Mike McGraw, Hoosier Authority Executive Director

Well, we are three weeks into the football season and the usual suspects are at hand. That is a subtle way of saying that once again private institutions are favorites to win all four classes below 5A. In turn, that means the football message boards are once again full of chatter from public school fans decrying the unfair advantages and unethical practices of their private rivals. I don’t know about you, but I would certainly be happy to see the complaining disappear.

Don’t get me wrong. I am not an apologist for private schools. I merely believe that before we shuttle them off to a class of their own or penalize them in some way for excellence, we need to consider a few facts. The first of those is that there is a big difference between recruiting athletes and using outstanding athletic programs to recruit students. I would agree that in those instances where the first occurs, it is unethical and should be investigated. However, the second is not only not unethical, it is imperative to any school that depends on enrollment and tuition for its survival.

Secondly, for every advantage that a private school gains by not having geographic boundaries, there are disadvantages they incur. Remember, at least four of the private school powers in central Indiana do not even have a home football field. Check out the weight room facilities at private school sometime. You will find in most instances they pale in comparison to those of public schools. The same holds true for training rooms. Consider also the number of lay coaches that private schools have to employ. I question whether that is a disadvantage, but public school athletic administrators certainly do all they can to avoid having to use coaches who do not teach in the district. These are just a few of the factors that in theory should level the playing field.

Finally, we need to acknowledge that there may be other reasons for private school dominance. Have you ever taken the time to compare the level of CYO football to that played at the middle school level? Isn’t it possible that things like tradition and identification with a school community might have something to do with all of this?

As I said, I am not a private school apologist. I get as tired as the next guy with their seeming constant superiority. It simply is way too predictable for my liking. What bothers me is listening to public school supporters use the circumstances as a crutch to excuse their own school’s failures. It shortchanges the accomplishments and dedication of private school players and also undercuts the efforts of the players they support. I don’t think Bellmont much cared about horrible advantages for private schools when they thumped Evansville Memorial in the 3A title game last year. The same can be said for Northwood when they throttled Chatard a few years ago or of Sheridan who has made a practice of doing it nearly every year.

Life isn’t fair. We should hope to be rearing a generation of youth who will understand later in life that sometimes you simply have to bear down and overcome the odds, not simply whine about the unfair nature of your circumstances. There is nobility in taking the position of “Just shut up and get better”.

While I am on the subject, the same is in many ways true in 5A football. Yes, those few schools in Indiana that enjoy monstrous enrollment are darn hard to beat. However, that does not mean we need to rush to the rescue of the average 5A school and dilute our titles even further by adding a sixth class. At some point, the ceaseless efforts to “level the playing field” start to pay diminishing returns.

I doubt I have changed anyone’s mind, but I feel better. So, here are a few public school candidates fans can rally around. In 1A, you probably shouldn’t tell Pioneer that Lafayette Central Catholic is going to walk to the title. Speedway might well challenge the defense of Heritage Christian in 2A. There is a public school in 3A who is definitely not afraid of Chatard. The name is Bellmont. You might remember them. In 4A, Plymouth and Lowell are not likely to bow down to the mighty Irish without a fight. There is still a lot of football to be played.