francist

As for GP running up the score - the most certainly do! At Fairview they tried a fake punt in the second half on a 4th and very long from their own 19 yard line with their starting quarterback running the ball. That doesn't sound like a team that is not trying to run up the score. GP is good. In fact, I believe they are going to play in the Blue Cross Bowl. But they are guilty of running up the score.

Gentlemen, I hate to join the conversation late but I've enjoyed the discussion so far. I am a Fairview fan and our team has been directly impacted from the public/private adjustments. I am torn. On one hand we finished out of the playoffs with a team that could have possibly even won the division in our old region. It is difficult to compete with the schools we have to face. Goodpasture has a building dedicated to just football that costs more than our ahletic budget. We are allowed four coaches on staff and Goodpasture had at least double that. Our coaches are required to teach five classes a day by the Williamson County School Board while most private school coaches are often allowed to teach as little as two classes or sometimes even none. The problem of zoning comes into play as well. It is going to get progressively worse for Fairview to keep its best players if they continue to miss the playoffs while Ensworth and CPA are both well within driving distance. So on one hand, I don't like the multiplier or the fact that publics must play privates at all. On the other hand, you get better by playing the best. And every team only puts eleven players on the field. Better players in public schools can also benefit in the recruiting process by playing the more heavily recruited private schools. Very few college scouts have ever seen or heard of a Fairview player. Yet, if Fairview is playing Goodpasture in 2004 while Patrick Turner is being recruited, at least they are being seen. This is often how the lower ranked recruits are found. So there is an advantage. I think the whole financial aid division is somewhat flawed. While some schools do not offer financial aid to players, some of their players do get "sponsored" by former alumni. The point is that there are loopholes in the system that are used by the "non-recruiting / non-scholarship" schools. I'm torn. But I do believe one prediction so far is true. If things don't change, don't be surprised to see schools like Fairview and Harpeth move up to 3A just to escape a difficult region such as Region 5-2A. Even if the strength of the privates is just a "perceived advantage", it still becomes a factor in the competition. Go Jackets!