Speeding Through L

The dilemma of private vs. public schools in athletics is a conversation that has faced the WIAA for years. Once again, in this football postseason, the conversation rears its ugly head. Why are public schools that pull from largely urban areas facing schools that pull from areas of 10,000 people or less?

The question bears asking as two more prominent football programs saw their seasons end at the hands of private schools on Friday. Colby traveled to La Crosse to take on Aquinas and Edgar commuted to Eau Claire where they played Eau Claire Regis. The two games ended up the same as both of the public schools suffered defeats while the private schools get to head to the next round of the playoffs. Abbotsford went through a similar thing in 2020 as a season for the ages was cut short by a date with Regis in the Level 4 playoff game, a game where Regis went on to play private school St. Mary’s Springs at state.

In both instances, the private schools are a part of larger municipalities.

The schools can pull from all over their respective towns as they assemble a football or other sports team that is superior to others in their Division. It shouldn’t be lost on folks that private schools are largely regarded as a more superior educational experience for children with lower student to teacher ratios and alternative curriculum opportunities that public schools can’t always provide for their students. There are reasons to go to private schools outside of athletics.

However, a large number of students seem to be choosing private schools over public schools because of the ability to play against lesser competition in lower divisions. Since 2018, private schools in divisions 3-7 (most private schools are smaller and thus would never match the enrollment numbers of a division 1 or 2 school) have won seven of the last 12 state titles. That’s 58% of the time, private schools have taken home the gold ball.

If you include the 8-man football championship that has become increasingly popular with smaller schools, Wausau Newman might fit into that category as well. A city that traditionally should be playing in high division football is now running through the 8-man football playoffs without an issue.

In talking to community members, a number of different solutions can happen to avoid these teams riddled with the size and talent of a bigger school facing their hometown teams.

Someone said, Wisconsin used to be a state where private schools played in their own division. Others said a combination of enrollment and city/district population should factor into the division seeding.

I’m not sure what can be done but seeing kids’ seasons and careers end at the hands of schools in larger municipalities can leave a sour taste in your mouth.

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