The age-old question, `Will private, public schools ever be separated in playoffs?'

Welcome to the Bay Area News Group's debut edition of the prep sports mailbag.

We're here to answer what's on your mind.

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Let's get started:

Seeing the manner in which private schools dominate, do you think the Central Coast Section should investigate the possibility of creating separate public and private championships?

— GR from the South Bay

Should it look into it or will it look into it, GR?

Serra's Patrick Walsh, one of the deans among Bay Area football coaches, is on record saying that private and public schools should have their own championships. Makes sense.

While some public schools have open enrollments within their districts, the bottom line is private schools have no boundaries. They can attract student-athletes from two or three counties away if that athlete's family is willing to make the commute.

That's not to say public schools cannot compete.

But it's awfully difficult.

The last public school to go through the CCS football playoffs by winning a division filled with mostly private schools was Oak Grove, in 2015.

That was a long time ago.

Let's look at the recent history of the CCS football playoffs. The West Catholic Athletic League champion or runner-up has won major CCS titles in each of the past five playoff seasons.

But because of how the section sets up its playoffs, oftentimes the top bracket has mostly privateschool powers, opening the door for public schools to capture titles in other divisions.

Since 2017, public schools have won 14 CCS football championships, three more than the section's private schools.

In basketball, private schools have won all 10 CCS Open Division championships in both the boys and girls playoffs since the top bracket was added in 2013.

Do you think it would be a good idea to separate the public and private schools in sports competitions in California?

Not all private schools are cut from the same cloth. Serra and De La Salle are not the same, at least in football, as Salesian or Moreau Catholic.

But not all public schools are Folsom, the Sac-Joaquin Section powerhouse that has split four football games against De La Salle the past two seasons.

I'd hate to see a system implemented that would deprive teams such as Folsom or let's say Dougherty Valley in boys basketball this past season from playing against the best teams, no matter if they're public or private.

Maybe the solution is as simple as separation with the option to move up into the best-of-the-best bracket.

Do I see any of this happening? Nope.