done it proper yet?” Grabbed my laptop right there in the bleachers while halftime buzzer was still echoing. First step? Hit up all those sketchy prep school athletics sites – you know the ones that look straight outta 2004. Took me like three hours just to find current rosters cause half the schools ain’t updated since COVID times.
The Grind
Started making spreadsheets Wednesday morning. Coffee in one hand, mouse in the other. Wrote down:
- Last season’s W/L records (big mess cause some schools don’t report forfeits)
- Returning players (stalked Instagram accounts for commitment announcements)
- Transfer rumors (hoops message boards are straight up soap operas)
Called up my buddy who scouts at Brewster Academy games. Dude told me, “Man, you’re wasting time – half these rankings depend on which PG transfers in before summer!” Still, kept plugging away. Thursday was brutal – compared game tapes from Hudl highlights until my eyes crossed. Seriously debated whether I should count that Windsor game where the clock malfunctioned twice.
The Headaches
Man, this stuff gets political quick. Tried emailing 15 coaches for input. Only 3 replied – and all gave that same coach-speak “every team’s dangerous” nonsense. Nearly threw my notebook when I realized St. Paul’s schedule wasn’t posted anywhere. Had to text three parents in the booster club to get scraps of info. Worst part? Trying to rank non-scholarship teams against those loaded D1 factories. Apples and damn oranges.
The Final Stretch
Friday night crunch time. Ordered pizza and spread papers across my kitchen table. Moved Post-It notes around like some detective serial killer meme. Key moves:
- Dropped Kent after hearing their big man reclassified
- Bumped Northfield up cause that Canadian kid’s highlight tape was nuts
- Argued with myself for 40 minutes about whether St. George’s belongs in Top 10
Finally hit publish at like 2AM. First comments rolled in immediately – some DM saying I “disrespected Choate” lol. Whatever man, at least I got it done. Only took two dead pens, three migraines, and my entire work week. But hey, now everyone’s got something to argue about until tip-off season!