Batavia coach Dennis Piron and Mount Carmel coach Jordan Lynch represent opposite ends of the spectrum in the state’s ongoing debate over whether or not private schools currently have an advantage in high school football.
Their teams matched up in super-charged playoff games over the past several years, and the two rabid fanbases have built a rivalry that might not be entirely healthy. But both coaches are engaging and pleasant and make well-thought out, solid points when they give their opinions on the state’s rules.
High school sports success tends to have cycles. Private schools are currently riding high on the state’s football scene. The preseason rankings reflect that, as all of the top five schools are Catholic League powers.
Private schools won all eight of the Class 8A and Class 7A state championships over the past four seasons. Private schools took home 18 of the 25 state titles awarded in Class 4A through 8A since COVID canceled the 2020 season.
“I’ve been doing this a long time,” Piron said. “The private schools have always been able to attract kids to their schools based on the quality of their programs. I have no problem with that.
“But in the last 10 years, it feels a little bit more like they are an IMG or a prep school than just a private school. I’ve always thought the Mount Carmel and Loyola’s of the world were tough to beat. And now you have kids announcing things on social media that they are moving from Wisconsin, and you see all the distances they are traveling to private schools. The [private school] coaches are clearly coming out and saying they recruit. That is different.”
Illinois High School Association rules allow private schools to enroll players within a 30-mile radius.
Lynch has pointed out multiple times that Mount Carmel’s location actually limits its radius more than 30 miles: “We can’t go in the lake and grab kids.”
Lynch hasn’t acted differently than private school programs of the past, but he is more willing to advocate for private school recruiting. And he isn’t going to apologize for Mount Carmel’s success. The Caravan have won four consecutive state titles and are heavily favored to win Class 8A again this season. Their roster features 19 players with college scholarship offers.
“Give the kids and the families some credit, that are traveling within the 30 miles,” Lynch said. “It isn’t easy for them. They have to wake up every Monday, Wednesday, Friday in the offseason and be here at 5:30 a.m. No one sees that; no one talks about that. We have too many critics out there instead of people encouraging these kids and patting them on the back for doing some uncommon things.”
Mount Carmel doesn’t hide where its players live. The school distributes a media guide which lists the hometowns of every player on the varsity roster. This year’s Caravan is made up of 55 Chicagoans, 17 players from the south suburbs, five players from Indiana and one player each from Skokie, Park Ridge, North Aurora and Lisle.
“These kids and these parents have a choice,” Lynch said. “For them to pass up a school in their district and come to Mount Carmel and pay tuition speaks volumes. And I think you need to check your own programs. Why are kids passing up your school? They have a choice. They see what is going on here. These kids are pushed every single day. They work hard and we hold them accountable.”
Boys basketball, the state’s other high-profile sport with a significant fanbase, hasn’t seen such a significant swing towards private school success. Public schools have won 11 titles since COVID with private schools winning nine.
The IHSA’s competitive balance committee debated the private school dominance issue in mid-July. One proposal discussed creating separate playoff paths for public and private schools, with seven public schools and one private school advancing to the Elite Eight in sports with playoff brackets.
That’s a drastic step, but certainly better than the prospect of splitting the state tournaments into two, with one for public schools and one for private schools.
Expect several public schools to propose a change to the 30-mile recruiting radius this winter when the IHSA votes on new bylaws. The issue isn’t going away any time soon.