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Mike White's high school sports chat: 03.19.19
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Mike White
11:06
Hey everyone. Sun is out. It's state playoff week. The good times continue. Let's get started.
Indian Fan
11:06
Any college interest for Keeno Holmes from LP?
Mike White
11:06
Division II and smaller.
Thomas
11:06
Is Maceo Austin a program changing player at Duquesne?
Mike White
11:08
Easy now. Maceo is certainly a fine player. Talented. Good sized guard at 6-5 and I think he's taken his game to another level this year. He can certainly help Duquesne. They beat out some Big 10 schools to get him. But a program changing player?? Easy. He will add to the program certainly. Not change it.
john
11:08
Hey Mike any suggestions on best place to stay in Hersey ? And more importantly eat/drink and celebrate after Lincoln Park wins the 3A state final. Any place like the old Wagon Wheel we used to stop after games . thanks
Mike White
11:09
Well I quit my job as Hershey tourism director a year ago. I know I will have at least one night at Gilligan's in Swatara. Hoping to see Ginger or The Professor there.
Joe slappy
11:09
What WPIAL schools have you never been to?
Mike White
11:10
Geez Joe. I'd have to think about that one. Off the top of my head, I'd say some of them in Greene County. Like Mapletown.
Get2dachoppa
11:10
Best teams you’ve seen that didn’t win a title?
Mike White
11:14
Wow. There might be a few but one that comes to mind right away is the 2007 Aliquippa team with Herb Pope, Jon Baldwin, other good players. They blew it against Prep Charter and the Morris twins (now in NBA). Aliquippa was up 14 with 3:50 to go. Lost 68-66. Marcus Morris made two free throws with six seconds left to win it. What a collapse. And was the worst behavior ever by a losing team. Can still see Herb Pope throwing his silver medal to the court. Quips walked off the court before Prep Charter got introduced. Left runner-up trophy on the court. They got a little slap on wrist from PIAA.
Get2dachoppa
11:14
do you think any of the philly charter or catholic schools since they joined the PIAA  could’ve beaten 2007 schenley?
Mike White
11:15
Good question. Maybe one of the Roman Catholic teams that won state title. Or maybe Neumann-Goretti team that beat Mars by 33. I wouldn't say beat Schenley. But give them a game.
He hate me
11:16
Seems like Buddy to Central was a done deal months ago.  There was a lot of smoke before the firing of Crummie and resignation of Buddy.  This was similar to what I heard with the firing of Long from NC and the hiring of Degregorio.
Mike White
11:16
Everyone "hears." Don't know. I would say good chance Buddy gets job, but we'll see.
Sam
11:18
How does Kennedy Catholic get a kid from the Congo or Italy to go there?  Why doesn't Kennedy Catholic play a schedule like First Love Christian Academy in Washington, PA?
Mike White
11:21
This has been talked about and written about before how they got there. As far as schedule. First off, Kennedy Catholic is still a school in the PIAA. First Love is not. Secondly, how about this for Kennedy schedule this season: First Love, Aspire Academy (Ky.), Chaminade (Mo.), Central Florida Christian, Imhotep (Philly), St. Edward's (Ohio), Coatesville, Plymouth-Whitemarsh, St. V-St. Mary (LeBron's alma mater), Our Savior Lutheran (Bronx). Is that good enough? I'd say they have played a pretty darn good schedule.
X
11:21
Did you catch Petcash's attempted dunk over Oscar late in the PR/KC game?   I was impressed with how discpline Oscar is on defense. He didn't seem prone to foul trouble because he moves his feet and goes straight up.  I"m not convinced on KC's pg.  If the don't win the state title, what do you think is their biggest weakness that a team can exploit?
Mike White
11:23
If they forget about getting the ball into Oscar. Or if they have a bad night shooting. But they have many ways to beat you. And yes I did see Oscar block. Oscar did it with two hands. He's most physical, most impressive post player I've seen in Western Pa. since Dan Fortson. Two things really impress me about him, besides his size and athleticism. His second jump, and his ability to recover from weak (help) side and block shots or misdirect them.
Beans
11:23
Do you see prep or charter schools becoming more common in the future in the WPIAL?
Mike White
11:24
Charter maybe. But they're usually small schools.
jimmy the greek
11:24
Mike you have been the closest to calling out the craziness at Kennedy. I particularly loved your "err" that you slipped in as a reference to their all Americans unknown age. why is everyone reluctant to expose what is surely one of the juiciest stories in high school basketball. the love triangle between the benefactor importing kids through his non profit, his life long relationship with the big time college coach that he's pipelined these 2 kids to and the former Kennedy principal that chairs district 10 and rubber stamps all these kids... there is much more meat on the bone than the average high school transfer, a fake address or a fudged birth certificate...
Mike White
11:26
First off, I have written all of that. Did it a year ago. Nothing wrong with kids coming to a place, wanting to be in the U.S., wanting to play college basketball in the U.S. It's one of the great things about America. No well (at least not yet) to stop these kids from getting opportunities. But the big complaint is, these schools playing against public schools. That's the story.
Beans
11:26
Was Ringgolds state playoff loss one of the worst in history?  Shame they made it and Uniontown didn't who stomped them twice.
Mike White
11:27
I have no idea what the worst loss is in state history.
football guy
11:27
Do you think PIAA will ever legitimize 7 on 7 flag football as a varsity sport?
Mike White
11:28
Lord, no. At least I hope not. If so, I think I'll be long gone. What do you want next, the WPIAL XGAMES??
Beans
11:28
Do coaches get paid overtime for deep playoff runs
Mike White
11:28
Yes, some of them get an extra stipend.
Beans
11:28
If you were looking to be a 6A coach,  what would be your top 5 schools?
Mike White
11:29
The ones that have the best players.
Big John
11:29
Any word on new coach at WestA?
Mike White
11:29
No.
hoopster
11:29
It seems to me that providing scholarships to high school students is an obvious example of recruiting.  How do private schools get away with it?  BTW, I am not talking about financial aid.
Mike White
11:31
They don't say it's scholarships. They don't give athletic scholarships. Come on now, it is "aid based on need." And if some schools "NEED" you, it's amazing sometimes the aid they find. But to be fair, that doesn't happen at all private/Catholic schools. It's like Division III colleges. They don't give scholarships. It's aid based on need. But if you're a good quarterback and they "NEED" a quarterback, it's amazing they aid they come up with.
Beans
11:31
Do you think North Catholic moving to Cranberry hurt NA and SV basketball programs?
Mike White
11:31
No.
WPIALDude
11:32
It is interesting to hear some of the bigger schools in the WPIAL complain about Kennedy. Single A and AA have been dealing with this for a few years now, and really most of the private schools are in 3A and below in the WPIAL. The small publics are the ones who really take a hit because of this stuff. Thanks for all your insight Mike. Appreciate reading you throughout the year.
Mike White
11:32
No doubt. That's what I said, charter schools are mostly in smaller classes.
football guy
11:32
The reason I ask about 7on7 is that there are leagues going on with kids from 4th-9th grade right now with hundreds of kids participating.  I only know of a handful that play regular football.  Seems like a paradigm shift.
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