Goodbye MAIS

[patdog]

That’s the obvious eventual endgame.

Do they all jump together or does a school go first?

I can’t see one of the 4 moving to MHSAA unless they all do. What I could see happening is a 4-school classification with a double round robin for football & then a 4-team playoff. Which is ridiculous, but they’re going to have trouble finding games if St Joe goes back.

 

[SteelCurtain74]

I can’t see one of the 4 moving to MHSAA unless they all do. What I could see happening is a 4-school classification with a double round robin for football & then a 4-team playoff. Which is ridiculous, but they’re going to have trouble finding games if St Joe goes back.

St Joe wasn't thrilled to be moved up to 6A a couple of years ago. That comes directly from several parents and a coach I know. It will not surprise me if they leave.

If the 4 move to the MHSAA at any point in the future I can't see a scenario where they wouldn't move together.

This past weekend the 4 outscored their opponents 160-13. Three of the four games were running clocks at the start of the 2nd half. Two of the opponents (Simpson Academy and ACCS) played for the 5A championship last year.

I was at the Prep game and ACCS had at most 40 kids on their team.

I don't know the solution but I would agree something will need to change. I can't see teams like ACCS or Oak Forest incurring travel costs to the Jackson Metro, at least in football, to get their tails kicked.

 

[dawgphd]

From a discussion with a large Jackson private school board member.....In summary, there have been on and off discussions internally regarding his school and MHSAA but the road games against some of their likely district opponents gave rise to safety concerns by some parents. He was not sure of the position of the other 3 large metro Jackson private schools.

A possible plan to solve the MAIS big 4 football problem was discussed in some very limited quadrants with the idea of a multi state regional super league of 16 teams. It fizzled. Apparently, no one used to being perpetually near the top likes giving that up. Sorta a big fish/little pond mentality. Maybe it will re-appear. A working outline was 4 - 4 team divisions. Division winners would be play semis and winners to finals. A drawback would be a likely 3 three hour plus road trips for each team. MRA has played Pulaski the last few years (including this Friday) and JA/Briarcrest sorta recently. Prep has ECS this year. So there is a bit of precedent regarding travel.

Northpoint in Southaven would be a nice addition if they could be brought on board but they will not move the needle on the Big 4 dominating everyone. They did beat Mag Heights last week and play Copiah in a week or two. Definitely a nice addition to tier 2.

 

[615dawg]

From a discussion with a large Jackson private school board member.....In summary, there have been on and off discussions internally regarding his school and MHSAA but the road games against some of their likely district opponents gave rise to safety concerns by some parents. He was not sure of the position of the other 3 large metro Jackson private schools.

I didn't want to bring this up but since you did, I will concur. The likely district alignment for the Bog Four is not going to allow for preferred peers. Provine vs. Prep or Lanier vs. Hartfield in district games is not what they want.

The next tier of private schools can't compete with the Big Four. As someone mentioned, the two teams that played for 5A last year were in running clock situations this weekend against the 6A schools. I was at Prep/ACCS, it was no contest from the start.

There's really no good answer, and its uniquely a Mississippi problem. Our neighboring states made the move in the 90s and figured it out. If we would have done it with them, we'd likely be in a similar spot. Playing Pulaski or Briarcrest or Trinity Christian is exciting for a week, but those schools have titles to win in their own state and do not really see playing the Mississippi schools as newsworthy.

 

[OG Goat Holder]

I didn't want to bring this up but since you did, I will concur. The likely district alignment for the Bog Four is not going to allow for preferred peers. Provine vs. Prep or Lanier vs. Hartfield in district games is not what they want.

The next tier of private schools can't compete with the Big Four. As someone mentioned, the two teams that played for 5A last year were in running clock situations this weekend against the 6A schools. I was at Prep/ACCS, it was no contest from the start.

There's really no good answer, and its uniquely a Mississippi problem. Our neighboring states made the move in the 90s and figured it out. If we would have done it with them, we'd likely be in a similar spot. Playing Pulaski or Briarcrest or Trinity Christian is exciting for a week, but those schools have titles to win in their own state and do not really see playing the Mississippi schools as newsworthy.

Seems to me that the MAIS could be fine just governing the smaller private schools, like the AISA does. That problem is solved.

So like you say, the problem is the Big 4 not wanting to play against, well, we know. I understand that, but it’s also a have cake and eat it too situation.

Two solutions:

- Join the MHSAA, and depending on who their opponents are, maybe play up a division. But you can’t avoid those situations. Alabama seems to do just fine, it’s not COMPLETELY unique to MS. Maybe unique to Jackson since you literally can’t go in certain places there. But couldnt you just hire police? I hate to go all libtarded, but they can’t be mandating stuff like this. Just deal with it for a Friday night.

- Keep their 4-team state title format, and go outside their footprint for in season games and get press that way. Maybe get with some other schools out of state, in the same boat, and have a defacto bowl game.

 

[Wesson Bulldog]

If those 4 schools leave, MPSA MAIS will dissolve.

 

[patdog]

Seems to me that the MAIS could be fine just governing the smaller private schools, like the AISA does. That problem is solved.

So like you say, the problem is the Big 4 not wanting to play against, well, we know. I understand that, but it’s also a have cake and eat it too situation.

Two solutions:

- Join the MHSAA, and depending on who their opponents are, maybe play up a division. But you can’t avoid those situations. Alabama seems to do just fine, it’s not COMPLETELY unique to MS. Maybe unique to Jackson since you literally can’t go in certain places there. But couldnt you just hire police? I hate to go all libtarded, but they can’t be mandating stuff like this. Just deal with it for a Friday night.

- Keep their 4-team state title format, and go outside their footprint for in season games and get press that way. Maybe get with some other schools out of state, in the same boat, and have a defacto bowl game.

“Just deal with it for a Friday night” is all well & good until someone gets hurt. It’s not a safe situation. They’re in a bad dilemma. I think the best they can do is Big 4 play double round robin & fill out the schedule with MHSAA schools & big private schools in neighboring states.

 

[OG Goat Holder]

“Just deal with it for a Friday night” is all well & good until someone gets hurt. It’s not a safe situation. They’re in a bad dilemma. I think the best they can do is Big 4 play double round robin & fill out the schedule with MHSAA schools & big private schools in neighboring states.

If you’re talking about the football game, I think Callaway should be more worried about injury than Prep or Hartfield. Jackson public is no longer an athletic factory, all the good players are in the burbs already.

If you’re talking about security in and out of the games, that can be worked out. We used to hear gun shots at away games in the 90s, we lived. To-date, I haven’t heard yet about a violent crime outside a high school game. I’m sure it happens, but it’s not common.

Kinda silly in my opinion. But I’ve done my time in the travel ball pinelakin’ mecca of Skankin, so I’m not too surprised. That covers about half of the Big 4 metro pull, so I figure they Madison side is likely the same.