Private schools versus publics schools makes no sense
Pictured is C-G standout Carson Chaffee
Bishop Kearney 82, Canisteo-Greenwood 58. We predicted this from the day the classifications were released.
This is a Section V final score.
When BK brought in 4 new starters from communities with a combined population more than Steuben County, they should’ve asked to be in Class AAA or AA.
Bishop Kearney and the coaches and administration should have never allowed that team to be in Class B.
Thats where it starts.
The next step is allowing it to happen by the committee that sets the classifications.
We’ve seen this for decades. Towns with parents who invest in AAU teams and uniforms they can’t afford, playing together for 10 years of summer ball, school ball and practices just to go home with a runner up piece of paper.
Why?
Because private schools have the ability to replace a guard or forward or center legally within minutes.
Meanwhile, public schools say “man we have our next center coming but he’s in 5th grade.” In Section VI, the private schools play in an amazing post-season tournament and go on to a state tournament that is missing Section V teams. Why? The Section V teams are in the public school finals.
There was a family recently in a Class D district that was trying to merge with two other schools just to field a team. The family moved schools. Their mailbox was on the property of the new school. But their home wasn’t. The child had to miss a season.
Meanwhile, the travel coaches from a Class AA school told their star to transfer to a Class D school they coached. He did. They won a title.
Make it make sense.
As we drive back from the privilege of playing at the Rochester War Memorial/Blue Cross Arena, there are three cars sitting in the Canisteo-Greenwood school parking lot waiting to pick up kids. Down the street, there is nothing but a single street light glowing by the volunteer fire department. Those trucks should be proudly running and manned by community members bursting with pride for an impromtu parade.
Not tonight.
A travel team with a ridiculous amount of hardware in multiple classes has taken that away. And those kids should be proud. And they should always stay in touch and bond over this title. They will complete where the adults place them.
Next up is LeRoy for the Section V Class B title and a trip to states on the line. A win by LeRoy and the private school talk is shelved for another year, perhaps another decade. The Section V basketball tournament is the best in the state. It’s because of the open tournament, the upsets, the hard work of the volunteers on the committee and class coordinators. It’s because people with full time jobs spending another 30 hours trying to get sponsors so teams can play at the arena.
Maybe we are ok with this trade off.
But not us, not tonight.
We wanted to see the bays empty at 14 S. Main and the Canisteo Fire Company trucks setting up shop at the school … not a parade of three cars taking kids home.
– Hornell Sun Editorial Board
