Facts - I am aware of a high school student from Kennebec County who is supremely talented in basketball (and also happens to be very tall, so that helps), but instead of playing at their "home" school, they're now going to an academy a couple hours away in order to get noticed/recruited/scouted/etc.

There is most certainly a classist system in high school athletics. Only those who can afford to go do things to get noticed will actually get noticed. Everyone else doesn't have a chance.