Southern Columbia does it again
- Thread starter okinburg1
- Start date
Congratulations. Maybe the only remaining school that doesn't recruit.
Man, you’re really going to start something. Southern does have a roster full of kids whose dad’s played at Mt. Carmel and Shamokin. Can’t blame them for moving over the mountain.
That's State Championship #13, just remarkable.
They've also had very good wrestling and track programs.
Something in the water in Catawissa, PA?
It's not unusual to be moving out of Shamokin or Mt. Carmel at this time. Have you visited Shamokin lately?
Let me first say.....I last spent time at Southern in 1971 when I coached there for 1 season. I took a job in NY in 72 and have been here ever since. Last fall I spent some time with former teammates and attended my first SCA game in 50 years. I can't recall who they played but it was in the Scranton/Wilkes Barre area.
Anyway, I have no knowledge of recruiting. If "recruiting" to some means having a program so attractive that parents are willing to move into the district so their sons can play there......that's just one of the benefits of having the best program in PIAA history.
Don't know about Pa. But in NYSPHSAA if parents change residence (move into a district) it's an approved transfer.
I think at this point SC is a self-fulfilling prophecy. Any family who thinks their kid might be good in sports moves to the district and they have a rich tradition and a hall of fame coach.
I do wonder how their enrollment stays steady, given an influx of families. I grew up in the area and some of the recent SC names were most certainly from Shamokin and Mt Carmel. I would have thought SC would have been bigger than 2A by now.
My strong belief is they don't actively 'recruit,' but again any Dad who thinks his kid will be the next Saquon or Micah moves there and, let's face it, pretty much every Coal Region Dad thinks that (since they're definitely not thinking of academic glory) so they get most of the talent in that area.
I do wonder how their enrollment stays steady, given an influx of families. I grew up in the area and some of the recent SC names were most certainly from Shamokin and Mt Carmel. I would have thought SC would have been bigger than 2A by now.
My strong belief is they don't actively 'recruit,' but again any Dad who thinks his kid will be the next Saquon or Micah moves there and, let's face it, pretty much every Coal Region Dad thinks that (since they're definitely not thinking of academic glory) so they get most of the talent in that area.
Oh have no fear: the crooked as all hell piaa will force them to 3A next season.
I added to my other comment. I really do wonder how, with families leaving nearby communities to be in the SC district, they haven't had to move up because of increasing enrollment without PIAA involvement...
Hand the Piaa a fat check and they'll become involved however you want them to. The old Philly mafia got nothing on the piaa.
This is how I view teams such as SC, the Quips, Clariton, etc... They don't recruit, their trophy cases do that for them. Kids and their families are drawn in by success. And that leads to more success, especially if the team gets kids to play on Saturdays.
A lot of these areas are from areas with poor employment prospects. Parents will bend over backwards to get their kid an education that may help them get out. Moving to a district that might give them an advantage is an easy decision.
Yes a few families move there but most of the kids including some of the best are home grown.
I think you have it nailed. For instance, Henry Hynoski is of Mt. Carmel "heritage." Elysburg and surrounding areas are to most a more attractive place to live than Mt. Carmel. I grew up in Overlook (Bear Gap Road) and it's still an idyllic place to raise a family.
As far as school enrollment growing......even if 10 families with players moved in....I doubt that moves the needle.
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Agree. I played in college with the Dad of one to SC’s star players this year. The Dad went to Shamokin, and to my knowledge has lived in the SC school district since having kids. Basically, anyone with a pretty decent job from the western reaches of the coal region is moving to Southern SD, and I suppose Central to a lesser extent.
People aren’t building homes in Shamokin or Mt. Carmel for the most part, but heading a bit down the road to Southern. It’s a good district, beautiful area as far as the countryside and is just attracting the higher quality families in the area. Not insignificant, Roth and his staff are very good coaches and have created an excellent “culture” all the way down to the grade school level.
I think Knoebles Grove is the real reason that people want to live in Elysburg😉
How many people do you think are moving into the district every year for sports? I'd imagine this is a pretty small number, combined with natural attrition of people moving out it, and wouldn't effect overall enrollment very much. This is so much different than a private school that can completely revamp their roster every year (not that they do) without any family moving.
Visited family in Numidia over Thanksgiving. Had a good time doing farm work and riding horses. That area is pretty, quiet and a short drive to Bloomsburg. I can certainly see the attraction. Seeing the dragstrip (oddly placed in the middle of farmland) right over the hill from the horse arena, stables and outdoor pens is a trip.
My late wife was born and raised in "Slabtown," right across the street from Our Lady of Mercy Church....where we were married. She's been gone over 13 years and I don't know if I will ever be able to go back to the area. Too many memories. I declined an invitation to attend a game at Southern honoring our 1966 championship team and a dinner on another occasion at the Bernie Romanoski Hall of Fame last spring.
I keep in touch with a few teammates and we meet about every other year.....but that herd is thinning too.
I believe that’s a very fair assessment. Parents that have kids with some serious potential will move into the district. And why not? SC kids have gotten D1 scholarships and a lot of exposure to college scouts.
You could say the same about many of the private schools, yet that’s called recruiting.
A lotta good old country farm boys. I don't know how PSU missed on Cal Haladay. Everyone was distracted by Julian Fleming and Haladay was the real prize.
The area is a relatively nice spot benefiting from the decline of near by areas imo.
If you're living anywhere near that area why not move into the district . I have friends near by and why would you live in Berwick or Mt. Carmel and not there?
You're close enough to stuff with a nice small town life.
This probably isn’t going to end well for some people…
www.post-gazette.com
PIAA wants action taken by Southern Columbia for racially offensive social media posts about Westinghouse
Southern Columbia defeated Westinghouse in the state championship game Friday.
www.post-gazette.com
