Mike White's high school sports chat: 09.22.26
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Mike White
10:56
Another beautiful day, right? So what if it's raining. If you like high school sports, stay inside and we can talk on this live chat. As usual, some happenings in WPIAL football. Plenty to talk about. Let's go!
CC
10:56
I heard central catholic had a few 8th graders from around the wpial on their sideline the other week... hmmm.
Mike White
10:57
Don't know about a few. A birdie landed on my roof and told me there was one good h grader on sideline from a public school and that public school is not too happy.
Old Perry Highway
10:58
With NA starting 0-3 and getting their first win against hempfield last week. They play another 5A team this week Pine. Ashame that USC Woodland Hills North Hills and Pine aren’t in 6A. Why are there different enrollment numbers for football & basketball? USC & North Hills plays 6A basketball
Mike White
11:02
OK. I'll try to explain this to you. There are not different "enrollment" numbers for schools in different sports. It's just that the enrollments cutoffs for classifications are different. For sake of making it easy, let's say there are 600 football teams in the state. The PIAA takes the top 100 for 6A, the next 100 for 5A and so on. But there are about 70 more schools in the state for basketball. Small private schools, small charter schools, etc., that don't have football teams. So that makes the cutoff line for classifications different. For example, there are 553 teams in the state for football and 722 for boys basketball. Many in basketball in smaller classes. Therefore, the cutoff line drops, where a team might be 5A for football, but is just about the 6A line for football. Does that help explain?
Cream Puff Schedules
11:02
A few of these teams ranked have had some major cream puff schedules.... I do not want to call them out, but section play will be the great equalizer!
Mike White
11:03
Teams can't do anything about their schedules. Teams can schedule whoever they want in Week 1. WPIAL schedules the other nine weeks. Just because a good team's schedule isn't as tough as someone else doesn't mean that team doesn't deserve to be ranked.
Too many carries?
11:03
Find it crazy that not one other player is capable of carrying the ball on Thomas Jefferson! Eber is a great player and is as good as advertised, but man... 30-40 carries a game is a lot of hits for a high school kid.
Mike White
11:10
Tyler "The Horse" Eber. Just ride him. Kid might end up with more than 1,000 carries in basically three years. That is a ton, but Bill Cherpak has been around a year or two and won a game or two. Kid apparently wants to carry the ball, has worked on his body and I think Cherpak can realize what a kid can handle. Hey, the leading rusher in WPIAL history is Rushel Shell and he carried 1,107 times in his career, although he started four years. Matt Sieg is second and he carried 842 times - and he was a QUARTERBACK! Mike Vernillo is third in WPIAL history  and he carried 927 times over three years. Although there are a few with over 6,000 yards who carried only between 550 and 650. But I trust Bill Cherpak in knowing what a kid can handle.
T from Greentree
11:10
I heard that the running back from Riverside is out for the season-he had a really great start. Injuries have always been a tough part of the game.
Mike White
11:10
Sorry, but I don't know.
RetiredRef
11:11
Good article on the shortage of football officials. However, contrary to what the PIAA would have one believe, fan behavior is not a valid reason. Schools do anexcellent job of policing their fans (youth football is another story). The reason young people are not becoming football officials is MONEY. The pay sounds good ($105 per game)
Mike White
11:12
No, fan behavior is indeed one of the major reasons. So is coaches' behavior. Money might not be tremendous when you consider traveling to the games, but I don't think a lot of officials get into it to make a lot of money. They get into it because they like the sport and it keeps them involved. Plus, they make a few extra bucks.
Parents Only Games
11:12
What is the deal with these parent only games recently? Fox Chapel- Woodland Hills and Gateway-Penn Hills. I understand dealing with threats, but to even remove the bands from the stands? Cmon
Mike White
11:13
Sorry, I don't have a problem with it.
SteelCityExPat
11:13
Hi Mike: belated question:  did you see Scoop Smith play vs Pitt?  Were you surprised he didn’t get more attention from bigger schools like Pitt/PSU and do you think they’ll end up regretting not taking him?
Mike White
11:16
I did not see him play against Pitt. Only saw highlights. And saw his kickoff return for TD against Cincinnati. No, I don't think Pitt and Penn State regret it right now. I love Scoop. I think very highly of him. But you don't think schools like Pitt and Penn State had questions about him because of his size? Scoop is off to a good start at Miami, Ohio. But you don't see him catching many passes or gaining big yards on runs - at least not yet. Besides, if he proves himself to be "big" time player, Pitt or Penn State could get him on the rebound through a transfer.
Mr Ed
11:17
Notwithstanding I would pick Fort Cherry in a playoff rematch, scratch my head at PG rankings still having the Fort in over Monessen based upon last Friday’s result?
Mike White
11:17
Totally agree with you. It is a head scratcher in our rankings. But I don't do the rankings.
pz
11:18
Should Woodland Hills appeal the forfeited 2 games to the PIAA since they will probably overrule the WPIAL as usual? (kidding..)
Mike White
11:19
There are no appeals in cases like this. When a team uses an ineligible player, it's an automatic forfeit, unless some kind of mistake was made. It's not a case of whether a kid transferred for athletic reasons.
pz
11:19
Have you noticed other highly recruited HS players on snap counts like the WH RB? He seems to have played a lot less over the past 2 seasons unless he gets dinged up a lot.
*McKeesport RB, not WH*
Mike White
11:21
You're talking about Kemon Spell from McKeesport. Well he has missed some times in games this year with cramps. Without that, he might have some more carries. But I don't think RBs are on snap counts. I just think it's coaches using  other people to run the ball. Not saying it's smart, but .... Although I will say that if I had a running back with a future like Kemon Spell, I wouldn't be running him 30 times in a regular season game.
5A fan
11:22
Spells best running back in the country, capable of scoring from anywhere on the field, will be great in Georgia, but for now, give me Eber.
Mike White
11:23
Eber is an excellent high school running back. I agree. But c'mon. For talent, there's a quite a difference. I'm not downgrading Tyler, but there's a reason Tyler is going to Bucknell and Spell to Georgia.
Shrugs
11:23
With all the distractions at Woodland Hills,  how do you think it will affect the football team this week and this season?
Mike White
11:24
Well, they seem to be OK so far. 3-1. I happen to think they are very good in 5A. I saw them play and with their size, skill and athleticism, I think they will challenge making it to the title game. They're that good. Really like the QB.
The worst
11:24
I think its safe to say Mt Lebanon is the worst football program in the WPIAL currently. A complete laughingstock. Maybe they should go independent
Mike White
11:28
The Devils certainly aren't in heaven. Winless this year and only scored six points? Wow. 2-8 last year and scored only 14 points a game. 3-8 the year before that. Offense and defense are lacking. Where did all the players go? But no, they aren't the worst program in WPIAL currently. I won't name a few of the others, but they're out there.
Ryan
11:28
Who wins this week non conference game Kiski or plum i think it’s a close game and the cavaliers win again this week
Mike White
11:28
Ahhhhh, the weekly Kiski question. Sorry, Plum all the way. Plum is pretty good this year and the QB is very good.
Mighty Mighty Colts
11:29
Which team in 4a do you think will flip the switch on when it get to conference play ? I'm betting on Char Val. They've had a brutal non conference schedule
Mike White
11:30
Yes, CV has played West Allegheny, Hopewell and Upper St. Clair. All losses. They will indeed do better in conference play for this reason: THE CONFERENCE ISN'T VERY GOOD!!! Same can be said for McKeesport.
Winless
11:33
More inept. The Lebo offense or the Steeler offense ? Does Lebo even win a game this year
Mike White
11:34
Well, I don't see anyone named Metcalf on Mt. Lebanon roster. So maybe there is hope. But seriously, Lebo's only chance at a win might be against Hempfield. Spartans are 1-3, but heck, Hempfield's losses aren't as bad as Lebo's.
Seton Lasalle
11:39
Will Seton Lasalle pull a steel valley and mercy rule their way through the 2A championship? I do not think they will mercy rule farrell or southern columbia in state playoffs but I do see them mercying their way through wpial
Mike White
11:40
Well, you definitely might be right about "MOST" regular season games. But don't forget. They play Bishop Canevin in regular season finale. That's not going to be mercy rule. Bishop Canevin is good, too.
Battle Royale
11:40
Best game of the weekend might be USC vs SF. Who you got ?
Mike White
11:40
I'll take the fightin' Robbins and Banburys.
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