Not being on the inside I can not say for sure, but if half the rumors I have heard (many of whom were likely confirmed in your conversation) of those very people were true, I have to say no doubt many people would be quite shocked at the names of people who were not let in. SJ will not bend rule regardless of economic or social stature. I can attest to both of those, and St. Agnes is very much the same way. I was not ready for that, thus (much to my family's dismay) I did not even make an attempt. You MUST clarify the "If he can't make the grades" comment for everyone. He is not talking passing. I am not sure what they are now, but I know the grade requirements in order to continue in the athletics is not maintaining above a failing grade. Correct me if I am wrong on this one, but its important to note, as the space becomes more scarce and the applicants rose, the admission standards have risen as well making it even more difficult. I assume they still select the applicants with the best credentials. They are not saying "he qualified and his parents are 'X' so we take him over the other student ____ who had better scores."
Sorry, no edit feature, but 2 more things to add to that. The bottom line is SJ being allowed into the UIL will not have a similare result as some of the other programs mentioned. I would be interested to see if the director had the stats if you could ask on Monday what the college graduation rate of the students who attend SJ. I think it would shock many people.
It doesn't have to be either of the two schools that were recently admitted, but the precendent has been set - how long do you think until a "sports mill" DOES gain admittance? It's pretty scary to think that Evangel was only founded in 1990, and is the dominant program in Louisiana.
Off topic but response: Buck I just went to high school there, not all the way from pre-K through. Graduated in '94, 4 years football, 1 year wrestling (first year of the program was senior year *sigh*). Various other stuff. Got into everything I could so it would look good when applying for financial aid LOL. Good times, but I wish we had had the new expansion when I was at school there. Science and language labs are incredible.
I can't guarantee that the newly-admitted schools will go the way of the so called "sports mills," but, from what some of the coaches at school said, the things that Vengeance and The_Horns have said are the exact same things that were said about Evangel. They probably wont go out and recruit like the sports mills, but the fact that they could will probably haunt athletic directors across the state.
If the UIL does a 2 <b>X</b> 800 (enrollment) = 1600, then Strake would be a solidly 4-A school and it is not a sure thing that they could be a Regional Finalist in football & basketball on a regular basis. If they are forced to live with AISD boundaries with a one year <i>redshirt</i> for those outside that, then they won't be the force that some seem to fear.
Haha...I know with the soccer program this might not be the case. And about bending rules with academics, there is definitely something that could be said (but won't) about a certain player who went to Strake for basketball recently...
