I think if you are public/private supporter its easy to hate the other side and cry about all the advantage the other has.
But what it comes down to is coaching and reputation.
When you look at the "Haves" when it comes to any school private or public they all have excellent coaches with a proven track record. They have instilled a culture of what is expected, so the player knows what is expected of him entering that program. It isnt that hard, it happens at college, players don't choose schools because of the school, they choose because of the coach and program.
GW just won state and Montini is in their backyard. A MAJORITY of players will stay with their public schools if they are a winning program. Same with CG, I dont see MCC soaking up all their talent. Then if you are in the Kennedy public school district, its no brainier why you want to play football at a private. Then look at LVIlle runner up to a great GW team and they have Caramel a stones throw away. Is Caramel taking all of LVille's talent? You can argue the opposite because LVille has system favorable to players, proven coach, and a program that is on the rise.
When publics complain about privates "cherry picking" players, the players that get cherry picked are programs that are usually average or below average, and no player wants to play for a bad program. Proviso West/East, LT, Kennedy, and Morton are the ones suffering the most. Maybe I missed it but I dont see that many fans/poster of Proviso, LT, and Morton on this board. In all honesty these programs need to step it up, like GW, CG, and Lville have done. If these public schools had a great coach and program on the rise would a player still choose a private school, if they knew they could just go to the public school for free and have the same success?
What the IHSA should do if they really want to limit private school success is implement more of an Unsuccessful Rule, instead of coming of with new crazy ways to limit private school success,(which doesnt work) the IHSA should increase the chances of existing average schools to win.
Has the multiplier, SF, and etc,really worked on MC, LA, BR, Montini, and Naz? No, so instead of trying to make these teams worse, try and make mediocre public schools like LT have a chance. Put LT or Proviso East in 6A, they aren't going to win 7/8A but they have a much better chance in 6A.
Schools like GW, CG, LVille, all have privates in their backyard, with Montini being one of them. Players choose programs based on past success and the coach.
-no rule whatever it is, is going slow down the "haves" of the privates
-best thing the ihsa would want to do is raise the level play at mediocre/ below average public schools.