Long time board reader/poster from back in the day when it all started. Many fun nights following scores and playoff predictions and opinions of many famous posters. I do have a take on the Bellarmine/WCAL situation that clarifies the uncertainty that is out there among readers. I am still deeply involved in WCAL sports and musings. The football situation is an evolution that is worthy of a 30 for 30 on ESPN or a book for that matter. For sure a YouTube podcast type video going into more depth could be warranted. It is fascinating to me. I will save the lengthy preamble for another time and cut to the chase.
Football was dying just a few years ago. Safety issues. Numbers dropping. Moms not happy at all about their boys playing. It might have been a smart bet to not try and build a program up when this barbaric sport might not even be around after one more CTE lawsuit. But the sport has rebounded. Equipment safer. Coaches adopting new practice and teaching styles. It seems to be thriving now. So as it turns out, making the traditional investment in football success to drive school success was a pretty good bet.
Patrick Walsh was building a program at Serra. Doing amazing things. He brilliantly courted the Polynesian community. Played the long game. Obviously it was an amazing success. Patrick deserves all the credit...but part of his vision was having a school buy in and support him via admissions and financial aid. Again...smashing success. 25% of Serra's student body plays FB. Do the math. That is 6 or 7 FB guys in every class taught on campus. Staggering.
Tuition high...close to $30,000 at these schools. Bodies are needed to fill schools. Not the chummy, friendly, united WCAL anymore. Schools fighting for survival. Business decisions in the upper echelons are made....get in or not.
Si builds a junior high school and students matriculate to SI. Affordable options exist due to commitment from admin wing. They break the long standing teacher/coach model and bring in a guy with Mater Dei and USC experience. They are in it for the long run.
Riordan hires a well known coach and takes close to 20 transfers and does the same in basketball. Need to find a way to stay solvent. They go coed. Boarding options. Can they keep it up? I hear of rumblings
SH dips into East Bay. They are young and talented. 20 soph on varsity and 20 more on JV. Decisions are being made. That has often been the SH secret sauce. But they are not willing to be left behind in the City
SF has two perfect coaches in the wings on campus while others struggle with the transition from long time coaches. They dip into Pop Warner world and hire parents who coach those teams. Players follow. Admin on board. Millions invested in facilities. To me the Pop Warner decision and the perfect, traditional, Lancer alums coaching is their secret sauce
VC has a unique and successful financial aid program. After losing kids fleeing Covid for a couple years, they pull lots of south county talent. All these teams are huge upfront. Simple physics. 300lb will handle 180lb
Mitty has some unfortunate luck with coaching transitions and seems to be on solid ground now, except small on the lines. Skill guys are good and actually pretty young. Will they jump in the game? Clock is ticking.
Bells so far refusing to take that step. I am sure coaches are urging them to. Coach should have some clout in situation being a successful, HOF alum. Who knows?
These are business decisions made above FB coaches. Stay in the game or not. I do think it is limited to WCAL world though. Rest of CCS still succeeds with the same equation that we all grew up with. It is the size of the WCAL teams that is off the charts. You either get those guys or you don't. Admissions involved. Financial aid involved. Support by community involved. Sort of an arms race with lots of intrigue
