By Greg Billing for the Dayton Daily News

Brookville boys soccer coach Robert Hope understands the fuss surrounding his team's recent 19-0 win over National Trail. What he'd like to hear more of, though, is talk of a mercy rule - or some variation - and eliminating state scoring records kept by the Ohio High School Athletic Association.

"In my opinion, why establish those records if they are not meant to be broken?" Hope said of the OHSAA's web site listing most team goals scored in a game, among others. "I think the OHSAA should drop it. They're also the ones who tell schools to practice sportsmanship. I think they're sending a mixed message."

For the record, the Blue Devils' 19 goals ranks 11th in state history alongside Alter and Newton. And Hope said it could have been worse. He sat starters in the first half - including leading scorer Bryan Connolly - and pulled starting keeper Nick Tidd and let him play the field. Hope said he also told game officials to call offsides on his team to stop possessions.

The state record for goals in one game is 28 for boys (Wheelersburg, 1999) and 24 for girls (Xenia, 2001).

What Brookville encountered isn't limited to just soccer. Coaches in other sports facing lopsided wins face the same dilemma. Should teams keep shooting in basketball blowouts? Should football teams run three plays into the line and punt? Should baseball or softball teams make intentional outs?

"Do you tell you players absolutely don't score? In my opinion, no," Hope said. "Should I punish (Connolly) and make him sit the bench because he's too good to play?"

This season there been a handful of wins by 10 or more programs. Like the different styles of play, coaches have their own philosophies on how to handle mismatches.

"Personally, I'm not in favor of a mercy rule," Carroll boys coach Scott Molfenter said. "I think coaches need to take that responsibility. I think you have to continue to work hard, maybe limit touches and move the ball, but not at the expense of running up the score. You still have to respect your opponent out there and play hard."

Hope said that he's like to see something such as a goal-differential system, which would cap the number of goals a team can officially win by but allow the teams to keep playing. Some state high school organizations do use a 10-goal mercy rule to end halves early and invoke a running clock.

"A number for the mercy rule is tough to say," Beavercreek girls coach Steve Popp said. "Ten goals? If a team is up 10-0 in the first 25 minutes does that stop play? A lot of that lies on the coaches to manage the game and keep it within fair play and sportsmanship. … I don't think a formal rule should be set in place. I think it's up to the coach to respect that. You can still press forward and the other team might not feel shown up."

While there have been other lopsided wins, Brookville's seems to be taking the brunt of the criticism on web sites. In response to some of that, Hope said he told his players that they could scroe no more than three goals each and not to celebrate any. He also said athletic department officials added National Trail to the schedule, a fellow Division III team, once Brookville also dropped from DII to DIII this season. As for bringing Connolly back into the game in the second half, Hope said Connolly asked if he could go for the Blue Devils' assist record of six which he tied.

"We would love to play Bellbrook and Valley View, anybody," Hope said. "If Chaminade Julienne, Alter, and Carroll want to come play us we'll do it. That was one of the messages, that Carroll would kill us. They can come beat us, I don't care. I'd love to play Carroll."

Hope wants others to remember that he's been on the other side of those games, too.

"I can remember days where Northmont beat us 20-0," Hope said, adding he heard a little criticism about that. "The only way I can certify it was a record is by calling the Dayton Daily News (or other media outlet). If I knew it would be such an issue I never would have called the Dayton Daily News.