Serra's Walsh has a Big Idea

[2wcats]

Looks like Patrick has a big idea and envisions a 24-team league of private schools, perhaps for football only.

https://www.mercurynews.com/2021/10...lt-nl-bay-area-preps-hq-nl&utm_content=manual

 

[MC415]

Can’t read the article what’s the gist ?

 

[John Mellencamp]

Can’t read the article what’s the gist ?

Not a lot of detail in what it would involve, but basically a 24 team Division made up of three 8 team leagues. Not sure if that would include Sac/Stockton Modesto, but article mentions Salinas to Napa.

 

[2wcats]

Can’t read the article what’s the gist ?

Apologies, didn't know it was behind a paywall.

He envisions a 24-team league of private schools, perhaps for football only. Split into maybe three eight-team divisions. Divisions to be split by geography and strength of the football program. Games on Saturdays to help with travel.

 

[Streak One]

Every plan will have issues, but I think its clear that prep sports (football focused here) would benefit from revisions that are just erasing and adjusting, but starting with a new page. I think the gap between programs who have the top players and/or have the most investment in their program hasn't been bigger.

The idea presented by Walsh seems like it solves a few issues even it it may create some too.

 

[NCS707]

Can’t read the article what’s the gist ?

Great idea but tough to break out of sections. HMB should never be higher than DII for playoffs. I see some downsides with the CCS set up, it can sometimes reward mediocre teams being placed in an easier bracket. SHC may be in an easy playoff bracket for instance while Riordan may get "screwed."


How about this set up for football only. Football only leagues are a must this day in age. This is possible due to teams already being in the same section, and in the North Bay, the same conference.


Either tier all the MCAL, NBL, and VVAL. They are already in the same section and conference, can easily be done. At least tier NBL and VVAL is MCAL is unwilling.

Tier 1 should be MC, Rancho, CN, Windsor, and Vintage. No need to throw in an American Canyon for a sacrificial lamb. Also in NCS, CN and MC should really be D2 for football, one below the very large publics and DLS. D4 is just crazy.


WCAL should be 2 tier as well, you can even interlock to keep traditional rivalries. Lower tier could be SHC, Riordan, SHC, Mitty. Add SHP, and possibly Menlo and TKA. All private still. Maybe Palma as well.

 

[2wcats]

Not a lot of detail in what it would involve, but basically a 24 team Division made up of three 8 team leagues. Not sure if that would include Sac/Stockton Modesto, but article mentions Salinas to Napa.

FWIW

Back in the day St. Mary's Stockton was in the old Catholic Athletic League so Central Catholic and St. Mary's would be probably part of the plan. It would probably have to be teams from Central Coast, NCS, and Sac-Joaquin sections so this is a very long shot.

Central Coast has the 8 in the WCAL and if you add in SHP, Menlo, and Palma you get to 11.
NCS has DLS, Marin Catholic, Cardinal Newman, Bishop O'Dowd, Moreau Catholic, Justin Sienna. Getting you to 17
Sac-Joaquin has St. Mary's, Central Catholic, Jesuit, and Christian Brothers. Getting you to 21

I guess you would have to reach down to the smaller schools like St. Francis in Watsonville to get to 24?

 

[mistark]

Fb only leagues are the best way to grow the game of fb imo. Fb is the main financial supporter for most athletic programs and the CIF. I am not a fan of private school only leagues.

 

[bella123]

Doesn’t this idea get thrown around just about every year? Swear I’ve been hearing about an idea like this for the past 40 years.

 

[2wcats]

Yep on the boards it gets talked about almost every year, but I don't remember someone like Walsh talking about it. That is why I was surprised to see it in the Mercury today.

 

[FBIQ]

Football is dying in certain areas, some teams have 20-25 man rosters while others have 70-75 man rosters. What do you do when one of the lower level public schools gets the major haul of players and starts to run over the other public schools? Where do you send them to make sure that everyone still gets a trophy?

I think football will be gone soon, at least in certain schools. Maybe 8 man will start to catch on?????

 

[colhenrylives]

Doesn’t this idea get thrown around just about every year? Swear I’ve been hearing about an idea like this for the past 40 years.

Yes. Your correspondent has been proposing a CCS-only version for at least a full decade.

 

[colhenrylives]

Here goes a 2022 expanded WCAL two-division arrangement:

Upper _ St. Francis, Bellarmine, Valley Christian, Serra, St. Ignatius, Palma.

Lower _ Mitty, SHC, SHP, Menlo, TKA, Riordan.

We have broached this a number of times before. It has gained about as much traction as the 49ers pass defense. In other words, not much. Talk among yourselves.

 

[colhenrylives]

Removing three private/parochials from the PAL would warm the delicate hearts of the league's public school coaches, especially this season as Menlo School rampages unchecked and unfettered through the PAL Ocean (mid-level) Division like a runaway freight train. The Knights, with QB Sergio Beltran at the controls, are crushing everyone in their path, making a mockery of the word "competition." Menlo's Ocean contests are being decided not long after warmups. A running clock is routine in the second half. The games are so one-sided they should be rated "R." Shoving Menlo, along with SHP and TKA, into a new, expanded WCAL would alleviate that problem and several others as well.

 

[bella123]

Yep on the boards it gets talked about almost every year, but I don't remember someone like Walsh talking about it. That is why I was surprised to see it in the Mercury today.

I think the Pope could mention it and nothing would be done.

 

[colhenrylives]

I think the Pope could mention it and nothing would be done.

The current Vatican honcho is busy dodging various pass rush combinations so he's too busy to fret about the makeup of the WCAL.

 

[northbayfb]

I think its a shame that HMB got ousted in the first round, but that's more a result of CCS playoff formula. Like HMB's coach said in the article it was so larger schools could play down. IMO Milpitas with an enrollment of 3,177 in 2019 should never been able to play down for a D5-A state championship. There are the haves and have nots of private school's too that would be unable to compete and would probably end up shutting its program. I can't imagine the expense a St. Bernard's in Eurkea would have to endure to play their league games. I think a better path would be to divide the current state championship format from D1AA and D1A, D2AA and D2A to D1 Public and D1 Private, D2 Public and D2 Private, etc and the Open should remain Open either public or private. Then publics and privates can keep the finger pointing in house like the SFL did with Folsom just a couple of years ago.

 

[parkdale]

FWIW

Back in the day St. Mary's Stockton was in the old Catholic Athletic League so Central Catholic and St. Mary's would be probably part of the plan. It would probably have to be teams from Central Coast, NCS, and Sac-Joaquin sections so this is a very long shot.

Central Coast has the 8 in the WCAL and if you add in SHP, Menlo, and Palma you get to 11.
NCS has DLS, Marin Catholic, Cardinal Newman, Bishop O'Dowd, Moreau Catholic, Justin Sienna. Getting you to 17
Sac-Joaquin has St. Mary's, Central Catholic, Jesuit, and Christian Brothers. Getting you to 21

I guess you would have to reach down to the smaller schools like St. Francis in Watsonville to get to 24?