If you ask Catholic school coaches and athletic directors, the argument that private schools pluck the best talent from surrounding districts lost some of its luster when open enrollment entered into the equation for public schools in the Buckeye State.
"It not only levels the playing field, but sometimes it gives some of these schools a great advantage with this open enrollment," said John Gillen, athletic director at Warren JFK High School.
"Open enrollment does not level the playing field," said Paul Cusick, head coach at Crestview High School. "That's the argument, that open enrollment does level the playing field, and that to me is a farce."
Coaches say there isn't a line of eighth and ninth graders waiting to transfer into their districts to play sports.
"From an athletic standpoint, we've not benefited from any move in," said Richard Angle, head coach at Howland High School.
"For the public schools that have open enrollment, more districts lose more kids because of open enrollment than what they gain," said Tim Stried, OHSAA's director of information services.
Angalysia Johnson attended Ursuline during the Irish back-to-back-to-back state title run from 2008 through 2010.
Even she thinks that kind of dominance isn't fair and said something needs to change.
"I think it should give the public schools more opportunity to play private schools, " said Johnson.
We're focused on football, because it's the OHSAA cash cow. It's also the only high school sport in Ohio that splits schools into six different divisions by student enrollment and uses a computer points system, where not every team makes the post season.
"One solution might be let everybody get in the playoffs," said Gillen. "I think it's a great experience for a community, for the school involved, and for the kids involved."
"It will be more fair to the guys like Liberty, and everybody else who plays, because they'll have a fighting chance," said Anthony Gano, of Liberty.
OHSAA said it never wants to completely separate public and private schools into two different state tournaments.
For now, the Competitive Balance Committee continues to study the issue; schools still play in divisions based on student enrollment, and players train year-round to try and level the playing field inside the lines.
