Are you saying Loyola petitioned up to avoid Mt.Carmel? Loyola petitioned up because they see themselves as an 8A school and always want to play in the toughest class.
Nobody is saying that at all.
I believe they petitioned up for the reasons you stated, as do most people.
It is unfortunate that it worked out where it deprived the state of a great playoff matchup between LA and MC as those were clearly the best two in the state that year and they played a great regular season game as well.
Loyola opted to petition up. MC did not. I respect LA's choice to play up. I simply wish it either wasn't an option for them (which would force the two best teams in the state to have been in the same 7A class that year) or that MC had chosen to petition up (which would have had the same desired outcome of a LA-MC playoff game, just in 8A).
Again, no knock on anyone. As has been pointed out, nobody really petitions to play up to seek out better competition. ESL, LA, and Rita seem to be the only exceptions.
If an ardent, outspoken supporter of ESL, LA, or Rita wants to go on a multi year long rant against trophy shopping, that would be coming from a place of moral authority. Coming from an ardent, outspoken supporter of a school that has never petitioned up itself is the issue here.
And I don't fault MC or anyone for not petitioning up. It is just interesting that the only big CCL advocate of petitioning up comes from a school who has never petitioned up and who benefitted when Loyola petitioned up to give his school a clearer path to a title.
Good on Loyola for petitioning up in the past.