That's the truth. We had a talented young man in my son's Little League. His parents decided to sent him to a local private high school with a top-rated varsity baseball program.
In the middle of his sophomore season, he suddenly showed up at our public HS and got a starting position on the varsity team, benching kids who had showed up at the pre-season drills and never missed a practice. Turns out he wasn't getting the playtime at the private HS, so his parents switched him to our pubic HS mid-season. And the rules were bent significantly so he could join and grab a starting position mid-season. That's when I really learned about HS sports politics and the way the game is really played.
By the time you reach HS, its all about winning.