Congrats to "The" Prep

[Rock the Boat]

Awesome to hear that the kids from New Jersey and Delaware won the "Pennsylvania" State Title! Hey, maybe they could grab some kids from New York and Maryland next year and instead of calling themselves "The Prep" they could just be called "The U.S. North-Eastern Multi-State All Star College Team." Oh, darn it, that's already the truth.

I really can't believe all the whiners on these boards. I mean just because Prep & Wood have kids playing on their football teams that come from all over, and then they beat everybody, and then the nerve of these other schools calling it "unfair" because they're not allowed to do the same thing.

I wish these other schools would just stop complaining and pretend that this isn't an enormous advantage. They're trying to take all the fun away from All-Star Teams that don't have to adhere to the same rules and win state titles. These party poopers! Why don't they just bury their heads in the sand or look the other way like the rest of us do.

I heard a crazy thing that NJ doesn't let their private schools compete in the same state playoff! Maybe they should let one of their good private schools play the PA private school state champion. Wait a minute, I think that already happened. I think Don Bosco destroyed them. They must have kids coming from all over to play on that team, hahahaha. There are even some jealous people who talk about their recruiting rumors, LOL!

"PA" State Champions, give me a break and get real.

 

[roxychknpoxy]

Hey ass cannon - you just contradicted yourself on a number of points - well done

 

[t2pyah]

check box to activate sarcasm detector

 

[Rock the Boat]

Chickenpox, sorry you could read between the lines. A _ _ Cannon. Wow that is soooooo good. I can't wait to use that.

 

[tulla]

Be careful what you wish for. From what I understand, the gap between the level at which many of the "non-public" schools play football and the level played by the top public school teams has grown wider and wider in New Jersey. From what I hear the significance the large-school public championship game has diminished in almost everyone's eyes.

I've read that the families of some prospective students/players have moved to be closer to Bosco or Bergen Catholic or some of the other schools, but nothing like that has happened at SJP. Bosco even had a kind of boarding program; again, nothing like that at SJP--or Wood.

Bosco, Bergen Catholic, and St. Joe's Regional have nice football facilities on their campuses. SJP has been practicing for decades in Farirmount Park, about three miles west of the school. Some would say that is a disadvantage.

A number of people have been expressing a mix of shock and outrage that SJP has players from Jersey and Delaware on their team. Players and students from Delaware have been vrey rare; I think there is one this year, a kid who grew up in Philly. SJP has for decades drawn about 20% of its students from Jersey. About the same proportion of its football team comes from Jersey. This year it happens that several of its most prominent players *(Reid, Runyon, Zachaeus, Walls, and Clements) come from Jersey. Most years--and very likely next year--that's not the case. But the fundamental point is that SJP is not bringing in football players from places where they haven't recruited students generally. And, yes, like all private schools they have to recruit all their students.

Parkland and PR almost beat SJP in the playoffs this year. If some people want to fixate on the advantages schools like SJP have, then why not use that as a kind of incentive, i.e making beating them all the sweeter? In very recent years, LaSalle won the large school Philadelphia Catholic League title five year in a row (08-12), but in four of those years was beaten by a public school team in the playoffs. Would it have been better in those years if there had been separate public and "non-public" championships?

 

[2loudNclear]

Could not have stated it better Tulla!

 

[LS9er]

La Salle went to back-to-back state finals, so how could they have lost 4 out of a five to the pubs?

 

[tulla]

If you read my post carefully, you'll see that I said they won the PCL 4A championship five years in a row and then lost to a public school in the subsequent playoffs in four of those years (to GW in '08, to North Penn and Coatesville in Eastern finals and against Northern Allegheny--could have the name wrong--in a state final).

 

[D1football22]

Lost to Liberty, North Allegheny, North Penn and Coatesville? NA was in State Champ game. Think that's what he was saying..

 

[LS9er]

Gotcha.

 

[Stalker]

Good post tulla. It is North Allegheny. See epasports.com for all teams by district, class and conference; run by a good guy, Don Black. And a excellent point -reminder in using the advantages private schools enjoy as incentive.

Who doesn't love kicking the top dogs, especially Bishop McDevitt!

 

[fb107]

Unlike the Pubes.....

Unlike the pubelick schools, the Prep didn't whine when they got beat (and for the most part always get beat) by Don Bosco Prep. They learned and got better!

Certainly a concept the local pubes have not grasped.

 

[reluctant_to_comment]

Comments like that are just stupid and in denial. How did SJP get better? By recruiting more players. You're an idiot and so are any of you that continue to make those comments. Following you're thinking why not have Bosco in the PIAA tourney next year?

A public school can buy the best coach, the best facilities ...but if the right players don't walk through their door it's not going to happen.

How many states allow Prep schools mixed in with their Public school championships? That's interesting NJ doesn't allow it.



This post was edited on 12/14 7:37 PM by reluctant_to_comment

 

[tulla]

Let me spell out the obvious for you: Bosco should not be in the PIAA next year because it is not in PA. SJP has always had players from Jersey, and the PIAA must have known that when the PCL entered the PIAA--something many public school supporters wanted. I can remember District 1 people on here taunting the PCL supporters that the long grind of the PIAA playoffs would reveal that the PCL teams lacked the necessary fortitude.

As for other states, as I said elsewhere, separating public and non-public schools doesn't seem to be working so well for the publics in Jersey. Ohio doesn't separate them. I'm pretty sure Texas doesn't and I don't thnk Florida does.

 

[fb107]

Only ONE class of NJ football worth watching

Actually, it was the competition that made them better.....If that makes me stupid, so be it. One public school I've always respected is North Penn and coach Beck because of their willingness to play "up"
no matter the PIAA ramifications. Obviously Pines Richland fits that bill!

Either way, both of my kids (one a football player who went on from the Prep to have a great college fb career) went to the Prep for an EDUCATION first, and that my friend is where the pubs will NEVER be able to compete with them.

 

[njfan47]

Originally posted by reluctant_to_comment:
Comments like that are just stupid and in denial. How did SJP get better? By recruiting more players. You're an idiot and so are any of you that continue to make those comments. Following you're thinking why not have Bosco in the PIAA tourney next year?

A public school can buy the best coach, the best facilities ...but if the right players don't walk through their door it's not going to happen.

How many states allow Prep schools mixed in with their Public school championships? That's interesting NJ doesn't allow it.




This post was edited on 12/14 7:37 PM by reluctant_to_comment

reluctant, did you ever stop to think that some kids go to The Prep because the program is good and because the education is top notch? Or are you assuring us that all of the kids on the current roster were recruited?

It might have changed since the mid-2000's, but Prep received about 750 applications each year, with only about 250 accepted. This shows that the school is in demand. Imagine if they could take all 750? You guys would be whining even more, if that were possible. I personally know of some good football/basketball players who did not get in.

 

[njfan47]

Tulla, great point about the significance of the title game without the private schools. The only people who care about the big-school title in NJ (there are four such games, one in each section of the state) are the parents and students of the schools involved. The big-school private game is the one that gets all the fan interest.

If Prep and Pittsburgh Central Catholic are playing in a theoretical PA Private School title, a matchup between Pennsbury and Pine-Richland would lose some of its appeal. Same for a Somerset-Pine Richland game.

The best thing that the publics can do is take football more seriously and coach up the kids. Competition is what makes people better.

However, there might be some changes coming soon to the playoff format.

 

[njfan47]

Rock the Boat, what is more important, the three-state thing or the overall size of the area from which the private players come?

Any why didn't Pittsburgh Central Catholic represent the west in this year's AAAA title game? And how did Central Valley beat Harrisburg McDevitt? Doesn't McDevitt recruit from all over central PA? Does your theory work only some of the time?

 

[2loudNclear]

Change is coming! Without a doubt there is change coming. That's who we have become as a nation. We are a society of crying and whining underachievers!

What did we do as a nation? We voted for change and we are in such better now. We can't win by hard work so let's change the rules to make sure we can feel good about ourselves! It is clear society embraces mediocrity and underachievers. That is why we have people pouring into this country. They realize we have become a nation of weak individuals. Have you been to the top universities lately? The student bodies have become a bunch of underachievers pursuing useless degrees while their Asian counterparts are in degree programs that will propel them beyond your sons and daughters.

Do us all a favor and cry to the PIAA for change. Make PA the same as the states that have diluted the achievements of a few that want to step up and compete. That's what you guys want to be so just get it done! Just do it! Make the rule change and get it over with.....that's who we have become! E-mail your Athletic Directors, Superintendents or who ever can get it done the quickest because you guys have become the general population not competitive football enthusiast! It truly is a shame that football has become soccer. Sorry I had to say it!

Just an FYI! The Prep has been in existence for 163 years. We have made it this far without your worthless opinions and we will continue in the future quite fine!

Just a question! Do you think rule changes will stop the private schools from competing at top levels? Your foolish if you think so! You will drown in insignificance when you make the change and the privates will just continue to get stronger!

I can see it now! In the year 2018 some regional HS of 4K students of "home grown" community kids will have a very good football team and they will blow out some other non-regional school with a 2K students and they will wish they had a shot at legitimacy. While the privates will battle to the death for the true crown of supremacy in PA! The true PA state championship will be Parochial A and B. You will just be the public school sectional champs! I can't wait. Just get it done!!!!

 

[fb107]

2 Loud, I like that! We could use a man like you on the politoboard! There is an effort to dumb pretty much everything in society today to the LOWEST common denominator, and we are getting there in a hurry!

 

[elcato]

Re: Unlike the Pubes????

What the hell is a matter with you what are you 10 what a douche. Sorry a school with zero district lines has an advantage over one that does plain and simple.

 

[ptomaselli]

Re: Unlike the Pubes????

Originally posted by elcato:
What the hell is a matter with you what are you 10 what a douche. Sorry a school with zero district lines has an advantage over one that does plain and simple.

Flipping that argument, since a private school has "zero district lines" they are actually guaranteed nothing. No student body, no athletes, no debate team, no drama club, no chess club, zero, zip, zilch, niente, nada. They have to recruit every kid in the entire school.

I think it could be successfully argued they have it harder. Sure, St Joe's Prep, LaSalle, and Wood are established as excellent academic schools with good extracurriculars. But at some point they weren't. There are plenty of schools "with district lines" having built in talent who screw the pooch every year.