Banishing Gorman the wrong approach

Nobody likes getting their butt kicked.

But too many Nevada adults are caught up in the hard feelings over Bishop Gorman High School’s recent domination in a number of sports. The Las Vegas private school has been so successful — 29 total state championships since 2005-06, including six in baseball, four in football, four in girls basketball, three in boys basketball and national rankings across the board — that the Gaels are at risk of being banished from the Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association.

“We in the public schools are not going to be your cannon fodder to prepare you for that (national) level. We’re just done,” Palo Verde High School Principal Dan Phillips, who serves on the NIAA’s Board of Control, said during a Tuesday meeting in Reno. “We’re tired of being placed in a position where we’re going to be the tackling dummies of the week in their preparation.”

Already, many valley schools won’t schedule games against Bishop Gorman in several sports. Ray Mathis, executive director of athletics for the Clark County School District, told the NIAA board Tuesday that some principals have discussed forfeiting games against Bishop Gorman, or having the entire district withdraw from the NIAA to avoid playing the Gaels. “They feel they don’t have a chance to win, so why bother competing. They would rather play for a Clark County championship than an NIAA state championship. That is scary,” Mr. Mathis said.

If the Gaels were pulling out close playoff wins, their state titles wouldn’t be as much of an issue. But the football team beat Reno’s Reed High School 72-28 in December’s large-school state title game, and the boys basketball team beat Reno’s Hug High School 96-51 in last month’s title game.

Public school leaders and parents complain that these routs are rooted in recruiting by Bishop Gorman coaches and alumni, who routinely pluck the best prospects from public schools and enroll them at the Catholic campus.

Bishop Gorman’s critics would be wise to remember that plenty of public schools aren’t far removed from their own dominance in certain sports, whether it’s Las Vegas High School football or Green Valley High School baseball. Centennial High School’s girls basketball team remains a state power. And it wasn’t that long ago that the Gaels were weak in just about every sport. Superiority tends to run in cycles.

Besides, recruiting isn’t unique to private schools.

Fortunately, the NIAA board didn’t get carried away Tuesday. It formed a committee to examine the current competitive climate. Already, schools will be realigned in the fall to move weaker athletic programs into their own division. Open enrollment could change the dynamic as well.

But severing competition against Bishop Gorman altogether? That smacks of overreaction. We mustn’t instill in our kids the idea that success should be punished. We can’t make excuses for them to take their ball and go home.

Instead, consider the glory afforded the underdog who knocks off mighty Bishop Gorman. That kind of triumph would be priceless.

If the NIAA and Bishop Gorman eventually go separate ways, various public school teams will assume the role of valley villain and run up scores on inferior squads. And those teams will be left to wonder, “Could we have beaten the Gaels?”