Cardinal Gibbons in 6A would be a travesty. Players whose parents PAY to keep them OUT of public schools would win at least 10 “public school” state championships every year. Place them in 8A along with Catholic - or, even better, kick them out of the NCHSAA. Also, having South Brunswick (5A) and West Brunswick (6A) in the same conference with Hoggard (8A), Laney (8A), New Hanover (7A), Ashley (7A), Topsail (7A) and North Brunswick (7A) is extremely unfair to those smaller schools. If I was coaching at South or West and I knew I had the conference’s #1 seed already locked up before the season began, I would play 3 absolute cupcakes to get 3 wins and then play my starters against the 2 or 3 conference teams I though I could beat to get to 5 wins and thus go .500 and be seeded with the conference champs. I would play my backups and JV players against Hoggard, Laney, NHHS and whoever else was good in the conference. Why risk injury when the other 5A and 6A teams are not required to play 2 8A schools and 4 7A schools inside their conference? Conversely, if I was one of the 8A schools I would not like Hoggard getting to rest starters for the second half of most conference games. 8A schools should be in conferences with only 8A schools. It is a perk to have only 31 other 8A teams to compete against to win a state title and that perk should include more travel.
