Jackson Jambalaya

It's sad. It's sad that schools have become a business, and sports is the main revenue generator. It's no longer about an education.
I think Hartfield especially has lost sight of what they were intended to be. The new money socialites that took over want to win at all cost - in the name of The Lord, or course - but still, we gotta win!

Is this unprecedented?
As I read this and tried to recall other instances of such punitive measures by this organization.

As I have heard coaches say, "Win if you can, lose if you must, cheat always"

I remember hearing a story from several years ago where Hartfield boosters wanted to recruit a handful of standout football players from Northwest Rankin. Two of the guys were black. Ultimately none of those guys went to Hartfield. Then some of the admin had a change of heart and decided People of Color could attend. Their sports program picked up. Odd huh?

I feel bad for the kids. A part of their high school experience his ruined all because of adults selfishness.

Jesus H Tapdancin' Christ on a Pogo Stick! David Horner, the Headmaster, made over $210,000 in reportable income for FY 2021 per their most recent IRS Form 990!! I'm in the wrong bidness!

This should be a good one...BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

I remember when kids learned their sport first in their backyard or in city parks.They learned how to organize and be part of a team and play well with others early and well.They learned in getting their own teams together. The organized sports for children were Dada who had been good at the sport, who loved the sport and who did it for love, not money or power.
But,there is now money even in high school sports that is beyond the " break even". When winning is "not just everything but the only thing" and wealth is the definition of success, bad things happen.
If you focus only on the bad end results or who has the most blame or is the worst person and not how it happened, the " bad" continues unchecked or repeats later.

I thought kids went to this Christian based school to get away from the "bad folks at NWR". EEEEEEK!

I'm social media "friends" with a handful of Hartfield parents and many of them have changed their profile pic to a Hartfield school logo with the words "All In". All In for what?
No one wants to take responsibility for this. Hartfield investigated themselves and found no wrong doing. Apparently, MAIS has video to prove otherwise. The voting members of the MAIS voted unanimously to take action against the school based on the evidence provided.

Me thinks the powers that be at Hartfield need to get off of their high horse and take a long look at what they claim to stand for.

9:33 nails it.

You live and learn. Next time it'll be harder to prove what they did.

I feel happy for the kids. They will be educated by this example of punishment for corrupt people. And I doubt the board of trustees is clean on this matter.

When the bedazzled jean, F250, Yeti cooler sticker crowd took over Hartfield I knew it would just be a matter of time.

All the schools do some form of recruiting, including 6A public schools, but nobody is better at it than the largest three metro area private schools.

Hartfield’s downfall is that they are new, and not good at cheating. It takes years of experience. It looks so easy, but it’s not. Kind of like running a city.

Who is paying for these recruits?

You know, stuff like this is why people are turning away from organized religious "stuff". It makes it way harder for people to spread the gospel when one religious school files a complaint against another religious school stealing players for sports.
It takes away the focus of salvation through Christ and focus on doing whatever needs to be done to win a ball game.

I assume these 2 coaches will be terminated by Hartfield. Surely Hartfield won't tolerate this.

I don't understand how this has happened.



Just last month on WJTV's football preview of Hartfield Academy Head Coach Craig Bowman said the following:

"When you talk about the recruiting process, it takes care of itself right?

And you go out and play the game the way it's supposed to be played, and you work the way you are supposed to work, and those college guys are going to find you."

https://www.wjtv.com/video/hs-football-preview-13-hartfield-academy/8793525/

These schools will go to anything to beat Jackson Prep.....

At least those kids will get a good edumacation

Did the QB at St. Joe get recruited to University High in BR. (It’s on LSU’s campus.) I think Kelly and LSU out smarted Miss & Miss St on this one

This was going on 6 years ago when my child went there. The area private schools finally got sick of Hartfield getting some of their better athletes and leveling the playing field with JA, MRA and Prep.

The problem is that the private schools that Hartfield started poaching from were themselves poaching athletes.

Nevertheless, Hartfield is "Undeniably . . .the same as others" in doing this.

Correct me if I’m wrong, but the only reason HF got in trouble was because they poached from another MAIS school. Otherwise, it appears, that anything goes within the MAIS. Most of the larger schools in the metro area unashamedly recruit. There are schools that do not recruit, but they are at a total disadvantage.

Keyboard warriors all. Now go fix the price of gas

why is there a private school AND a public school athletic organization? just so some people can feel
better about getting some silly little trophy??

It seems many of the parents of the Hartfield students are online justifying by saying other schools are doing it, too. This is a teachable moment. You're justifying bad behavior with bad behavior. JA, JP, and MRA don't hold themselves out as a Christian based school.
To many that's the big difference.

It’s sad when Whoever has the most money wins in schools and will do whatever it takes for a win. Money really is the root of all evil!

ALL IN


for next year!!



BWAHAHAHAAHAA

Private schools in Mississippi are new to the game. For years most were simply retreats from the predominantly black public schools. Today the landscape has changed and like private schools all over the country they are super-competitive in academics and sports. They compete for the best teachers, the best students, and ultimately the best athletes so they can be as attractive as possible. That's how they stay in business. Church related or not, they are a business. Do businesses bend the rules to stay ahead of the competition? Of course, if they want to attract the customer. It only shows that Hartfield is a novice, new to the game. They'll learn.

"I'm social media "friends" with a handful of Hartfield parents and many of them have changed their profile pic to a Hartfield school logo with the words "All In". All In for what?"

Concur the "All In" mantra is not a good look, especially in light of current circumstances. It sounds like something the Right Reverend Freezus would come up with.

Maybe change it to "All In for the Lord" (or Christ).

"All In" is code for "the end justifies the means."

I think the issue in this case is that the coaches were directly involved recruiting the players versus a private "booster" making the offer. It happens everywhere, it changes when coaches are involved. Also, the MSAIS turns a blind eye recruiting from public to private schools, but don't get caught recruiting private to private.

They all do it, every single one of them do, but the moniker about Hartfield doing anything to be relevant in sports is very true. Their M.O. is to beat Prep, JA, or MRA at all costs. Hartfield currently is what MRA was the past 20-30 years.

We live in a world where adults are capitalizing on a kid trying to play sports to have fun. In my eyes, I get every school in the state recruits athletes so that they can capitalize on the kid's athletic ability. But things are truly ridiculous. There are going to be scholar-athletes who did everything the right way, and cheerleaders, and even general students whose high school experience is tarnished due to a desire to capitalize on the student's athletic abilities. I get this is like MRA in the 90s; but just let kids be kids. I hear Hartfield wants to appeal... I wish them luck.

@9:21 am. This happens all the time, but just the first time since 1994 someones been "Caught". MRA got busted in 94, for paying players to go to school there. They cleaned house, fired the coach, athletic director, and headmaster and then started afresh. But schools recruit all the time.

Random private, I mean, independent, school facts:
1) there was a (not too long ago) time when schools that were Saint anything would not lower themselves to be associated with private schools because of their racial discrimination. (Obviously, that changed.)
2) when a student transfers into a MAIS school, they are ineligible to play sports for one full year, UNLESS the student makes a “bona fide move of 60 miles or more driving distance wise after the dates indicated below, said student would be allowed to participate, assuming the student meets all other eligibility requirements. For purposes of verification, the shortest available driving route from the new residence to the previous residence will be used.” (MAIS website)
3) recruiting is and has always been hard core. However, it used to be subtle - like a board member who had a successful business would hire a wanted player’s parent so that said parent could afford tuition and the student could attend said school.
4) recruiting was the final straw on Woodland Hills Baptist Academy’s back, and ended with it shutting down over Christmas break (early 2000’s maybe).

For the record - I attended one of those 1A (back when there were only 3 divisions) private schools and sent my kids to one as well.

Parents need to stop trying to live through their children.

What’s different about what Hartfield did as compared to elite athletes deciding to go to Jackson Prep, MRA, JA or Greenville Christian a couple of years ago?

This case involves St. Joseph Academy students and parents who initiated their own conversations with volunteer coaches not on Hartfields staff about their own kids desire to come to Hartfield at a basketball game in 2022.

Keep in mind the coaches and parents in these conversations are people who know each other and have friends and relatives that attend both schools.

The bitter, jealous, angry haters that seethe at Hartfield's success and rise in popularity saw this and took this an opportunity to falsely accuse and take down their opponent they would have most likely met in the playoffs.

Hope this all gets sorted out with no hard feelings.

Wouldn't want these young men, particularily the rising seniors, distracted from their academic excellence this school year.

Hookah, St. Joseph is a Catholic High School, not an academy. An MAIS committee reviewed all evidence and voted unanimously (9-0) against Hartfield. The “bitter, jealous, angry” people you speak of are your own supporters, pissed off because their quest to catch up with Prep and JA just suffered a setback. Chill and remember that Hartfield is first and foremost a school, not an athletic club that offers educational instruction on the side. Send your recruiters back to cheating school - I think they missed the session on discretion.

The difference in Hartfield versus Prep, JA or MRA is that the association can’t suspend those three or they would join the MHSAA. The MAIS does not have the balls to sanction Prep for anything.

Panola County public schools have recruited out-of-district kids for decades. Even to the extent of putting up Memphis parents and families in mobile homes in the Panola districts.

@3:05 PM -

The MAIS recruiting rule reads, "The recruiting and/or undue influence of a student-athlete of a MAIS member school by anyone directly or indirectly associated with another member school shall result in said school being placed on probation, and not being eligible for the championship in all sports for a period of one (1) year."

It doesn't matter who initiated the contact. It doesn't matter if the assistants are "volunteer coaches." It doesn't matter that the coaches and parents had a pre-existing relationship. The assistants are associated with Hartfield and they recruited a St. Joe player. That's a plain violation of the rule.

There are a couple of interesting observations that I haven't seen anyone discuss.

First, the recruiting rule says that, "such recruiting and/or undue influence shall cause the student-athlete to be ineligible for one (1) year if he or she transfers." Yet, the MAIS did not rule Reggie Vaughn ineligible and the rule uses the word "shall," not "may." It seems like, if the MAIS violated the rule in any way, it is in allowing Vaughn to play for Hartfield this fall. Or, perhaps the MAIS is watching to see if Hartfield plays him and will then hand down further punishment if it does. I'd be careful here if I were Hartfield. Vaughn should probably transfer to a public school just to be safe for himself and for Hartfield.

Second, the recruiting rule says the school is fined $500 for a violation. Hartfield was fined $7,500. While the MAIS opinion does not specify, the $7,500 fine implies Hartfield and/or its assistants violated the rule 15 times ($500 x 15 = $7,500).

3:05, I don’t think there is a problem until there is money involved in some way. Lots of kids change schools without an issue arising. But, we shall see how the appeal works out.

3:05, prove it.
There are recordings of all of it and the vote was 9-0 to penalize. Both schools met with the MAIS and the vote was still unanimous.

Funny. I was a football player in high school that was "recruited" the opposite way... from a local Jackson private school to a 6A public school. Recruiting has always happened. If you are good, coaches will want you. Just don't get caught. In my case, I wanted to go up against better competition and was glad to make the move.

(2:55 owes me a new keyboard after the "elite athletes going to Prep, MRA, and JA" comment. I lol'd my drink. An "elite" MAIS athlete would be a 3rd string benchwarmer at a good public school. Most MS athletes go to private school because they couldn't make the public school team. I went to both and the talent level wasn't even close.)

In the Jackson, MS metro area, the words “Private School Coaches” and “Christian” in the same sentence is going to be oxymoronic in many, if not most cases.

The lights in these two Hartfield knucklehead coaches chandeliers must not burn too bright since immoral recruiting has been going on for decades in Mississippi’s private schools, but the coaches and schools almost always know how to use a simple “not very Christian” like loophole to circumvent the rules.

Here’s how it works: Coach John Doe finds himself a mule. This mule may or may not have played high school sports, but if he did, he most likely wasn’t good enough to play in college. Regardless, this mule is fired up about living through high school kids. So much so, that he’s willing to write some checks. After all, writing checks puts him “in the game.”

Very simply the coach picks out a star athlete at some other school that said coach wants, but instead of breaking the rules and approaching the star athlete himself, the coach has his mule approach said star athlete and offer to pay, out of his/the mules check book, said star athlete’s tuition (full ride baby).

Since the rules prohibit schools from recruiting and providing scholarships, but they can-not prohibit grandparents and other relatives, friends and you guessed it, mules from helping a “child in need,” its legal eagle baby!

Coaches that don’t build from within but instead use mules to “circumvent” the rules could not care less about the 10’s of thousands and sometimes six figures in tuition paid by parents that only want their kids to have the opportunity to play sports. These coaches care only about one thing – themselves - i.e. winning. Very Christian like indeed!

"The bitter, jealous, angry haters that seethe at Hartfield's success and rise in popularity saw this and took this an opportunity to falsely accuse and take down their opponent they would have most likely met in the playoffs."

Sorry you are drinking the Kool Aid, but there is no way they take these actions because of casual conversation between parents and volunteer coaches. Not 9-0. I just love the "they hate us 'cause they ain't us" attitude the Hartfield people have. It's reeks of an inferiority complex.

It’s fine for MAIS schools to recruit from MHSAA schools. They’ve done it for 30 plus years in multiple sports. Hartfield is in trouble for recruiting from another MAIS school. Have to keep the honor among the thieves.

I’ve got an idea for a revenue stream, Kingfish.
Jackson Jambalaya GOLD
An premiere version of the blog that contains exclusive content and discussions for the upper echelon of society.
This is an example of a discussion that would be best if you were to exclude the poors.

Only in Mississippi. If this were Louisiana (especially New Orleans) Georgia, Illinois, New York, Texas, and about 20 other states it would be a joke. Recruiting? Are you kidding? The only way the Catholic and private schools in those states would give a damn is when thousands of dollars changes hands out in the open. Thousands. It's a matter of the haves and the have-nots. Hartfield insulted St. Joe by treating them like a have-not. You poach players from the poor public schools not another "elite". Major breach of etiquette.

Hartfield wasn’t even a thing until a furniture magnet’s kid couldn’t make the starting dove at MRA. Then the money started pouring in to Hartfield. A dad scorned is a big donor.

I mean, it’s not like the boosters are buying the kids squatted trucks as part of the sign on bonus…. although that would help prepare them for NIL money if they make it to college…. 😂😂

@4:03 MRA has pulled some Madison Central starters. There are D1 players being recruited to private schools. Times have changed some.

“An premiere version of the blog that contains exclusive content and discussions for the upper echelon of society.” The upper echelon of society, you say?

That would also be described as the upper crust, I would assume. We all know the upper crust is nothing more than a bunch of “crumbs” held together by their own dough.

This punishment is not harsh at all. It’s not like they were gonna take state this year. This would be like Ole Miss getting banned from the championship game ha. Guess what! Ya weren’t goin anyway

My two children started at HA the first year it opened. I believe it is no longer a Christian institution. It is a mere shell “Christian” business. They have become absolutely obsessed with athletics and winning at nearly all costs. Especially at football. It now has caught up with them. I predict some people will be thrown under the bus shortly. And many teachers are not certified or disciplined in the field they teach in. This can be verified. In certain disciplines they fall short of RCSD standards. As far as student or employee discipline, they have no standards. They pick and choose who they want to effect negatively. If you can afford private education, I say find somewhere else. Their beauty stops at the facade of the building. They have lost way and maybe need a complete reset with administration. School board, GET involved!!!!

The young man in question here is 6 foot one inch, 260 pounds. Rated the number 7 player in the state of Mississippi.

Where will he play this season - Hatfield, St. Joe or a JPS public school?

Who is behind Hartfield’s recruiting? Sure coaches are involved in it, but where is the money coming from? Follow the money and you’ll find who is behind the recruiting. Who is Hatfield’s biggest donors? Who is giving money to upgrade the athletic facilities? Answers this and you’ll know who is really responsible.

@8:27. Any 6A public school in the state would beat any private school by 50 points or more. It’d be like Bama vs MS College. I’m sure MC has had some NFL talent but they are nowhere near the level of Bama. Same between teams like JA, Prep, or MRA vs Madison Central or even a Grenada or Warren Central. It’s not just a different league. It’s a different sport.

One of my mentors taught an advanced science to future physicians, in Jackson. He was horrified to realize that the kids cared far more about football teams, than about any of the material that any of their instructors were attempting to get them to master.

My own kids couldn't wait to get out of Mississippi (and never return). Reading the comments in this thread, finally drives-home, for me, what they were so desperate to escape. They tried to articulate it. Friends' kids have tried to articulate it (they all left Mississippi, too). But I can thank the posters in this thread, for finally (and unwittingly) putting it into words.

No wonder a friend drives her husband to another state (where she has found physicians who are not imbeciles), every week, for medical appointments. I've been informed that lots of people do that, now.

And (assuming Mississippi is not unique in its preoccupation with such a trivial aspect of life), no wonder our nation is now a vassal state of a Communist nation.

4:09 - Hate to burst your bubble, but Mississippi private schools offer scholarships to those deemed eligible under the school's published standards.

And if you really wanta know a school's primary recruitment (of pubescent athletes) practices, ride by JA on Lakeland and look at its primary advertisement - the ball fields. Not sure the school has indoor plumbing, but it has those manicured ball fields.

When Pinelake Church took over University Christian and it became Hartfield, it lost the focus on Christian education and became an offshoot of the Pinelake “cult”. It is full of Rankin County wannabes. They are snobs and not Christian. Money definitely is the root of all evil.

11:46 PM, you sure don’t know how to write without at least attempting to hide your agenda of hate. Under the influence maybe?

Assume you will wake up, read your post and ask yourself, WTF did I write last night - as it makes absolutely no sense. BWAHAHAHAHAHA

If you have the unfortunate experience of understanding your babble, then please tell us what rock you live under.

BECAUSE, about the only f’ing thing in this country that unites it, is its citizens, especially the adults, caring more about football teams i.e. sports, than damned near anything else. The fans even say WE, as if they had anything to do at all with the game, when it’s really them the players on the field, and WE watched.

Charles Barkley stated in an interview recently that when he asked school aged kids what they wanted to do when they grow up, 90% of them answered be an athlete or entertainer. So, as much as you want this to be a Mississippi thing, you might get off of whatever it is you’re drinking, smoking or taking, because it be messing up yo mind dude/dudette! BWAHAHAHAHAHA

@11:33- you’re dead wrong and the results prove it. Hartfield plays Lafayette this year. Prep plays West Jones. MRA plays Oak Grove. The MAIS teams may not win all of those games but they’ll be competitive. The primary issue face by the MAIS teams is numbers. Prep would be a 4 A team in the public league and the other 6As would be 3A. They’d dominate those leagues.

Yawn! Next! This thread is obviously an intentional diversion from a new Chokwe discussion. And this thread is just taking up space and sucking oxygen we should be spending talking about Chokwe's latest presser.

So are we supposed to believe that Jerrion Ealy and his family walked out of their house in Walnut Grove, got in the car, drove down to Jackson Prep and enrolled without the school having ANYTHING to do with him being there and staying there? Ok. Got it.

Hartfield has been clamoring to try to get on Prep’s level from Day one. They’re forcing it, trying too hard, breaking away from their values. If it ever happens, it will be decades from now. MRA’s growth seems to be legit, serving the needs of the growing Madison Area. Not exactly sure what the advantage is of going to JA at this point? But they do have some committed parents. Hartfield seems to be on the fake-it-but-maybe-not-make-it path.

All one needs to do is look at the sponsors listed on Hartfield’s turf field and you can easily figure out where the money is coming from.

Thank you, 7:00 AM, for that brilliant parody. There are people who really talk that way. And you were so deep in parody, you had us (almost) convinced you actually THINK that way.

Donations from Band-Boosters and parents who aced tests in physics and chemistry will not float the campus improvements at 'private schools'.

Money for that sort of thing comes from parents who envision themselves on High School ball fields and actually ruin the fun for their child by living vicariously through the child-athlete.

Psychologically, these parents suffer from a specific type of mental disorder, like it or not.

The dads (and moms) who are pacing the sidelines, have to be involved in every play, criticize the coach or their child's playing time and demand excellence from their child. And always have the check-book handy.

The madness goes way beyond simple helicoptering.

MRA stands for Mostly Recruited Athletes. They were the ones that started this cheating (I mean recruiting) mess. Wish the MAIS would drop the hammer on them, but it’s not likely since the Executive Director of MAIS has children that go or went to MRA.

Is this such a big deal? So some coaches forgot that St. Joe is now MAIS and not MHSAA and Hartfield simply did what they all do. They recruited. They get slapped (a reminder to be more careful). If they don't recruit they will be crushed by the schools that do. They are a PRIVATE business. Like all private businesses they must meet the competition or fall by the wayside, and MRA Prep and JA are comin'.

JA is basically a public school now. How have they gotten away
With what they are doing and why are parents staying at that school?
Drugs, giving scholarships to players who do not deserve it,
No one even goes to their basketball games anymore because
No one knows the kids playing! Look at the roster this year
Only one original guy on there!

High school athletics is one of the most corrupt things in the state.

Per MAIS rules, if recruiting violations have occurred, the kid who transferred from St. Joe to Hartfield should not be eligible to play. Seems like Hartfield got off easy.

Hartfield has not emphasized Academics at the High School Level..Unqualified,uncertified,teachers in every department.Coaches teaching courses they have no background in..Science teacher teaching History Language,teacher in Spanish that cannot speak Spanish,but,assigns computer lessons in Spanish..the entire upper level Math Department left this year..the School Leader is an overpaid Basketball player who thinks Sports is the Way..the students and Parents are being cheated..the Board needs to Act now..Pay qualified staff and make Hartfield a top Academic Institution..the School Leader makes over $200,000 and thinks his job is to recruit coaches and athletes from other schools..he exhibits NO interest in developing a fine Christian Academic Institution…A Change in Direction is needed NOW!

8:43 I believe that the st joe player ended up out of state after all of this.

@11:24- No, the player in question is currently enrolled at Hartfield. It would be interesting to know where he now resides though.

4:49 What is an "original guy"?

Sorry to inform you but they closed the "council schools" a few years ago.

@12:29- I’m sure he meant kids who attended JA during elementary and junior high. And he makes a legitimate point regarding private school recruiting. When the team is comprised of a lot of kids who are new to the school, the school risks losing support of the kids, parents and boosters who support the school. JA is going through this now. MRA has gone through this. Hartfield is still maturing as an institution but I’ll guarantee you that it will face this too.

These are high schools. The support is not like college and the pros. The appeal is that the parents, kids, and boosters have known the players since they were very young. That’s not to say that the schools should not recruit. They should. But there are limits that should be respected.

I have heard JA has been brining in lots of players for high school and none of their
Kids who started in elementary or even middle school play now. It’s really sad to do this
To such a great school that Ja was. Apparently they have brought in new leadership from out of
State that has really changed the values of the school. I guess Prep will benefit greatly from this.

4:30 The only risk involves losing. If they recruit the good athletes and/or the good students and they win they will get MORE support not less. I agree that bringing in "ringers" and losing will become problematic. That's why you go "ALL IN" if you are going to compete with the big boys. Win and "booster" come out of the woodwork.

H.Toddy

August 4, 11:46
We’re glad to know your kids left the state (we won’t miss them). I hope you get some help with your grammar (drives-home). You probably shouldn’t refer to physicians (doctors) in Mississippi as imbeciles; it makes you sound like a liberal (dumbass). If you are so disgusted with Mississippi, why don’t you leave (haul ass)?

After a void in leadership for some years, JA finally has quality leadership in place and the future is bright. It’s a special place with administration and coaching staffs who get it, and who genuinely care about the students and student athletes. This thread is about Hartfield cheating. Stay focused people.

Hartfield is just a modern day Hillcrest Christian with a bigger church subsidy. Go Cougars!

Greed ruins all.

College sucks now too. It's just minor league. Can't even cheer for the hometown kids when your QB is from Hawaii.

Prep always imitated, never replicated. Kind of like being Duke men's basketball or the Yankees. You must be doing something right if everyone is hating on you and always talking about you. And also if you keep running out of room to store the trophies you keep winning.

Hartfield née UCS has for two plus decades tried to be the next Prep in terms of athletics. I'll admit, they aren't as much of an athletic embarrassment as they used to be. But they aren't the juggernauts of sports they hoped to be. I'd still schedule them to be our homecoming opponent any day. Who ever wrote that Hartfield is someone with new money, f250 with a yeti sticker, and wears bedazzeled jeans is a poet.

As far as academics go, they are way below par and always have been. I don't see them ever getting to the rigor of Prep. They damn sure won't ever be St Andrew's. The only school in the state with better academics than Prep IMO. A true worthy competitor with both brains and brawn. Anyway, back to that rinky dink school at the corner of Lakeland Dr and Luckney Road. Play stupid games, win stupid prizes. Every school recruits, they bend the rules, and even outright break 'em. Prep and St Andrew's included. They just know how to do it without being caught. Play chess not checkers y'all.

My favorite instance of Prep allegedly cheating was circa 2002/2003 by our Rowdy Raiders football friends who SWORE we wet the football field to beat them. As if we didn't have to play in the mud too, smh. Here is my rebuttal to that accusation: we beat JA in the regular season and championship that year. Wet field, dry field! I still love chanting that one

Like it or not, Hartfield and MRA are the fastest growing privates in the metro. That is undeniable. Both are similar academically, not very rigorous. In sports, MRA is still ahead of Hartfield. But Hartfield beat them in football last year. That scared Herbert Davis and the MAIS Board. Hartfield’s football team had more talent last year than any of the metro privates, and will again this year. But it lacks the quality coaching MRA and Prep has. When Hartfield lands a good head coach, which it will one day, watch out. The MAIS knows this.

JA is a complete non factor. Folks are fleeing Jackson, and JA simply will not survive long term.

Prep is Prep, and it’s holding steady. Without question, it’s the leading academic metro private school (other than St.Andrew’s). Athletics are also at or near the top in most sports.

But based on pure numbers, Prep is worried by Hartfield’s rapid growth. Hartfield will never catch Prep academically, but it is very attractive to Rankin Countians because of its Christian background, strong sports, safe environment, and low tuition (around half of what Prep costs). It is also attractive to JPS parents for those same reasons. Throw in Rankin’s and Madison’s surging growth, and both MRA and Hartfield will continue to burst at the seams, with Prep suffering some.

From a pure numbers perspective, and the reasons mentioned above, Prep is concerned about Hartfield the most. Prep has even thrown together an elementary school to try to keep up. Something it did without informing its feeder school FPDS. Hartfield will likely surpass Prep in enrollment and most athletics (other than baseball) within ten years. However, it will never compete with Prep academically. Neither will MRA.

Another favorite allegation of theft/cheating is why MRA’s mascot is the patriot. The old school rumor I heard is that when MRA opened, Prep gave them all their old practice jerseys. And the name patriots stuck. Lol.

Gonna dispute that Prep didn’t tell FPDS. I’m an alum of both with direct knowledge about conversations between the schools
as this unfolded. They absolutely did tell FPDS, but the FPDS headmaster LIED and threw a little bitch fit about it and lied to his own faculty and staff. Plus that guy hates Prep and is all about MRA. The worst thing that could ever happen to FPDS would be to become like MRA. Listen there is no good way to break that kind of news. And it was gonna hurt FPDS, and they will be mad no matter how Prep told them the news. But Prep and FPDS are not formal partners. They never were. The feeder system worked for a long time. Until it didn’t. And Prep has to take care of Prep’s future. FPDS is not nor should it be a factor in Prep’s long term
vision. We aren’t rooting against FPDS. But we have to take care of ourselves first. ill acknowledge the Hartfield’s surging enrollment numbers caught Prep’s attention. They will keep growing. Perhaps their enrollment will pass Prep’s bc of affordability. But quality over quantity. And by all accounts Prep’a new lower school has the same academic blue print as the middle and upper school. Don’t under estimate Prep and it’s proven success record. The lower school will thrive. Just like everything else on campus. My only complaint about Prep is it’s time for the school to have an open and honest
Discussion about its origins in the time of desegregation. It wasn’t a council school, the founder genuinely wanted to start a Prep school, but there were also outright racist who helped pay for and it and sent their kids there. Prep has come so far, it can be proud , but it has to be honest about the origins. It will only help the school thrive by doing so.

12:35 is spot on.

I would add that I believe Christ Covenant adding an upper school accelerated the decision by 1-2 years.

Hartfield stands on the Bible and says come and get a Christian education......Just do as I say and not as I do. Those Coaches should be fired and the entire Athletic Department be overhauled. The ethics and morality of our Nation continues to nosedive and we just stand, watch and allow it to happen......

Private schools have become little Kingdoms. Kind of like a group of farmers forming a co-op, to work for them, then decades later the farmers are working for the co-op.

Parents pay dearly to send their children to schools that don’t have hundreds of kids per grade (Northwest Rankin reportedly has 1,796 students in grades 9-12, 449 average per grade) hoping that there will be more opportunities, then coaches circumvent the rules by bringing in star athletes (some via mules) to take that tuition paying parents opportunity away from their child.

How many partial school days per year do working parents have to deal with?

How much Covid money (reportedly between $1 million and $2 million dollars) did Hartfield get; and how much tuition was refunded to the parents (while their children were being taught remotely)?

I hate that Hartfield is being punished especially when you can see JA
Is doing it right in front of everyone. Not understanding why parents are not standing up at that
School and demanding the admin to stop with the scholarships that they are all paying.
When parents do ask their response is , we would rather have full chairs than empty?
So it’s right to make everyone pay $16,000 so you can give out hundreds of scholarships
To kids that are bringing bad elements into the school!

@5:37 do you even have kids who attended or currently attend JA? I hope not, because your bigotry is shining through.

Heard they lost the MAIS appeal today. And now are planning on using the court system.
They won’t prevail.
https://casetext.com/case/mississippi-high-school-activities-v-farris

Heard they won the appeal. Reinstated into being eligible for playoffs. St. Joe game is going to be one to watch this year.

Where did all the haters go?