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Mike White's high school sports chat: 03.03.26
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Mike White
10:56
Good morning. Well, the WPIAL basketball championships are complete. State playoffs start Friday. And in case you didn't know, official spring sports practices have started. So let's talk.
Iron-man
10:57
Mike - What are your thoughts for the PCC vs. Dice matchup this coming Saturday? Who do you predict will win the game?
Mike White
10:58
That has to be the most interesting first-round game involving a local team. WPIAL vs. City. Allderdice coach Devin Crummie played at Central and was a longtime assistant under his father, Chuck, at Central. It's Saturday at 1 at Allderdice. I'll go with Central. Allderdice can certainly win, but Central defense might be difference. Allderdice's Lukas Stead was City Player of the Year a year ago, but it seems he has been slowed by injury from football.
QuipNation
10:58
Besides South Fayette girls, what WPIAL/CITY teams have the best chance to win states or make long runs in playoffs?
Mike White
11:02
When you say long run, I take it you mean winning a state title. Could Knoch have a chance in 4A boys? Cathedral Prep is 4A boys and has only one loss. Other side of the state Berks Catholic is good. I think maybe Aliquippa, even South Allegheny or Mohawk in 3A has a decent chance of getting there. Definitely Sewickley in 2A boys can win it. Lost in final last year. Delone Catholic is 23-1 in 2A though. I would say Neighborhood Academy has decent chance of getting there in 1A.
11:05
For girls teams besides South Fayette, I think Oakland Catholic and Blackhawk have decent chances of winning. Central Columbia is undefeated at 27-0, though. In 3A, Shady Side and Greensburg Central Catholic have shots at it. Shady Side lost in last year's final. Here's a great first-round matchup -- of players -- when Quaker Valley meets Northwestern. Quaker Valley has Mimi Thiero, top 50 senior in country. Northwestern Has Makayla Presser-Palmer, top 65 player in country who has signed with Arizona. Presser-Palmer is the all-time leading scorer in District 10 with around 2,500 points. She's 5-11 guard. How many times do you get two top 65 players in country meeting in state playoffs, and one is WPIAL girl?
Mr Ed
11:05
After watching South Fayette girls at the Pete, and then looking at their season results, how in the heck did Trinity hold them to 26 points? I know you didn’t see the game but maybe talked to somebody who did?
Mike White
11:07
I actually watched a half of that game. It's not like Trinity stood at half court holding the ball and South Fayette sat back on defense. Trinity simply ran 5 around motion: pass and cut, pass and cut, looking for a back cut sooner or later, or drive to hoop. South Fayette pressured them on defense. But Trinity was very good at this. Yes, Trinity ran that 5 around for more than a minute sometimes before shooting. But South Fayette's biggest poroblem was they couldn't make a shot, especially in first half. It wasn't total hold the ball by Trinity. The strategy worked because Trinity ran its offense well and South Fayette couldn't make a shot.
hsfan
11:07
Have you seen an attendance figure for the weekend?
Mike White
11:08
16,613 for the three days. Up 200 from last year, but not in 20 thousands like three other years recently.
Anonymous
11:08
i’ve heard that they are going to start releasing fall alignments for next year going week by week starting with soccer then volleyball then football is this accurate??
Mike White
11:08
According to WPIAL, football probably released next week.
Dan from Cleveland
11:08
Who are your best shots for WPIAL boys teams to make it all the way to Hershey!
Mike White
11:09
Sewickley Academy probably the best shot. Maybe someone in 3A and maybe Neighborhood Academy. Don't sleep on Knoch, either. I'll say WPIAL will have two, maybe three teams make it.
Jesse
11:09
What are your thoughts on the Canon Mac girls winning their first WPIAL basketball championship?
Mike White
11:11
Great story. It was only in 2022-23 season that they were 5-16 and 1-11 in section. Now they're WPIAL champs. Never did anything in playoffs before. First time in finals. Great turnaround story. It helped that 6A was down overall. But don't take anything away from that turnaround.
Jesse
11:11
What are a few girls' teams from 1-6A that you could possibly see making a run in the state playoffs?
Mike White
11:11
Touched on that above.
Basketball Fan
11:11
Hey Mike, any thoughts on where the potential matchup of Coatsville vs PCC/Dice winner will be? Pittsburgh area or more central PA?
Mike White
11:13
Well first off, Coatesville has to win its first-round game. That game will probably be somewhere in middle of state. Would like to see that one. Coatesville has a 5-star sophomore, rated one of top 5 sophomores in country. 6-6 guard Colton Hiller. Arleady some good offers. More than 1,000 career points. Coatesville lost in District 1 final to Plymouth-Whitemarsh and will play through the western part of the bracket in 6A.
Sewickley Fan
11:13
Our kids are here for academic purposes, who cares if they are good at basketball. What's wrong with providing an opportunity and a platform? Jeannette is just salty they lost.
Mike White
11:13
You bet.
WPIAL Fan
11:14
What does Upper St. Clair do differently to continually reload every year? Foster was a starter last year and Robbins is special, but every year they seem to have kids like Marchinsky and Beggy that come out of nowhere to be contributors and difference makers.
Mike White
11:14
They have a "program." When you have a "program" you can just reload. But it sure helps when you had a 6-10 kid for a couple years followed by his 6-7, 280-pound sequoia tree of a brother.
USC
11:15
Given the majority of the team is juniors and sophomores is a 4 peat or even a 5 peat possible for USC Boys ?
Mike White
11:15
Definitely 4. Foster won't be easy to replace, though. But I think USC has some shooters hanging in the wings.
SOUTH PARK FAN
11:15
1ST STATE PLAYOFF GAME IN 20 YEARS AND WE PLAY PERRY WHO IS *CHECK NOTES* 4-20. WHAT A DRAW!
Mike White
11:15
Yes, that record is correct for Perry.
Iron-man
11:16
Mike - Any updates on transfers approved and denied by the WPIAL and PIAA?
Mike White
11:17
There is a list of transfers approved by WPIAL every month. Sometimes it's 20, sometimes it's 40 or more. Only a few are usually brought in for eligibility hearings.
Out East
11:18
Maybe I wasn't looking hard enough but I didn't see too many of the private schools out of Philly in the PIAA's in 6A. Looks like Fr Judge had a down year.
Mike White
11:20
Father Judge and Archbishop Wood are in it in 6A. They're Catholic schools. Imhotep is in it also. No. 1 team from Philly Public/Catholic league.
QuipNation
11:20
Do you expect New Castle/USC rematch in 6A western final? Marino Graham fouled out for NC with 4 minutes left in WPIAL final which made difference in game. Season probably ends there as they would face Philly champ.
Mike White
11:20
I do not. I don't think they both get by all the other teams. Possibly one of them.
Champs
11:20
Are we gonna have another case of 8 or 10 of the 12 classes being won by private schools ? Not good for the PIAA
Mike White
11:21
Could be.
X
11:24
I saw Rowan Carmichael last night.  What a pleasure it is watching him warm up.  Did you ever see the Pace Prosser kid from Berlin Brothers? ...what a player.
Mike White
11:26
Carmichael is pretty good after warmups, too. For those who don't know, he's the Avonworth kid now a freshman at Edinboro. Has had a very good year. One of top 3-point shooters in country in Division II. Edinboro lost last night to IUP in conference tournament. Rowan had 20. As far as Pace Prosser, yes I saw him in two state championships. Very good player. He's at Gannon. Team's leading scorer at 17.6. Ran into Gannon coach Easton Bazzolli two weeks ago. Says a lot of good things about Prosser. Wonder if Prosser stays? Or does he try to go up to mid-major Div. 1?
Anonymous
11:26
I’ve heard they are going to start releasing some alignments this week starting with soccer then volleyball is this accurate
Mike White
11:27
All I know is WPIAL boss said football will probably be released next week.
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