Schools like Breck, Blake, Benilde St. Margarets, Holy Angels are already runing Minnesota High School Hockey by recruiting. Schools like Red Wing, Eveleth, and Duluth Central would always make an apperance in St. Paul, until people decided championships were more important than loyalty. Ever since Holy Angels started making the tournament we've seen less of other storied programs like Bloomington Jefferson, Edina, and Apple Valley who used to be perennials. Since 1999 six private schools have captured State Championship crowns in Class A or AA. That is an average of one a year. Thats six less Warroad vs. Red Wing, or Apple Valley and Duluth East, than we could have watched. 2003 is gonna be a rare year in which two non-private schools won. We were treated to Anoka beating Roseville, and Warroad beating Orono. I was thinking about mentioning this years Class AA game but Moorhead is just as guilty as the other private schools. Cory Loos was a sophomore captain of the Fargo North Spartans last during the 2002-2003 season, and likely a potential Mr. Hockey Finalist in the 2004-05 season. Instead he abandons the spartans and moves 15 minutes away to play for the Spuds. Another example of recruiting would be the Fargo Shanley Deacons. This school has players the played for them last year that can be traced back to Minot, West Fargo, Grand Forks, and Sioux Falls (SD) just the year before. It seems funny how they end up on Shanley's doorstep. I have no problem with people sending their kids to a school based on their religious or to benefit them academically, but to send them their to better your chancing of winning is sad and ruins hockey across the state. Congratulations to the Centennial Cougars and the Grand Forks Central Knights on winning State Championships the right way, by building players in your youth programs.
