Dalton vs. VASJ illustrates public-private debate
If you want to see the public-private argument in a nustshell, look no further than the Div. IV Garfield Heights District for boys basketball.
Two the top teams there will be Cleveland Villa Angela-St. Joseph and Dalton, but other than being in the same district and having high school kids on their teams they share almost nothing together.
Give Dalton coach Nate Stutz credit for scheduling a regular-season game with the Vikings to try to get ready for a possible postseason matchup, but the Bulldogs wound up losing 95-46.
VASJ can recruit from all over the state, has a point guard (6-3 Evansville recruit Duane Gibson) who’s almost as tall as Dalton’s center and a 6-8 center Demonte Flanigan who’s headed to Cleveland State.
The Wayne County Athletic League that the Bulldogs play in hasn’t produced a Div. I boys basketball player in decades.
The Vikings also have four state titles, four runners-up and two other state trips — most in higher divisions.
I respect what VASJ does, but they really don’t belong in Div. IV playing small WCAL school like Dalton.
Voters will decide this spring if this uneven playing field should be solved by splitting the public and private schools. It will be an interesting process to follow, but when I see scenarios like Dalton and VASJ in the same district it makes me consider more and more that a split may be the best solution.
Aaron Dorksen can be reached at 330-287-1621 or adorksen@the-daily-record.com. Follow him on Twitter at @adorksenTDR.
Category: High School
