The athletic programs at Gray Collegiate in West Columbia, in particular football, have come under fire from public school coaches, parents and supporters for their perceived freedom to recruit athletes and thus win at a disproportionate rate compared to their region rivals. Things have gotten so bad, nearly all of Gray’s region opponents in football have announced they will forfeit rather than play the Eagles.
The state legislature has even taken notice and there are bills that have been proposed to address the “uneven playing field’ that many believe exists between charter/private schools and public schools.
Friday night on the Founders Federal High School Scoreboard, Gray coach Adam Holmes joined us and answered direct questions about his program and the claims being made against them.
Everything he said, except that you establish “home school” residency as you enter the ninth grade was a LIE! The sad part of this “Competitive Balance” (PC-speak for “CHEATING” or “RECRUITING”), is these folks at the Charter Schools (NOT Public), honestly believe they aren’t doing anything wrong… Nothing every other school is doing!?! He even said they have “an enrollment district”??? Show it to us on a map, Coach! Then, they’re OK with a “multiplier” system to determine their classification? Two problems with that… Let me recruit all the players I want and I’ll play any 5A team in SC, because even if I only have 500 students, but 250 of them are among the best 1000 players in the state, bring’em ALL on! AND, the majority of the schools in those higher classifications will have to vote to accept you… AND that ain’t ever going to happen, because they don’t want to play them either!
IF they truly want to “Play the best competition,” which is why they claim they have to be in the SCHSL… Let them do what they are apparently going to do this week… Travel to play St. Frances, MD, St. John Bosco, CA, IMG Academy & St. Thomas Aquinas, FL, or LaLumiere, IN, etc… Those schools are ALWAYS looking for teams to play, because NO ONE in their state’s public schools will play them either, because its not a level playing field whether they keep lying to us and to themselves that it is!
It’s NOT Anonymous… I thought I had signed in. The above post is from Allen Smothers “The Bad Boy of SportsRadio” I have been leading this crusade from the beginning and I will not stop until the legislature rectifies this situation. It obviously wouldn’t let me include my website.
I heard the interview on Friday night and everything he said, except for the fact that a student’s “home school” is established in the 9th grade, regardless of where they live in the state if they provide their own transportation… WAS A LIE! He even stated, “They have an enrollment district…” Show it to us on a map coach!?! But, then he proceeded to claim they would be fine with a “multplier system” that some states use to determine enrollment. The two very real problems with that are, one… If I recruit the very best players in any sport and my enrollment is on 500, but 250 of them are the best athletes in the state, heck yeah, I’ll take on anybody in 5A!! Second, to move up a class, you have to be “accepted” by the membership in that class and they don’t want to play schools who recruit all their athletes either!
Finally, they (all of the Private schools, Charters are PUBLIC in name only, because they receive public funding, no more no less), claim they want to play “the very best competition,” which is why they want to be members of the SCHSL. Well, if that’s REALLY the case, let them ALL do what Grey apparently is doing this week… travel to St. Frances, MD, St. John Bosco, CA, IMG Academy & St. Thomas Aquinas, FL, La Lumiere, IN, Oak Hill, VA and play the VERY best competition, because those schools are always looking for teams to play, because no public school in their states want or are even allowed to play them either, because they DON’T BELONG! You can use the PC-speak of “Competitive Balance” all you want, but it’s Cheating and Recruiting, even before the 9th grade, is all it is! I’m all for parents having the right to choose what’s best for their children’s education and recreational endeavors, just NOT at the expense of someone else’s in the SCHSL… There’s SCISA or form their own classification, those are the ONLY answers.
The above statement says from ANONYMOUS… I thought I had signed in… I’m NOT anonymous! This is Allen W. Smothers “The Bad Boy of SportsRadio” I have been leading this crusade from the beginning and I won’t stop until the legislature rectifies the situation. https://www.ThePressBoxRadio.com/
Crestwood Wasn’t Scared to Line Up Against Gray……Why is Everyone else Scared??? Yes Crestwood Lost 62-60 But it Was one Heck of A Game!! Great Competition in My Eyes
They recruit every year always have
Coach Smith told the SCHSL this was going to happen they wouldn’t listen
I coach cross country in our state. Go look at state meet results for the smaller classifications. Small public schools do not have a chance competing with private schools. School caps student enrollment at a certain point so they don’t have to play up and you don’t think they pick and select who they allow in? There are enough private schools in our state at this time, let them compete against those who have same criteria for attending their schools.