WOW its going to be a bad year in Ebensburg

[GrapeApe]

PC. You make the call.

[youngbuck]

It might be a better question if they will score?

[VAD1]

When players leaves McCort or any private school, or goes to a private school their whole life then don't go to a private school for high school, and then starts at whatever public school they go to its okay. But its not okay for people to go from public to private, can you say hypocritical?

It's not hypocritical because the kids playing for the public school actually reside in that district. I agree with you that it doesn't seem to be equitable in both directions, but in this case it shouldn't be. I'm not here to moan about having to play private schools, simply stating that this is not an "apples to apples" argument - it's more like apples to oranges. The gripe for intelligent fans against the Bishops is that these private schools have no borders. If my kid currently attends CH, PC, North Star, Windber, CC, Ligonier Valley, Altoona, etc they can attend ANY of the Bishops or any private school around (ie Greensburg Central Catholic). Not only that, they could attend a different Bishop every year of the their HS career if they so desired... WITHOUT LOSS OF ELIGIBILITY. If I currently go to school at McCort and live in the Ferndale school district, I must attend Ferndale for my public school education. It's not like I can just pick to go to Belle Vernon because I felt like it because I have a better chance of athletics success at that school... unless I want to pay tuition in that district and most likely lose a year of eligibility. The kids and parents who use the system of a "Catholic School Education" for the wrong reasons (athletics) will never accept what I've typed above. You can (and probably will) come back with your "facts" but the truth is the Bishops have NO BORDERS. Argue (and show proof) of how the Bishops have borders when accepting students and I will then see your side of the argument. Please don't tell me how kids have attended "St. whatever" for the past 9 years - I believe you! It doesn't change the fact that public to private transfers have no borders, yet private to public does... unless you want to pay tuition in another public school district and risk your athletic eligibility. The private schools offer some families more than athletic success - can't argue with that and wouldn't want to. I'm simply making a statement that some families use and have been able to abuse the system of "a better education" simply because they want their children to be a part of a better athletic program. Normally, I would say I understand - especially if I lived in the Ferndale or Conemaugh Valley school districts. However, these families that abuse the system for athletic opportunities (you should only be offended if this applies to your family) have an alternate choice. Instead of pretending you want your kids to have a "Catholic School Education", simply save your $5k and move out of your current school district and into a better school district. If you don't want your kid to attend Ferndale, MOVE OUT OF FERNDALE BOROUGH. There are better options than the Bishops if your true concern is a better education.

[jack daniel]

Vad, I get it privates do not have boundaries I understand that. I went to private school my entire life I lived in Windber, went to school with other kids from Windber, and Richland, and Westmont, and Johnstown, and Armaugh. I get it. But what I'm saying is I sit back and laugh at the fact that there were kids that played for McCort, then transferred to public schools and became starters at those schools some of them in more then just one sport. And that John Rizzo went to St. Benedict's until high school then for high school went to Richland, and that no one complains about this stuff. But if someone transfers from a public to a private and becomes a starter, or goes to public grade school then for high school chooses a private school, well then theres no questions asked they were recruited and theres absolutely positively no other way humanly possible that they could have decided to go to a private school. It's extremely hypocritical and hilarious. And the funniest part? People will continue to act this. And why? Just because they need a way to bash private schools.

[Richland_Fan]

I believe there are a host of issues with the way Catholic schools participate in athletics, not just one. There is the issue of taking kids from all over, and usually the most talented ones who coincidentally also receive funding to attend the school. There is the fact that the Catholic school, while cherry-picking the athletes is allowed to then compete at the lowest category, e.g. A vs. AA or AAA etc. It is just a one sided affair, which is brought on by the PIAA allowing it. I guess it does help to have friends in high places, pun intended for the Catholic-based schools. There are a host of changes that could be made to make it more equitable, e.g. have the Catholic school compete at the highest level of any of the schools from which they take a student. If they took a kid from GJSD, they would be AAA. But nothing is going to happen until the PIAA makes it happen, and that is unlikely since they are apparently all for it in its current system. So, in the meantime, Catholic schools can sit back and take the heat for it and continue to deny any wrongdoing. And really, it is not there fault. The system is flawed.

[sportsfan1000]

Jack,

Most private school supports always use the same argument you have been using. Why is it ok to transfer to a public school after being in a private school their whole life?

What you fail to see why it makes it different is because you never consider that maybe parents have finally realized that paying for an education twice (once through taxes and once through tuition) does not make any sense, ESPECIALLY if the home school district in which they reside have just as strong of an academic record. Going from public to private you pay more (unless you get one of those nifty scholoarships). Going from private back to public parents save money and that is the reason why your argument is not apples to apples.

[Crimson's Ghost]

In that sense, you say its to save money. But that can't be proven whatsoever in most cases. Many kids that transfer back to public schools go there to play sports. You can't say every transfer to Catholic schools is athletic based, and every transfer from a Private to Public in money based. It is not true at all. A kid from North Catholic HS transfered to Montour, because they knew he was going there because they have better Football exposure, Guess what? That kid is ineligible. It does go both ways, but people turn a blind eye to it to try to stick it to Catholic Schools.


Things may not be even, but at the same time things are nowhere as near as bad as people make them out to be. Lets face it, many parents will send their kids wherever they can to gain an athletic edge. Public or Private. You are the ones that scream about these scholarships all day, so money can't be the issue for kids to transfer home to public schools? Right, because if they are good at sports, the dang Catholics will stop at nothing to make sure Public Schools sucks, right? It can't be both ways to strengthen your argument.

[sportsfan1000]

In that sense, you say its to save money. But that can't be proven whatsoever in most cases. Many kids that transfer back to public schools go there to play sports. You can't say every transfer to Catholic schools is athletic based, and every transfer from a Private to Public in money based. It is not true at all. A kid from North Catholic HS transfered to Montour, because they knew he was going there because they have better Football exposure, Guess what? That kid is ineligible. It does go both ways, but people turn a blind eye to it to try to stick it to Catholic Schools.


Things may not be even, but at the same time things are nowhere as near as bad as people make them out to be. Lets face it, many parents will send their kids wherever they can to gain an athletic edge. Public or Private. You are the ones that scream about these scholarships all day, so money can't be the issue for kids to transfer home to public schools? Right, because if they are good at sports, the dang Catholics will stop at nothing to make sure Public Schools sucks, right? It can't be both ways to strengthen your argument.

I don't disagree with you at all. It does go both ways, Im definitely not that naive to think it doesn't happen both ways. I also agree that it would be hard to prove the money theory, but it's definitely an argument that can be made when going from private to public and not public to private.....and that is why i don't agree with Jack's argument.

[Crimson's Ghost]

I get what your saying, haha i find myself more and more agreeing with you than not lately.

jack's argument isn't awful and definitely comes in to play a lot, but there is just more to it, thats all.


I'm really trying to stray away from this topic as much as possible, basically it is two sides that will never agree upon something. I'll just leave it at that, everyone knows where I stand, and have stood this whole time, I know how everybody else feels. hahaha its like no matter what, it ALWAYS comes back to this.

I'm trying to talk about Football from here on in, Its easy to get side tracked on some topics hahaha.

I might add, i'll be at the Troajns game Friday. Looking forward to it.

[jack daniel]

Well on the issue of those who get the "nifty scholarships" pretty much everyone who goes to private schools get some type of financial help. I graduated with a lot of kids who didn't play a sport at all and got financial help. Also, richland_fan what your saying is privates should have to compete at the highest level? Okay my senior year we graduated 98 kids out of McCort what is fair about a school that small playing AAAA? I'll tell you what, nothing. You can't fault a school for playing in the classification they fall in by PIAA standards regardless of if you think the system is flawed or not. And sportsfan, I get what your saying about transferring to save money. But most kids I know who have made the private to public jump either didn't play a sport, or did it solely for athletic purposes. Which is where I think the hypocritical part comes into play. But like Crimson said these arguments are completely pointless and will never end, so I'm done arguing it.