Our school played them in the second round. We might as well had been playing UNA. It is insane how good they are and you can’t take that away from them. It is what it is, but I do feel like they definitely have an advantage for players when you sit in the middle of a town with a population of 42,000 vs most 3a school towns are populations 6,000 or less. Our whole county population is only 29,000. So the pool to choose from is definitely less. I’m not hating on them they have one heck of a program.
You are right they do have a more people close to the school. Most private schools are in cities. But they do compete with larger public schools for enrollment. I also know that players will drive over an hour to go to your school if your program is attractive enough. But you are right it is an advantage.
Considering Mars Hill didn’t have a football program until recent times. There’s numerous public schools in the are along with other private Christian schools.
Mars Hill is still a small school by comparison. They do have excellent financial backing. The church I grew up in has as one of the bigger contributors and many of my church friends went there.
The shoals area has produced many great athletes
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