[Fly Like a Duck]

Anywhere you have affluence and wealth concentrated in one place, you will find success in both academics and athletics. Schools with higher per capita incomes have more involved parents with higher expectations and involvement, which results in students who give better effort and expect more from themselves. Transient bubbles might happen in certain schools with certain sports due to exceptional coaching at times, but over time, I think you'll find this is clearly more rule than exception. Schools in affluent areas (Highlands, Beechwood, St. X, Trinity, et al) or even schools in poorer areas where the higher-income families choose to send their children (Pikeville, Ashland, et al) will do better in all spheres of measurement. Fair? No. But what in life is?

This.

The end.

Demographics are everything.