(3-11-24) Over the years in high school sports public vs. private name calling has been a regular issue. This past weekend two Ohio Catholic schools clashed on the basketball court and now in the newspapers and social media. What!!!!!…You gotta be kidding me….two Catholic schools, you have to admit that is a new one.

Purcell Marian is headed to the 2024 OHSAA Girls State Basketball Tournament this weekend and will look to win its third consecutive State title, while Hamilton Badin’s season ended in a 75-29 loss for the 2nd consecutive year in the Regional final to the Cavaliers.

This is how it started….

Badin coach Tom Sunderman told the Journal-News and Butler County Sports Reports –

“To make it to the regional finals with all kids that live in our district, that all weren’t recruited, that all were Catholic school kids — I’m proud of them. I just didn’t want our kids to quit. When you recruit six or seven Division I’s, you get four transfers in, you got 10 girls that live out of district — none of them went to parochial schools in grade school — it’s going to be hard. You have to have all the stars line up, and they didn’t line up.”

So the accusations have been made…did P-M recruit 6 or 7 players, did they add four transfers? Will the OHSAA investigate any of that? Most violations in Ohio when a school self-reports violations, so most likely in a few weeks it will all be forgotten.

Just a thought a Regional Final game that was won 75-29? The Rams were one win away from going to state…46 points difference.

Below from the Facebook accounts of Purcell Marian Principal and Coach—

Farsing wrote in a statement –

“The racial undertones and poor sportsmanship of this coach are beyond words. Sadly, we see this too often and I’m done with it. I will fight this to the end. To the students, families, alumni, and staff of our school, I will not allow this to be swept under the rug.”

So where did the racial undertones come from against Badin?

Mosley told WCPO TV –

“Was this comment made due to the fact that my kids look different from yours? In reality, I have Catholic kids on my team, with over half of them having attended Catholic schools. Why was this assumption made? I can’t stay quiet any longer for the school community and for our kids.”

Finger pointing and name calling by two Catholic schools in athletics…very interesting and something you thought you would never see,