by Dave Ferris
Last week’s game – Eastern PA Championship/State Semifinal
(PIAA district in parenthesis)
St. Joe’s Prep (12) 35, North Penn (1) 25
The eastern giant of public schools went toe-to-toe with the giant of eastern Catholic schools. Once again, the Catholic school won. Prep will go to the state championship game for the third time in four years. Late in the game, North Penn was on the door step of victory trailing by only 28-25. But, with 3 minutes remaining, North Penn QB Reece Udinski fumbled at the Prep 25 after a 15 yard gain on a keeper. Prep recovered effectively ending any chances of a North Penn upset. Udinski also threw three interceptions. The four turnovers were impossible to overcome. Prep’s Georgia-bound D’Andre Swift was also difficult to overcome. He sped his way up and down the field for four killer TD’s. He finished the scoring with a late TD as icing on the cake. The Prep led at halftime 14-7, but North Penn went ahead 17-14 on a Kelly Macnamara field goal late in the third quarter. Prep took the lead again after another Swift TD and then padded the lead at 28-17. Then NP scored and added a 2-point conversion to make the score 28-25. They then held Prep and regained possession. That is when their ill-fated final drive began. It ended with Udisnski’s fumble.
Game notes: Prep’s D’Andre Swift rushed for 272 yards and 4 TD’s. NP QB Reece Udinksi was 19 of 38 for 265 yards. He finished with 4,269 yards for the season which is second in state history.
Comment
This year’s North Penn team was one of their best ever. North Penn is District One’s juggernaut. But still they could not get by St. Joe’s Prep. It may be a long time before they or any other team in District One moves on to the title game. Why? This will be the fourth consecutive year that a Catholic school will win the PIAA’s big-school title. Why? The simple truth is that some private schools have an unfair advantage over public schools. Recruiting and money are at the center of it. In a well-documented article written by Robert K. Cato for Philadelphia Magazine in 2011, all of this and more is laid bare for all to see, and it’s not just football. Here is an excerpt from the article:
Under the guidelines, member schools may only contact students at “feeder” grade schools — those that provide 25 percent or more of the respective high school’s enrollment. But with increased competition for players, some Catholic school coaches have begun going beyond their traditional feeder schools (parish grade schools) and targeting students at nearby public middle schools — a direct violation of the rules.
St. Joe’s Prep starting QB, Marquez McCray, is from Lansdale in North Penn School District. Last week he played against old friends and teammates for the Eastern PA Title. So, you take a player from one school, reducing their talent base and then pit that same player against the school that lost him. Is North Penn a St. Joe’s Prep feeder school? No. Is McCray an exception? No. He is one of many. It’s routine.
Here is another excerpt:
“If a school wants to be good in athletics, they’re going to be good,” says Chris McNesby, basketball coach at Roman Catholic, a perennial Philadelphia hoops powerhouse. “It’s very simple. If you turn on the faucet and get kids in school for free, you’ll win.” For particularly valued athletes, other avenues exist — including tuition being paid by alumni, other parents or even a coach’s acquaintances. “I call [the benefactors] ‘godfathers,’” longtime Prep athletic director Jim Murray says. “I have no problem with godfathers. It doesn’t matter whether Aunt Sally, Uncle Henry or Joe Nice Guy is paying a guy’s tuition. It’s being paid.”
Then there is this from the PIAA Handbook:
Recruiting which is materially motivated in some way by an athletic purpose is contrary to the fundamental objectives of (1) keeping athletics in their proper place and subordinate to academics; (2) protecting student-athletes from “exploitation” by adults and those having interests which might not be consistent with those of the student; and (3) maintaining competitive equity and a level playing field among PIAA member schools.
Other states separate public and private schools for championship competition for obvious reasons. It is the only way to maintain a “level playing field”. Some PIAA championships are becoming irrelevant and out of reach of the public schools. This year, five of the six teams playing for a championship in the top three classifications are private schools. As time goes by, more and more public schools are being excluded from the chance of winning a championship by a handful of private schools who dominate through rule-breaking recruiting. It is sad for the kids and for the fans who support them.
Read Robert Cato’s article here: http://www.phillymag.com/articles/the-prized-recruits-of-prep-school-sports/?all=1
Last week’s game – Western PA Championship/State Semifinal
(PIAA district in parenthesis)
Pittsburgh Central Catholic (7) 63, Wilson 21 (3)
This week’s game – 6A State Championship
(PIAA district in parenthesis)
St. Joe’s Prep (12) 13-0 vs Pittsburgh Central Catholic (7) 14-1 – Saturday 8:00 at Hersheypark Stadium
In 2013, PCC met St. Joe’s Prep for the first-ever all catholic 4A title. This year it happens again in the newly-created 6A classification. Pittsburgh Central Catholic is looking for its second consecutive state championship having beaten Parkland last year.
