R.I.P. MIAA "A" Conference Championship

[BmoreCounty99]

Gilman not McDonogh would ever join the State Association the way it is constituted. Too many restrictions.

What restrictions in particular?

[GREYHOUND ALUM]

Would love to see the privates and publics play more or even the privates join the stae association but to me the biggest obstacle is the restrictions the MPSSAA puts on the schools not the privates paying a kids tuition. The privates could probably concede to no more 'redshirting' past a certain grade but that is usually a parental decision often times that happens in kindergarten. I don't know maybe equal practice time could be a start? Anyway would love to see them at least play more but that won't happen until the point system changes or is abolished.

First off, the MPSSAA is for high school. No one gets "red shirted" in privates in high school, so that's not an issue. When kids repeat grades, it happens in middle school. Something the MPSSAA has no say so whatsoever over in publics and wouldn't with any private. But this is a non issue, McDonogh and Gilman I promise you have no interest in joining.

[GREYHOUND ALUM]

What restrictions in particular?

The biggest restriction would be being told who you can play.

[mlf1886]

All schools should play in the state tournament in football and basketball .. all open enrollment, magnet and private schools should be in an open classification division(5a) 11game regular season schedules in football. Allow games to be played on Sunday and allow basketball to be played 4days a week and in special tournaments

[PerryHallCoach]

The biggest restriction would be being told who you can play.

Publics have to play the teams in their conference/division. Doesn't Gilman and McDonogh have to play the teams in their conference?

The point system, I believe, is what drives the coaches away from playing privates. Anyhow, the start date of practice is one huge restriction and summer workouts is another in my mind. What would be wrong with an August 1st date?

[GREYHOUND ALUM]

Publics have to play the teams in their conference/division. Doesn't Gilman and McDonogh have to play the teams in their conference?

The point system, I believe, is what drives the coaches away from playing privates. Anyhow, the start date of practice is one huge restriction and summer workouts is another in my mind. What would be wrong with an August 1st date?

Privates start 4 days before publics and play a game a week before, so they obviously they have to start practicing for a game a week earlier.

Yes Gilman plays teams in their conference but they also play four OOC/OOS games. If they joined some open division for states, they would be forced to play state teams in that division. Something Gilman has no interest in doing.

[BmoreCounty99]

Publics have to play the teams in their conference/division. Doesn't Gilman and McDonogh have to play the teams in their conference?

The point system, I believe, is what drives the coaches away from playing privates. Anyhow, the start date of practice is one huge restriction and summer workouts is another in my mind. What would be wrong with an August 1st date?

The privates only start a few days before publics and they also start a week earlier for games. I really dont think most privates would mind. It is schools like Gilman, GC, Dematha etc that would not join because they want to play a national schedule. That is perfectly fine so let them be independent and devise their own schedules.

[pmore108]

First off, the MPSSAA is for high school. No one gets "red shirted" in privates in high school, so that's not an issue. When kids repeat grades, it happens in middle school. Something the MPSSAA has no say so whatsoever over in publics and wouldn't with any private. But this is a non issue, McDonogh and Gilman I promise you have no interest in joining.

I hear what you're saying man and I know we have disagreed about the redshirting thing and when it should happen. I was just looking for an area where the privates could compromise but to me the onus is on the public schools to do the following if they want the private schools to join:

1. lift the restriction on oponnents. To me this is a no brainer, those that can afford to travel will, those that can't won't. Additionally just because you don't travel doesn't mean you will be unsuccessful.

2. eliminate the ridiculous point system

[miaasportsfan]

so if the vote was 5-2, clearly Loyola and CHC were not in the minority here.

[agentorange]

Because the MIAA is stronger than the Big East Well it used to be anyway...

Its a shame how Gilman just bolted for another conference...

[eaglesinsider]

so if the vote was 5-2, clearly Loyola and CHC were not in the minority here.

No, but they were the ringleaders. The Catholic schools are the majority. McDonogh and Gilman are the minority. Anything Loyola/CHC wants will be passed by the other Catholic schools. That's why it was good to have Georgetown Prep in the A Conference. They were an independent vote that wasn't influenced by either side.

[GREYHOUND ALUM]

No, but they were the ringleaders. The Catholic schools are the majority. McDonogh and Gilman are the minority. Anything Loyola/CHC wants will be passed by the other Catholic schools. That's why it was good to have Georgetown Prep in the A Conference. They were an independent vote that wasn't influenced by either side.

Exactly. To me the other schools are worse than CHC/Loyola because they have no backbone. Even if the MIAA playoffs wasn't ideal, it is better than none. You can't not have a playoff is this day and age. It's just ridiculous!

[TheGuru]

No, but they were the ringleaders. The Catholic schools are the majority. McDonogh and Gilman are the minority. Anything Loyola/CHC wants will be passed by the other Catholic schools. That's why it was good to have Georgetown Prep in the A Conference. They were an independent vote that wasn't influenced by either side.

You do know that GP is a Catholic Jesuit institution that left the MIAA due to Gilman's move to the semi-professional ranks? I say let all the non-private schools in the MIAA create their own league. Good riddance! Gilman has perverted what the MSA/MIAA was anyway with their redshirting, FedEx envelopes full of cash and unaccredited boarding school.

[GREYHOUND ALUM]

You do know that GP is a Catholic Jesuit institution that left the MIAA due to Gilman's move to the semi-professional ranks? I say let all the non-private schools in the MIAA create their own league. Good riddance! Gilman has perverted what the MSA/MIAA was anyway with their redshirting, FedEx envelopes full of cash and unaccredited boarding school.

Non-private schools? You mean non-catholic schools. You do know that Gilman isn't doing anything different than what they have been doing for years right? What's wrong with helping kids who aren't ready for the Gilman Upper School by repeating the 8th grade? I can tell you that as a kid from an inner city school system coming straight to Gilman that it was a HUGE adjustment and I definitely started from behind the 8 ball. And I was a straight A student coming into Gilman. It's a very difficult school and many non athlete kids have been asked to repeat grades in the middle school. This is a normal practice and also happens at other schools like BL and St. Paul's. Since CHC doesn't have a lower and middle school, you wouldn't know about.

Lets just say what it really is, CHC and Loyola realize that they can't compete with Gilman and throwing in the towel! McDonogh is the only school that has the balls to want to compete with Gilman and they are doing it on the recruiting front. CHC(Loyola is a non factor) is now lagging behind McDonogh on that front as well.

By the way, the Dark Ages as you call CHC's past might not come around in that form anytime soon but even if they luck up and beat Gilman again it will not matter because now the MIAA title is definitely a paper champ. It means nothing anymore. OOC games now mean even more than they ever did. But it's ok, CHC plays GC on a down year and will still get beat.

[eaglesinsider]

You do know that GP is a Catholic Jesuit institution that left the MIAA due to Gilman's move to the semi-professional ranks? I say let all the non-private schools in the MIAA create their own league. Good riddance! Gilman has perverted what the MSA/MIAA was anyway with their redshirting, FedEx envelopes full of cash and unaccredited boarding school.

Prep is a Jesuit school in name only, they always voted their own interests. They see themselves as academic betters of Loyola and especially CHC and the WCAC schools.

Prep always had more in common with McD/Gilman than any of the other MIAA schools. There is a reason McD plays Prep annually in football, basketball, and lacrosse.

In forming a new conference, I would look to go regional and I wouldn't care about historical success in football as much as how much money a school has to spend. Schools with money always have the potential to get better. Using this as a blueprint, I would invite:

Current MIAA:
- McDonogh School (endowment $80 million)
- Gilman School (endowment $65 million)
- Saint Paul's School (endowment $30 million)
- Boys' Latin School of Maryland(endowment $31 million)
- Severn School (endowment $32 million)
- Friends School of Baltimore (endowment $22 million)

Current IAC: Episcopal School (VA) (endowment $153 million)

Current Independent: Georgetown Preparatory School (endowment $80 million)

Current VISFA Division 1:
- Liberty Christian Academy (VA) (supported by Liberty University; endowment $54 million)
- Woodberry Forest School (VA) (endowment $254 million)

Current Inter-Academic League:
- Haverford School (PA) (endowment $35 million)
- Episcopal Academy (PA) (endowment $30 million)
- William Penn Charter School (PA) (endowment $54 million)
- Germantown Academy (PA) (endowment $27 million)

Current Mid-Atlantic Prep:
- Mercersburg Academy (PA) (endowment $131 million)
- Lawrenceville School (NJ) (endowment $310 million)
- Peddie School (NJ) (endowment $210 million)
- Hill School (PA) (endowment $115 million)

Current DE Independents: Saint Andrew's School (DE) (endowment $200 million)

I limited my list to schools in MD, VA, PA, WV, NJ, and DE with endowments of greater than $20 million. If you could get 10-12 of those 19 schools you could have a league divided into A and B Conferences or North/South Divisions with the potential to be the best academic & athletic league in the country.

[GREYHOUND ALUM]

Prep is a Jesuit school in name only, they always voted their own interests. They see themselves as academic betters of Loyola and especially CHC and the WCAC schools.

Prep always had more in common with McD/Gilman than any of the other MIAA schools. There is a reason McD plays Prep annually in football, basketball, and lacrosse.

In forming a new conference, I would look to go regional and I wouldn't care about historical success in football as much as how much money a school has to spend. Schools with money always have the potential to get better. Using this as a blueprint, I would invite:

Current MIAA:
- McDonogh School (endowment $80 million)
- Gilman School (endowment $65 million)
- Saint Paul's School (endowment $30 million)
- Boys' Latin School of Maryland(endowment $31 million)
- Severn School (endowment $32 million)
- Friends School of Baltimore (endowment $22 million)

Current IAC: Episcopal School (VA) (endowment $153 million)

Current Independent: Georgetown Preparatory School (endowment $80 million)

Current VISFA Division 1:
- Liberty Christian Academy (VA) (supported by Liberty University; endowment $54 million)
- Woodberry Forest School (VA) (endowment $254 million)

Current Inter-Academic League:
- Haverford School (PA) (endowment $35 million)
- Episcopal Academy (PA) (endowment $30 million)
- William Penn Charter School (PA) (endowment $54 million)
- Germantown Academy (PA) (endowment $27 million)

Current Mid-Atlantic Prep:
- Mercersburg Academy (PA) (endowment $131 million)
- Lawrenceville School (NJ) (endowment $310 million)
- Peddie School (NJ) (endowment $210 million)
- Hill School (PA) (endowment $115 million)

Current DE Independents: Saint Andrew's School (DE) (endowment $200 million)

I limited my list to schools in MD, VA, PA, WV, NJ, and DE with endowments of greater than $20 million. If you could get 10-12 of those 19 schools you could have a league divided into A and B Conferences or North/South Divisions with the potential to be the best academic & athletic league in the country.

I love this idea! I hope the powers that be are thinking in this direction. To be honest, the schools should have left the MIAA after CHC/Loyola shot down the merger with the WCAC. I have a strong feeling that something big is on the rise. Gilman and McD will not just take this sitting down.

[TheGuru]

Non-private schools? You mean non-catholic schools. You do know that Gilman isn't doing anything different than what they have been doing for years right? What's wrong with helping kids who aren't ready for the Gilman Upper School by repeating the 8th grade? I can tell you that as a kid from an inner city school system coming straight to Gilman that it was a HUGE adjustment and I definitely started from behind the 8 ball. And I was a straight A student coming into Gilman. It's a very difficult school and many non athlete kids have been asked to repeat grades in the middle school. This is a normal practice and also happens at other schools like BL and St. Paul's. Since CHC doesn't have a lower and middle school, you wouldn't know about.

Lets just say what it really is, CHC and Loyola realize that they can't compete with Gilman and throwing in the towel! McDonogh is the only school that has the balls to want to compete with Gilman and they are doing it on the recruiting front. CHC(Loyola is a non factor) is now lagging behind McDonogh on that front as well.

By the way, the Dark Ages as you call CHC's past might not come around in that form anytime soon but even if they luck up and beat Gilman again it will not matter because now the MIAA title is definitely a paper champ. It means nothing anymore. OOC games now mean even more than they ever did. But it's ok, CHC plays GC on a down year and will still get beat.

So all the recent Gilman championships won before 2011 & 2012 are meaningless? You should think before you write such things. Also, I know you're not that naive to think that holding a kid back a grade doesn't benefit said kid physically.

[GREYHOUND ALUM]

So all the recent Gilman championships won before 2011 & 2012 are meaningless? You should think before you write such things. Also, I know you're not that naive to think that holding a kid back a grade doesn't benefit said kid physically.

Of course it helps kids physically but not the reason why Gilman does it and that's what you don't get. There was a huge recruit recently from a city school that was in Gilman's Summer School before 9th grade and was set to go to Gilman but was asked to repeat the 8th grade because he wasn't academically ready for Gilman's Upper School. This said kid was a physical specimen and definitely didn't need any extra year to develop. He ended up not coming to Gilman but had an All everything career.

Of course the MANY Championships Gilman won means something but when you decide to go the way of a playoff system, you can't go back after that! Makes no sense and makes the conference look like a total joke. The MIAA-A is officially the joke conference of the state.

[Outside Looking In]

Non-private schools? You mean non-catholic schools. You do know that Gilman isn't doing anything different than what they have been doing for years right? What's wrong with helping kids who aren't ready for the Gilman Upper School by repeating the 8th grade? I can tell you that as a kid from an inner city school system coming straight to Gilman that it was a HUGE adjustment and I definitely started from behind the 8 ball. And I was a straight A student coming into Gilman. It's a very difficult school and many non athlete kids have been asked to repeat grades in the middle school. This is a normal practice and also happens at other schools like BL and St. Paul's. Since CHC doesn't have a lower and middle school, you wouldn't know about.

Lets just say what it really is, CHC and Loyola realize that they can't compete with Gilman and throwing in the towel! McDonogh is the only school that has the balls to want to compete with Gilman and they are doing it on the recruiting front. CHC(Loyola is a non factor) is now lagging behind McDonogh on that front as well.

By the way, the Dark Ages as you call CHC's past might not come around in that form anytime soon but even if they luck up and beat Gilman again it will not matter because now the MIAA title is definitely a paper champ. It means nothing anymore. OOC games now mean even more than they ever did. But it's ok, CHC plays GC on a down year and will still get beat.

Maybe these said schools dont want to blow all their money for football. There are more important things in life rather sinking an astronomical amount of $ into football and reliving your school days. I say good riddance to Gilman and if McD wants to go down that same road than good riddance to them as well.

[pmore108]

Of course it helps kids physically but not the reason why Gilman does it and that's what you don't get. There was a huge recruit recently from a city school that was in Gilman's Summer School before 9th grade and was set to go to Gilman but was asked to repeat the 8th grade because he wasn't academically ready for Gilman's Upper School. This said kid was a physical specimen and definitely didn't need any extra year to develop. He ended up not coming to Gilman but had an All everything career.

Of course the MANY Championships Gilman won means something but when you decide to go the way of a playoff system, you can't go back after that! Makes no sense and makes the conference look like a total joke. The MIAA-A is officially the joke conference of the state.

I believe you when you say that Gilman does this for many students (athletes and non-athletes) with an emphasis on academic development prior to the 9th grade year but you can't tell me that it has never been abused or used solely to keep a stud around for additional physical development. Any time a loophole can be used in any institution it usually is at some point. The fact of the matter is that Gilman can do what they want, they are a private institution but I think it is a little misleading to say that they always redshirt a kid for purely academic and noble reasons. No institution is perfect or does the right thing all the time.