Pinewood Prep is a private school with tuition (I had to look it up). Oceanside is a Charleston County Charter School (public) which is free. It must follow the state law for Charter Schools. There are no "athletic" set asides. There are "set asides" if your sibling attends, your parent is one of the eight members of the school's board or is an employee of the school (maybe one of 30 public school teachers/staff). I discussed it again with my neighbor this weekend and they again reiterated that they take the lottery very seriously as they could lose their charter and have to close down.
SCHSL playoff observation
- Thread starter Judson1
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Private schools probably have minimum academic standards (potential) students have to achieve, even if you are an athlete. For better or worse, an athlete does bring something to the table that will be considered regarding admission, but they still have to meet minimum academic standards set by the school. On the collegiate level, schools like Vanderbilt, Tulane, and the Ivies come to mind. IMO, Dook has abused this with all of the one and dones.
It would definitely be harder at the 5A level, but in some sports, yes, they would still compete very well. Last year's 2A baseball champion had 10 college commitments IIRC. How many public schools have that many? Maybe a few 5A's, but 10 commitments is unbelievably stacked.
I don't know the motivation for that. You'd have to ask those involved. All I will say is that IMO it would be harder for the privates to get athletes to come to their school if they knew they'd have to compete against the Dutch Forks, Gaffneys, etc. in the state year in year out.
GHSA is doing it correct IMO.
I note that only in class A does the GHSA break it down into public/private. And my guess is that their doing so is the opposite of what many would wish the SCHSL would do - those private schools don't emphasize athletics like Hammond, Cardinal Newman, and Pinewood Prep do.
If my guess is correct, a more accurate description would be that those GHSA Class A privates would be GHSA class B.
My wife is an alumna of St. Pius X here in Atlanta. They are a "5A" school in the GHSA. I don't know if they "play up" or not. And they are one of a few private school GHSA members who play above the Class A (B?) level.
GHSA's highest classification is 7A. My guess is that the average 7A school probably has an enrollment comparable to many "5A" schools in SC; it's just that there are a lot more of them in Georgia, and the enrollment classification brackets are narrower in Georgia than in SC.
That's why, for example, a school stating that we are "6A" means nothing to those out of that state, and the enrollment for grades 9-12 (10-12?) gives you the ability to translate as to how such a school would be classified were it in SC.
Not sure when your daughter attended but my son goes there now and I can almost guarantee you that if any kids are getting scholarships they ain’t playing football (basketball - I honestly don’t know). My son plays and the kids he plays with have all matriculated from middle school. In fact just last year (2020) they finished with maybe 16 kids on the rooster. I am not saying it never happened but if it has it certainly isn’t on the scale of a Hammond.
Oceanside just got a taste of those white walls. Can't go in there cocky or you leave with your tail between your legs.
Fox Creek is a charter in Edgefield county. There is no lottery. I think they have a student cap but anyone can attend. They even had some Georgia students there while my girls attended. So I could see a scenario where a team could be assembled with some effort. I was told at one time Aiken county schools decided not to play them in baseball as several Aiken county players transferred to FC. Looking at their schedule that doesn’t seem to be the case anymore.
If Gray Collegiate wins state this year it’ll be interesting to see if they continue to become more powerful. When they first started they were in Fox Creeks region and they weren’t very good.
Might the small population make Edgefield less of a draw and the need for a lottery?
