Public school soccer coaches decry ‘reign of terror,’ want private schools out of Class I

More than 15 public school soccer coaches in Mississippi have sent a letter to the MHSAA asking for the reclassification of private schools competing in the Class I level.

In a letter forwarded to the Sun Herald by Strayhorn coach Zach Breland, the coaches from public Class I schools outline a competitive disparity between public and private schools in the Class I tournament and call on the MHSAA to remove private schools from state competitions.

“There exists a group of private schools that, instead of playing in the MAIS, the league specifically for private schools, prey on the smallest and most disadvantaged schools in the state of Mississippi, and by extension, the entire country,” Breland said in the email.

Jeff Long, who coaches at Franklin County High School, said he’s only ever received the one-word response “noted” from the MHSAA through a decade of lobbying.

“As long as MHSAA is receiving money from those private schools, they will do absolutely nothing,” Long said. “They simply do not care about soccer whatsoever. It is disgusting. They should be ashamed of the way they approach soccer.”

“I’m afraid that nothing will be done until the private schools begin beating the public schools in football at the highest level. I, for one, do not schedule private schools any longer. I’m nearing retirement and hope and pray that one day there will be an equal playing field.”

The letter notes a public school has never won a girls title at the Class I level and the boys bracket has only been won three times by a public program, the last coming in 2015.

It also points out that traditional soccer powers in Class I routinely play higher-level competition during the regular season. According to the letter, the St. Patrick boys played 79 percent of its matches against 4A or higher competition and 43 percent of the schedule came against 7A schools.

The numbers are similar for the St. Stanislaus boys program.

“The participation of these private academies are, in many cases, an offense to the term ‘competition,’” the letter states.

The schools are two of the four private institutions competing in Class I from the Mississippi Coast, along with Our Lady Academy and Resurrection.

Among that group are 10 Class I championships dating back to 2010. St. Patrick accounts for five of those titles between its girls and boys programs and OLA another four. St. Stanislaus won a Class I championship in 2022, but has also won six 4A titles in that span.

Both boys and girls Class I championship games this season featured an exclusively private school matchup, which included both the St. Patrick girls and St. Stanislaus boys.

“We play by the same rules that the public schools play by,” St. Patrick boys basketball coach and athletic director Keith Robinson told the Sun Herald.

The letter points to a larger player pool, better facilities and more resources for staffing for private schools than their Class I peers.

It also points out that some schools, like St. Stanislaus, often attract students from around the country and even globally.

According to the school’s website, “The Rock-A-Chaws soccer team consistently draws talent from both the U.S. and internationally, as suiting up for the Rocks offers a chance to play for a program rich in history.”

The Rock-a-Chaws’ athletics programs have historically benefited from imports. These include Mexico City native Ian Gonzalez Rioz with the football team and 2023 graduate and Ole Miss baseball freshman Seth Farni, who began his high school career in Mobile.

St. Stanislaus — a founding member of the MHSAA — declined to comment on the matter. Sacred Heart in Hattiesburg also did not respond to request for comment.

In a statement to the Sun Herald, MHSAA Director Ricky Nieves said “The letter has been received and will be shared with the executive committee. These schools are a member of the MHSAA and have been for many years. They are under the same rules that all our schools are under.”

The MHSAA has not given a formal response to the letter to the knowledge of Breland. Just three of the eight programs who competed in the Class I boys and girls Final Four this season were from public schools.