You are viewing the chat in desktop mode. Click here to switch to mobile view.
X
Mike White's high school sports chat: 08.20.24
powered byJotCast
Mike White
11:06
Well, I finished my heat acclimatization practices (writing on my patio in the sun), got my weightlifting sessions in (grabbing pens with my fingers) and now I'm ready. Yes, another year of this wildly popular high school sports chat!!!!! (Hold your applause, please). We'll do this every Tuesday at 11. It all starts for football Friday. There are actually some darn good games on this opening weekend. Everyone still calls it Week 0. Can we just call it Week 1 now? Anyway, I just put on my helmet to deflect any criticism. So let's kick it off. Now open for questions.
Beaver County Fan
11:06
What are your thoughts on Beaver challenging Avonworth and Central Valley for 3A superiority? The Bobcats have 11 starters back on offense, including a 1,000-yard passer, a 1,000-yard rusher and two receivers who just committed to decent D I-AA programs. Is this the Bobcats' year?
Mike White
11:09
Hey, Beaver is my sleeper team this year. I think they can indeed challenge Avonworth and Central Valley. Hey they finished 9-3 last year, played Avonworth tough and made WPIAL quarterfinals. All offensive starters are back and most of defense. Brady Mayo is one of WPIAL's best all-around athletes (football, basketball, baseball) and combines with Amari Jackson to make for a pretty darn good one-two punch at receiver. Mayo is committed to Bucknell and Jackson to Villanova. I like this team.
Eli Smith
11:09
Basketball player from W Mifflin claiming a D1 offer. Kid played JV last year. GIVE ME A BREAK. Seems like a lot of people (not you) reporting on 'offers' without doing their due diligence. Thank you for not feeding into this!
Mike White
11:12
Honestly, I don't know who you are talking about. And obviously you can't print something about every Division I offer a kid gets. Do kids lie about offers? Yeah, it happens. But if they do, the colleges probably see it and might not be too happy. I get it that kids like to put any offers they get on social media. Good for them. But if seems nowadays everyone is "blessed" even when they receive an offer from a tomato can.
Mr Ed
11:12
Great to have your chats back for another year, Mike. For the four decades plus of excellent coverage you have given to the kids and schools in Western PA, providing them with great exposure, you should be inducted into the WPIAL Hall of Fame as a contributor. Dead serious about it. Some intriguing week zero games, the two most interesting to me are House-Beaver and Clairton-Steel Valley. All highly rated but in different classifications. What are your thoughts on these games?
Mike White
11:15
Why thank you, Mr. Ed. You might be "the horse" to lead this chat. I don't know about any HOF stuff, but you are talking about the KDKA Kickoff Classic this weekend at the Wolvarena. Five games in two days. And there are a few excellent games there. I like the Saturday lineup. Central Catholic vs. St. Frances of Md. Nationally-reknowned St. Frances. I know, St. Frances recruits and brings in players from anywhere. It will be interesting to see how Central stacks up. I know I talked to a couple Central players last week. They watched film of St. Frances last year. They feel like they can compete. But some new players have showed up at St. Frances.
hsfan
11:15
Always excited for a new season. This should be a fun year, outside of 4A each classification is pretty open in my opinion. Though it seems that quip is the only team with a real shot to win states.
Mike White
11:17
I don't know about that. I say Class 4A AND 5A are the best in the WPIAL, as far as depth of quality teams. 5A has a number of pretty darn good teams. So does 4A. Had trouble figuring out 4A top five at start of season. And don't forget 1A. Remember Westinghouse is now 1A after losing in state 2A final the past two years. And Westinghouse is really good. Plus, you've got likes of Fort Cherry and Clairton in 1A.
TM
11:17
Good Morning Mike--great to have the chat back! Do WPIAL schools still have 9th grade/JV/Varsity teams for football? Or has it moved to JV/Varsity only?
Mike White
11:22
Hey TM. I did a story a few years ago on demise of 9th grade football. It was mainly a numbers thing. Not that many players to field a team any more. There were still a few schools that had 9th grade football (only a few). What most have done over the years is bring the 9th graders onto varsity. Some schools then have a JV team and then games for their JVB team (which includes 9th grades and some 10th). I understand about getting rid of 9th grade teams because of lack of numbers, but I don't think it does all that much for the sports. There are some 9th graders who still aren't ready for varsity football practices. They aren't ready physically or mentally, although most schools keep 9th graders separate at practices. But I know some kids who don't play in 9th grade because they are honestly a little afraid.
Bones
11:22
Honestly, I think I can speak for alot of people--It's great to have you back for the Tuesday chats. Love West PA HS sports and even though I'm at work, this is appointment chat right here.  Thank you in advance for the Football and Basketball coverage! Let's go!
Mike White
11:22
Heck Bones, I'll make no bones about it -- thank you for the kind words.
Bones
11:23
Best month of the year for HS sports?
Mike White
11:23
If you're asking just my opinion. I would say February or March. That's just me personally. I love WPIAL basketball playoffs and then states. Especially the semifinals.
Ryan
11:23
Mike What do you Think About Kiski i think they will Have a Good Year with Heinle and Kucic on offense and Anderson on Defense who wins Fridays Game i got My CAVALIER’S winning GO KISKI
Mike White
11:26
Well they were 5-6 last year. They have six starters back on both sides of the ball. Heinle is a good QB. But Kiski Area is in the 5A Big East. That is a very good conference, especially this year. Woodland Hills, Franklin Regional, Penn-Trafford, Gateway, Armstrong and a very good Latrobe team moves up from 4A. It will not be easy for Kiski.
Joker
11:26
The fact that the WPIAL ruled a freshman ineligible for an entire season seems ridiculous considering the other cases that they have ruled on this summer.  As an athlete, part of choosing a high school as a freshman is taking into consideration the athletic programs that they offer!!!
Mike White
11:31
You're talking about the 9th grader at Central Catholic who was ruled ineligible for this season. First, I agree with you about a couple of the rulings of kids who transferred to a Catholic or private school, practiced in summer and then transferred back. And were ruled eligible. That makes you scratch your head. But the Central 9th grader is a separate case. Can't compare it to others because it's different. That was closed hearing. Like I say to people. You can criticize the WPIAL for rulings, but you don't know what facts were presented in the case of a close hearing. There might have been some wrongdoing. How do you know? I know it seems odd to have a kid ineligible before he got to high school. But it has happened before.
11:33
Getting back to earlier point. So many of the transfers are for athletic intent. Everyone knows it. And I get to sometimes sit in on those hearings, if the subjects don't close them to the media. People lie like a rug. But if there is no proof, what is the WPIAL supposed to do? I appluad the schools that don't just sign off on transfers when they believe something isn't right. But it's hard to have proof.
Colt Corral
11:33
Do you think the switch of conference will help Chartiers Valley, hurt them or not make a difference ?
Mike White
11:35
Just a little, if at all. I mean, now they are in  a conference with Belle Vernon and TJ. Also Trinity should be pretty decent this year, too. But there is Ringgold in the conference. But remember, the Parkway had a couple teams that weren't exactly world beaters, either.
Montreal Screw Job
11:35
How is the WPIAL gonna screw over Upper St Clair this year ?
Mike White
11:36
Maybe make AD Danny Holzer park cars at game night as part of his duties.
Mr Ed
11:36
When do the first state rankings come out? Do you think any WPIAL team besides Quips will be ranked #1?
Mike White
11:40
Post-Gazette state rankings will come out either Thursday or Friday. I can't give away anything. Pennlive came out with their rankings last week. Aliquippa, Central Valley, Westinghouse (City League) were all ranked No. 1 in their respective classifications.
Former Football Dad
11:40
I know that Johncour is a good coach but I think that Avonworth is going to have problems this year as they have lost a lot of talent.
Mike White
11:41
Yes, they lost a decent amount. But Duke has a "program" going there. When you have a "program" you'll always be pretty good.
Bones
11:41
Mount Rushmore of WPIAL Football Coaches?
Mike White
11:41
Oh man, that's hard to do right off the top of my head. I've have to think about it. But yes, Render is definitely there.
Bob
11:42
Found it interesting that you picked TJ, and West A ahead of Montour in 4a even after Montour beating both pretty easy. Is that the Jake Wolfe effect?
Mike White
11:45
4A was really hard to rank 5 teams. Someone good had to be out. It was almost like pick names out of the hat. Montour obviously will be good. Many players back. But Wolfe did so much for that team. I think maybe you take a wait-and-see approach with the new QB. In my Class 4A preview I did write Montour "is good enough to be a top five team."
11:46
Speaking of Montour, Post-Gazette Game of the Week to kick off season Friday is Central Valley at Montour. The games Saturday at the KDKA Kickoff Classic are very good, too.
How bad
11:48
How significant do you think the injury to the WR from Bethel be for their chances this season ?
Mike White
11:51
You're talking about Ryan Petras, who is out maybe for the season with a torn labrum. It's really significant. That kid is good. I really like him. Versatile. That's a big loss. I still think Bethel Park could be a playoff team. Heck, they have nine starters back on offense and 10 on defense. Three-starter at QB in Pfeufer. FBS lineman recruit in Clancy Orie. But they obviously would be better with Petras, who is committed to Princeton where he will play football and baseball.
Wpial Insider
11:51
what are your thoughts on moon this year? Return athletes and physical group on defense.
Mike White
11:53
Ryan Winn totally changed the offense of that team last year. Run, run, run. Yes, they have eight starters back on offense, but 5A has so many good teams this year. Hard to put them in top five at start of season. They surprised a lot of people last year, but they were only 6-6.
Mike Mo
11:53
from what this old Clairton Bear has heard this will be a dahn year for TJ!! Lost a ton no size on the line no running game and no receivers to help out the Kosko kid!!
Mike White
11:54
Yes, only five starters back on offense and four on defense. But I've seen Bill Cherpak take similar teams to good things.
Bobcats
11:54
Beaver-Weatinghouse.  Who you picking Mike?
Load More Messages
Connecting…