I have copied a post that I was reprimanded by the Forum coordinator at the STL Today Prep site. This is my opinion as I look back. Yes, this talks about recruiting, but also answers your questions about what has happened to the public schools in St. Louis North County, the downfall of the Public High League and now the new phase where the Private Schools are getting most of the great athletes to attend their institutions. I personally feel that the rest of you out of state were given the choice to send your high school athlete to a school not only where the team is successful but also the eduction prepares your child for college better than your local public school, you would send them to the Private school. Here is my post I copied from the site:
Posted on stltoday.com
"In talking with a friend who played high school football here in the Lou in the late 70's, he could not believe the Hazelwoods and Sumners were dominant in football. As a person who has followed high school football, here is how I view the history. In the 70’s and early 80’s. Football was dominated by Suburban North (McCluer, Hazelwood Central, Hazelwood East) and the ABC (Country Day, John Burroughs and Lutheran North) along with Sumner as the top teams on the STL side. The rest of the area may have a competitive team but you knew that your state contenders were coming out of these conferences or teams. The Desegregation Program changed the game for the West and South County schools as they were able to recruit (I know, horrible accusation) athletes to attend their schools and that was the beginning of the end of the PHL as a dominant force. So there is where you saw the rise of the Mehlville, Webster Groves and Parkway Centrals in the area and it was not a given that the best Suburban North teams was going to represent the STL in the title games. Now the ABC Conference (which is now the Metro Conference) still stayed as a top conference, as they still went about their business getting players to their schools. The biggest change in the Suburban North has been losing athletes to the Metro Catholic league, as CBC moving out to Highway 40 changed the game for everyone. This made them more accessible for the North County students. And as CBC stepped up their athletic programs, it forced the rest of the conference to step up their game, therefore the rest of the Metro Conference has done a better job of making sure they have student/athletes to make them competitive with the Cadets. Now I am not complaining, because if you are truly doing what is best for the kids, then the education you can get at a private school which is not tied to a state test or requirements and can prepare you for college is better than one in which you have certain restraints, then I wish all kids could go to these schools. Now this latest fad, where the top group of players are going to the small schools like Trinity and Lutheran North, well that is great idea, so we should not hate on those players or coaches. That is basically what Trinity did, hired the junior league coach who brought his players and they have been very successful at Trinity. So when you sit here and wonder why the Suburban North or the PHL is not as dominant as it once was, well, the players are spread out all over the area. What do you all think, is this a pretty accurate story?"
Posted on stltoday.com
"In talking with a friend who played high school football here in the Lou in the late 70's, he could not believe the Hazelwoods and Sumners were dominant in football. As a person who has followed high school football, here is how I view the history. In the 70’s and early 80’s. Football was dominated by Suburban North (McCluer, Hazelwood Central, Hazelwood East) and the ABC (Country Day, John Burroughs and Lutheran North) along with Sumner as the top teams on the STL side. The rest of the area may have a competitive team but you knew that your state contenders were coming out of these conferences or teams. The Desegregation Program changed the game for the West and South County schools as they were able to recruit (I know, horrible accusation) athletes to attend their schools and that was the beginning of the end of the PHL as a dominant force. So there is where you saw the rise of the Mehlville, Webster Groves and Parkway Centrals in the area and it was not a given that the best Suburban North teams was going to represent the STL in the title games. Now the ABC Conference (which is now the Metro Conference) still stayed as a top conference, as they still went about their business getting players to their schools. The biggest change in the Suburban North has been losing athletes to the Metro Catholic league, as CBC moving out to Highway 40 changed the game for everyone. This made them more accessible for the North County students. And as CBC stepped up their athletic programs, it forced the rest of the conference to step up their game, therefore the rest of the Metro Conference has done a better job of making sure they have student/athletes to make them competitive with the Cadets. Now I am not complaining, because if you are truly doing what is best for the kids, then the education you can get at a private school which is not tied to a state test or requirements and can prepare you for college is better than one in which you have certain restraints, then I wish all kids could go to these schools. Now this latest fad, where the top group of players are going to the small schools like Trinity and Lutheran North, well that is great idea, so we should not hate on those players or coaches. That is basically what Trinity did, hired the junior league coach who brought his players and they have been very successful at Trinity. So when you sit here and wonder why the Suburban North or the PHL is not as dominant as it once was, well, the players are spread out all over the area. What do you all think, is this a pretty accurate story?"
