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Mike White's high school sports chat: 03.24.26
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Mike White
11:03
Well, basketball season is complete. Sun is out. Spring sports have started. But lots to wrap up with basketball. Chat now open. Fire away with comments and questions.
Friend of the Program
11:05
I know it’s not an official stat, however do you know what the career records are for rebounding (boys & girls) in the WPIAL are? I read somewhere that it maybe DeVonte Watson of Lincoln Park at about 1,400 and Swin Cash of McKeesport at over 1,500. Any thoughts or info?
Mike White
11:08
Hey friend. I keep a lot of records. But neither I or anyone else knows career rebounds record. I know Devonte Watson (er, Swatson as I liked to call him) was only player I know who had 1,000 career points, 1,000 career rebounds and 1,000 career blocks. He had 1,343 rebounds going into state semis his senior year. Not sure what he finished with. Swin Cash had incredible 1,782 career rebounds. Don't know for sure, but likely a WPIAL record.
Hsfan
11:08
Tragedy hit the New Castle community this week. On Saturday long time New Castle football and basketball assistant coach Billy Humphrey passed away suddenly. He impacted so many players on the field and off the field. He left a great impact on the community and his absence will be felt by all.
Mike White
11:10
Such a sad story. New Castle community is hurting because basketball and high school sports so important there. Bill was to be inducted into Lawrence County Hall of Fame next month. He didn't even make it to see it. Apparent heart attack. He has been an assistant for Ralph Blundo in all of Ralph's 16 years. Bill also longtime football assistant coach. Ralph spoke so highly of him. Just so sad. Sympathies to his family.
Mr Ed
11:10
I know it’s not local but interested in your thoughts on the Imhotep-Central Dauphin game? Wasn’t a typical powerhouse Imhotep team but still more superior talented but I thought Dauphin outhustled, outcoached, and out disciplined(turnovers) them. And NC and USC played right with that team. I
Mike White
11:12
I only watched some of the game. Switching between it and NCAA games. I agree that it wasn't a powerhouse Imhotep team. But don't take anything away from Central Dauphin. Winning the state over a Philly school is big. Shoutout to Central Dauphin. They were good and I agree with you about how hard Central Dauphin played. Will a WPIAL team ever win largest classification again? This might give WPIAL hope. After all, New Castle and Upper St. Clair lost close games to Central Dauphin in state playoffs.
40StripesRetired
11:13
Hi Mike.  Enjoyed Hershey, as always.  Happy to see a few WPIAL teams bring home the gold medal.  Attendance a little over 17k for the weekend - disappointing, but expected.  Some attribute declining attendance to streaming availability, but I am in the camp of non-boundary representation.  Either way, this is our new, or not so new, normal.  6A boys was Imhotep vs. Central Dauphin - guessing 8k in attendance.  If that were Central Dauphin vs. New Castle, it probable would have sold out.  Your thoughts?
Mike White
11:16
There is no doubt attendance started to go down when Philly Catholic and Public schools came into PIAA. But what's hard to understand is that Philly Catholic League championship and Philly championship jam a place like Palestra with 9 thousand fans. But they don't come to state championships. From the PIAA, though, attendance for Friday night was 4,666. Good crowd because of Central Dauphin. If it was New Castle, would've been much bigger. Biggest crowd I've seen at Giant Center was Reading vs. Pine-Richland in 2017. Place was full.
11:19
Getting back to crowds. Some people say they should put the finals either in Pittsburgh or Philly. I don't think in Pittsburgh will do anything, except maybe make it smaller. PIAA had over 17,000 this year. WPIAL finals had over 17,000 this year, too. So if you put them in Pittsburgh, no way some of those fans are going to drive over here, especially from Philly. Might have smaller crowds. Now the WPIAL has done really well in a few years at Petersen. Over 20,000 a few times in recent years. But bottom line is this: People just don't go to state championships like they once did. Here are crowd figures for state titles about two decades ago right before Philly schools came in: 2007 – 30,340 (Penn State)
2006 – 33,008 (Hershey)
2005 – 33,293 (Hershey)
2004 – 34,772 (Hershey)
Pitt
11:19
Watched the state championships on PCN last week.  Overall, I thought the officiating left a lot to be desired.  Any chance the PIAA will reevaluate  how these officials are assigned? Officials in North Central Pennsylvania do not see the same caliber athletes that Philadelphia and Pittsburgh  area officials see weekin and week out.
Mike White
11:20
I'm not going to get into officiating. They assign who they think are the best officials. What else do you want them to do? Although I do agree that officials in a few areas might not be used to seeing games such as the state championships.
AdamJamison
11:20
With all of the talk about Private school hoops teams recruiting, the South Fayette Girls’ successful 5 year run is even more impressive, considering every girls came up through the SF youth program from 4th grade.
Mike White
11:22
Totally agree. Love what South Fayette did. Just crunching some numbers. Take away their 3-point WPIAL playoff win against Trinity in a game I still can't figure out, and South Fayette won its other eight postseason games by an average of 33.8 points. Won five PIAA games by average of 26.6 points. And three seniors all going to Division I schools. That doesn't happen often. I think maybe they deserve to go in the top 10 teams of all time from WPIAL. Only lost once to a nationally ranked team in Florida.
LeboKid
11:22
Good morning, Mike. There is a rally scheduled at the Capitol Rotunda in Harrisburg on Tuesday, June 6, at 1:00 p.m. in support of PIAA playoff reform.  Your article regarding this topic revealed that 95% of public-school ADs in Districts 1, 3 and 7 (WPIAL) surveyed are in favor of separate playoffs for public schools and Catholic/private/charter schools.  A high school wrestling teammate of mine (and head wrestling coach in Perry County) commented to me that recruiting and transfers to private schools are out of control in all sports across the Commonwealth.  Hoping that you can do a follow-up article about this topic before the P-G signs off for good.  Thanks for your continued good work on this front, Mike.
Mike White
11:25
Recruiting has been rampant at Catholic, private and charter schools for a while. We all know some of the worst at it, but I won't mention names. But don't kid yourself. Recruiting goes on some at public schools, too. But it's not the recruiting that is as much a problem as it is the publics and non-boundary schools go by different set of rules for students. And let's just say, don't be so sure that the P-G will sign off for good in May.
Will they ever ?
11:25
After seeing how CD beat Imhoptep Is next year the year USC Boys FINALLY win the States or is it just never gonna happen ?
Mike White
11:26
Well, I'll say this. With Mount Robbins and two other starters returning, USC will be ranked No. 1 in the WPIAL heading into next season. Hard to say right now what the rest of the state looks like.
Legit
11:26
You mentioned last week Central Dauphin had a kid transfer in mid-season. I thought the PIAA didn't allow that. How did they pull that one off ?
Mike White
11:30
You can transfer midseason. As long as you haven't played so many games and if it's a move into a public school district, you have to physically moved into that district. That is where some of the question comes in. But there is also a 21-day period that you have to sit if you transfer after the start of the season. Eric James, the kid who transferred to Obama and became eligible in January, his father filed a suit against the PIAA to try and get an injunction that his son wouldn't have to sit for 21 days. I saw the suit. One of the things he claimed was his civil rights were being violated. They lost the suit. The kid who came to Central Dauphin and James also became eligible for postseason. Apparently, they fit one of the exceptions to be eligible, because athletes are supposed to be ineligible for postseason if they transfer after sophomore year, unless they fit one of the exceptions.
PIAA Officials
11:30
After watching how the officials completely bungled the CV West York I think the PIAA needs to change how they recruit these officials. A lot of these guys are middle aged dudes with beer guts. Is there a way they can recruit younger more fit officials. Maybe boast the pay or offer some incentive to recent college grads who were student athletes to be officials ?
Mike White
11:32
You want a recent college grad to officiate state playoffs, with virtually no experience? C'mon. They have to start at the lower levels to see how they are. Just because you are a college athlete does not mean you can be a good official. Officials make mistakes. Some aren't the greatest. But I'll stick up for officials because we don't have enough of them. Yes, they make mistakes and that's unfortunate. But so do players and coaches.
TW
11:33
SF team ranks up there with 1979 Franklin Regional girls with Ellison, Basick, Miklasevich!
Mike White
11:34
I remember them. I was a junior at North Hills when they beat North Hills in the WPIAL championship at Civic Arena. Followed by Boo Kirby's half court shot that allowed Midland to beat Ford City, and Beaver Falls with Damon Bryant and Dwight Collins made a comeback in last few minutes to beat Burrell and Joey "Sonar" Myers.
40StripesRetired
11:34
Reading vs. Pine-Richland in 2017 I remember well.  NC vs. LaSalle College also had a huge crowd.  The1980s and 90s at Hersheypark Arena usually drew good crowds for the Saturday night games.  Too bad the attendance has become what it's become.
Mike White
11:36
Hey 40StriplesRetired. You know what the state championships don't get any more? The average fan who has no allegiance to any school and goes. I knew a number of coaches and buddies from WPIAL in 1980s who would go every year. A couple local establishments in Hershey would be packed at night with those guys. People like that don't go any more. It is what it is. You get 17 or 18,000 for 12 games. They used to get 30,000 for 8 games.
HooperMan
11:37
Mike, the Imani coach stepped down, and then took another job with a prep school I believe. Do you know what that school is, and what that whole basketball team is about?
Mike White
11:38
Yes, I saw that. It's not a prep school. It's a charter school that I never heard of either. But look on their website and it says grades 6-11. It's a charter school, like all others, where public schools have to pay money if their students go there.
Money
11:38
Curious if you know how much revenue the PIAA brings in ? Where would one find that info ?
Mike White
11:38
No idea and no idea.
Mr Ed
11:38
Mike, I don’t like to double dip with questions but mention earlier of USC next year I had been wondering is there a decent chance Mt Robbin’s might skip his senior BB season to leave early for college football? A side note about 6 A next year both Imhotep and CD had only one senior starter each.
Mike White
11:39
Ryan has been adamant that he is not leaving for college football early and will play his complete senior season at USC.
HooperMan
11:39
So is this charter school going to play in the WPIAL and the PIAA? Similar to what Lincoln Park does?
Mike White
11:40
I don't know of that. They supposedly want to play a national schedule. That doesn't sound like WPIAL.
40StripesRetired
11:43
Agree, Mike.  I've been going every year, save the two COVID years, since 1982.  Very few of us that have no skin in the game that still make the annual pilgrimage.  My friends and I still enjoy the trip so we will continue.  I wish there were more people like us.  The players, coaches and officials work hard to earn their trip to Hershey.  They deserve fan support.
Mike White
11:45
I hear ya. But people have so much more to do nowadays. And with all the games being on TV, I'm sure they feel like they can stay home and watch. Still, nothing like being at a good state championship.
Champs
11:46
When will all section and all wpial  be announced?
Mike White
11:47
Post-Gazette all-section and all-WPIAL will be announced probably a few days after Easter. Still tabulating votes and still need to get some coaches to vote on all-section. Fab 5s will be out Easter Sunday.
Baldwin
11:47
So did Baldwin drop out of the WPIAL for football officially ? Who are they gonna play next year ?
Mike White
11:48
They dropped out in football only. That has been reported numerous times. They will play indepenent schedule. No idea who is on schedule.
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