There are no ideal options for anyone....In reality, the WCAL is a victim of its own success, as the stockpiling of talent has created imbalances that the rest of us have seen develop over the last 15-20 years, but is now creeping its way into WCAL play. Demographic changes in Santa Clara County, WCAL schools creating their own club pipelines, and the perception from parents that a WCAL school is the only place for student athletes to attract college attention has led to dominating programs at Bellarmine, St. Francis, VC, Mitty, Serra, and SI.
Another remarkable fact is how these schools have become less about drawing the local Catholic families, and more about becoming regional schools. Case in point, SI, which has rosters with students from San Francisco, Marin, and San Mateo counties. Mitty's best basketball player is from Santa Cruz, and St. Francis is now getting students from across the Dumbarton Bridge which was not the case in years past. I mentioned in a previous thread that these programs are run more like colleges than extra-curricular activities. Is this a bad thing? Not for those kids competing at those high-levels, but the other 98% of CCS member schools are playing a completely different game.
ColHenry is correct in that no public school league will want to add these schools. And Tired of This is also correct in that the CCS does not necessarily give leagues a choice to add schools. If they do get placed in say the SCVAL, it does not really solve the problem, as the Mitty and St. Francis' of the world will destroy our schools, as they have done so in the WCAL. Our De Anza Division schools are solid on the top end, especially when a talented group of kids goes through the system, but our bottom end is more like a B+, than a true A. Mitty might get a good game with a Paly in girls basketball, and by a good game, I mean, lose by 25. The rest of the games would be in the 40-50 point range.
I am not sure how the WCAL will solve their fractures, but I fear that it will leak into, and then affect the PAL or SCVAL. The CCS playoffs have become a lot less fun the last 15 years or so, as the same schools tend to dominate. The Open Divisions provide a bit more interest, but it still would be more interesting if there were more balanced competition. For example, in baseball during the 80's/90's, the WCAL might have 2-3 solid pitchers, to our 1-2 in the old DAAL, but now they can go 5-6 deep, and they also probably cut 3 guys that could have been 3 year starters in a public school league.
It will be an interesting 3-5 years. That same lack of fun we see in CCS, would come into league play, which would not benefit anyone.
