Thursday, December 10, 2009

Preps: Berkeley's Cooper says miscommunication to blame for Bucs absence

Berkeley Prep coach Tim Cooper reiterated Jesuit coach Bob Bauman’s sentiment that it was a simple miscommunication that led to the Buccaneers being left out of the High School Soccer Classic field.

Cooper said he believed Bauman knew the Buccaneers wanted to keep their traditional place in the tournament, and as a result didn’t return Bauman’s e-mails to confirm their entry to the field. That, in turn, led the Buccaneers absence when the provisional field of teams was announced.

“I got an e-mail to confirm it, and I saw it sent to the other coaches, but I guess I just didn’t follow up to say, ‘hey, listen, we’re in’, I just assumed (Bob) knew that,” Cooper said. “So I’ll take the blame for it, I know my guys are not too happy about it, but I’m not giving up complete hope. I’m hoping that if something happens, we’ll be able to get in.”

Cooper said that if one of the 24 teams drops out between now and the Dec.19 start of the tournament, the Buccaneers should take that place in the field, and he is also trying to set up a game with ESPN Rise No.6 New Orleans Jesuit while it is in Tampa for the event. It would seem strange, though, for the tournament, now in its 16th season, to not include the Buccaneers, who helped found the tournament along with the Tigers.

“If something happens where somebody drops out, that would put us in,” Cooper said. “I think that’s a long-shot getting in if somebody drops out at this point, 10 days before, unless something major happens at the last second, then we’re not in it.”

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