lpaf, the base that BE and CC pull from does have more people but the advantage does not lie with the numbers. If you subtract all the people who can't afford these schools, the number of eligible students is reduced by a significant amount (reflecting the number similar to that of the general population in the rural school districts). Despite this fact, success of high school soccer has little to do with population size. The success of any high school soccer program is directly related to the number of players playing on a QUALITY club team.

The notion that soccer scholarships are awarded to players based on HIGH SCHOOL soccer performance is a naive one. How many players who do not play club get soccer scholarships? FEW if any. Plus, players for BE and CC are not awarded scholarships based on where the team finishes in the playoffs. Colleges do not award scholarships according the the all-tournament team format where 1st place gets 8 scholarships , 2nd place gets 4, etc. so classification in 1A or 2A gives these teams no advantage.

Why should private schools who meet all of the SCHSL requirements not be able to compete? It is the South Carolina High School League not the South Carolina Public High School League. Any schools who meet the SCHSL criteria are eligible to join, some schools choose not to.

lpaf, this entire post is not directed at you. I only pointed you out for the portion answering the question you posed.