Posted by Rich DeLeo on 11/17/2003, 10:39 am
Board Administrator

I am once again hearing the complaints from football fans about the "unfair" advantage Bishop Carroll has duirng the 2003 football season. The Huskies are in the state playoffs once again, and once again, the cry of "unfair" is being heard throughout the region. Folks like to complain that Carroll, BG and Bishop McCort have an advantage over public schools because they can draw students from numerous school districts. We all know the agrument, and you all know my position on that issue. What I want to take issue with is, I want to know where are all the complaints about the same public schools that seemingly appear in the District title games every year, and move on to the state playoffs? Tyrone and Forest Hills are prime examples. Those two combined have won 10 district 6 championships in the last 15 years, yet I hear no one complaining about the same teams being in the championship hunt every year. Huntingdon and Lock Haven (now Central Mt.) dominated District 6 AAA for years, yet nobody complained. As for AAAA, it has been Altoona every year it seems forever, but the critics are silent. Yet let a private school reach the state playoffs, and they are accused of cheating or recruiting. I will admit, Erie Prep and Bethlem Catholic openly recruit, but that doesn't mean that all private schools do. Folks in Cambria County are accusing Bishop Carroll of openly recruiting, and if they are, then I cannot support that because for years, I have defended the three diocesan schools against the accusations of recruiting. I know that BG does not recruit. Although I do have first hand information that there crosstown neighbor for years has gone after kids in the parochial school system. I'll let the rest of that up to your imagination. The Altoona girls basketball program may not have been as good as it was, if it wasn't for the parochial school system. All you have to do is go through the rosters throughout the years, and look and see where a lot of those players went to grade school. You will not be suprised to learn that many of them went to catholic grade school, then entered into the public school system in either 7th or 9th grade. How is it that I don't hear any complaining about that. BG has to do everything within its power to keep students, yet they are accused of bringing students in, and paying their tuition. The school barely has enough in its budget to pay its bills and buy athletic equipment, yet they have been accsed of paying tuition for some of its athletes! And if BG has all of this money, why are their coaches paid so little? Some of those coaching salaries are embarrassing, but they have no choice! Back to the column. why don't I hear any complaining about schools like Berwick, Mount Carmel, Central Bucks West, Southern Columbia, Rochester, Penn Hills, North Hills, Upper St.Clair. These teams are also in the hunt every year, yet I never hear any complaints about those schools being in the playoffs, just when one or two private schools make it, then people want an investigation. Well, here's something you can think about. Wait until the Philadelphia schools start winning all of the football and basketball championships from the PIAA, since it was that outfit that had the brain cramp to allow Philly to join its ranks. What will be the complaint then? Who will be the target then, when Altoona doesn't win any state championships, or the WPIAL will complain that the field is not even for its precious schools to win a title. Keep this in mind, in the grand scheme of life, all of this means nothing. All we have to do is look what's happening in Iraq with our troops, and everything will be put into perspective for us!