St. Rita lost 35-14 to Mount Carmel on the road in Week 2. After the game, my first question to Mustangs coach Martin Hopkins was more of a statement, something along the lines of “you guys are pretty good.”
The game was closer than the score indicated. St. Rita had some issues on its first two punts, gave the Caravan a short field twice, and trailed 14-0 early. Things were relatively close the rest of the game.
The Mustangs went on to lose their next two games to Brother Rice and St. Francis, and then suffered a loss in Week 6 to Nazareth. After the state playoff brackets were announced, I picked St. Rita to lose to Hersey in the quarterfinals. By then, my memory of the Mustangs holding their own against Mount Carmel for a few quarters had been overcome by St. Rita’s overall record.
Not many people saw St. Rita’s playoff surge coming. The Mustangs beat Hersey and then knocked off Batavia in the semifinals this past weekend. They scored 56 against Hersey and 54 against Batavia.
The top-level Catholic League teams have firmly established dominance this season. St. Rita is now ranked No. 3 in the new Super 25, and the top six teams are all Catholic League squads.
Loyola is back. That’s based on the Catholic League dominance and the Ramblers’ giving Mount Carmel its closest local challenge.
It’s going to be a long 10 days of private school vs. public school discussions. Most of the focus will be on Mount Carmel and maybe Brother Rice. But take a harder look at St. Rita.
The Mustangs aren’t loaded with future college football stars. They took their lumps against a rugged Catholic League schedule and then went out and beat Hersey and Batavia when it counted.
There is not a massive talent disparity between St. Rita and Hersey or Batavia. Hersey and Batavia have large, experienced coaching staffs and put resources into football.
Meanwhile, the Mustangs are competing with Mount Carmel and Brother Rice for players.
What I’m getting at is that I don’t see a significant “private school advantage” for St. Rita over Hersey and Batavia. The Mustangs just went out and improved over the course of the season and won the playoff games that mattered. Hopkins and his players deserve credit for turning their season around.
The divide in high school football is primarily economic, not private/public. Take a look at the schools listed below in the Super 25 rankings. They all have one thing in common: they are able to devote a tremendous amount of resources to high school football.
Public schools in Glen Ellyn, St. Charles, Arlington Heights and Park Ridge have more in common with Mount Carmel and Nazareth than they do with public schools in Waukegan and Chicago Heights or on the West Side of Chicago.
Private schools argue that public schools have a built-in base of large enrollments. Public schools argue that private schools are able to take players from a 35-mile radius. Both of those things are true, but neither factor matters without money.
Super 25 high school football rankings for Week 14
With record and last week’s ranking
1. Mount Carmel (13-0) 1
8A: vs. No. 9 Oswego
2. Brother Rice (12-1) 2
7A: vs. No. 3 St. Rita
3. St. Rita (9-4) 16
7A: vs. No. 2 Brother Rice
4. Montini (13-0) 4
4A: vs. Rochester
5. Fenwick (10-3) 13
6A: vs. East St. Louis
6. Nazareth (11-2) 3
Season complete
7. Fremd (11-2) 5
Season complete
8. Downers Grove North (10-3) 7
Season complete
9. Oswego (11-2) 9
8A: vs. No. 1 Mount Carmel
10. Providence (10-3) 14
5A: vs. No. 16. St. Francis
11. St. Charles North (10-2) 10
Season complete
12. Glenbard West (9-2) 11
Season complete
13. Carmel (8-3) 12
Season complete
14. Lincoln-Way East (9-3) 15
Season complete
15. Loyola (4-5) NR
Season complete
16. St. Francis (10-3) 17
5A: vs. No. 10 Providence
17. Lockport (9-4) 8
Season complete
18. Batavia (10-3) 6
Season complete
19. Hersey (9-3) 18
Season complete
20. Bolingbrook (9-3) 19
Season complete
21. Maine South (10-2) 20
Season complete
22. Lake Zurich (9-3) 21
Season complete
23. Lyons (8-3) 22
Season complete
24. Warren (9-2) 25
Season complete
25. Morris (11-2) 23
Season complete