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Mike White's high school sports chat: 10.03.23
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Mike White
10:57
Good morning. Welcome to heat acclimatization week. Oh, I'm sorry. I thought it was early August. This weather is unbelievable. That only means it's time for some hot chatter. Let's go.
GH
10:57
Can anybody beat the Quips?
Mike White
10:58
No, not even the Steelers. C'mon, man. Aliquippa is really good, but not unbeatable.
Jeff
10:58
Mike 5 A can Moon hang with Peters Twp. Big one with Gateway at Penn Trafford .........Who do you like ?
Mike White
11:00
Moon is playing old-school football, running a wing-T. Hey, it's working. But I definitely like Peters by a pretty good margin. I don't think Moon will be able to score nearly enough to win. Peters' defense is outstanding. I don't know who I like in Penn-Trafford vs. Gateway. One team has become good at the run. One team has become good at the pass. I betcha line play will be the key. Gateway never seems to do well at Penn-Trafford. Maybe that will change this time.
Wpial guru
11:00
Well Mike, I think it’s time to sell the rams after getting POUNDED by NA for the first time in many years
Mike White
11:02
What is your definition of "sell?" Getting pounded by NA doesn't mean Pine-Richland can't still make a playoff run in 5A. Pine is still pretty decent. And besides Peters Township, I think rest of 5A is down from recent years. But this isn't like last year. Ryan Palmieri isn't coming to the rescue for Pine.
Jeff
11:02
4 A Thomas Jeffferson headed for a Showdown with the Quips at Heinz ...........can anyone else challenge them
Mike White
11:03
Well, I'll say this. A few years ago, many thought Thomas Jefferson was unbeatable and they lost last regular season game to McKeesport. Yes, TJ and Aliquippa are the definite favorites to make it to Acrisure, but can we stop with "unbeatable" team stuff?
Buster
11:03
does Jurkovec stinking at the next level make wpial football look bad?  He seemed like a kid destined for the NFL in middle school.  He looks completely out of place
Mike White
11:07
I don't know if it makes the WPIAL look bad. I will say this. I am bewildered with Phil. I know players aren't the same in college as they were in high school. But he doesn't throw the ball the same, he doesn't run the same. Overall, he doesn't play the same. Heck, remember his first year at Boston College, he was pretty dang good. I know former Pine coach Eric Kasperowicz was even getting some calls from some NFL folks after that year, just to inquire about him because some thought he might be an NFL draft pick then. Phil was one of the best players I ever covered in 40 plus years of covering WPIAL football. Great person, too. Painful to see what's happening this year. Did he get beat up too much at BC? I don't know. I just wish him to turn things around going forward.
11:10
Getting back to Phil. I went back and looked at some film of him in high school and read stories. Everybody couldn't have been wrong about him. Heck, I went back and read story on Pine beating North Allegheny in WPIAL semifinals of that year. I know college isn't like high school. But NA coach Art Walker was talking after game about Phil maybe playing on Sundays. I think Art Walker knows a thing or two about players. He's been around long enough. Others gushed about him. I know he is a lot heavier than he was in high school. Again, I'm so baffled by this. But I still think he can do some good things.
Brian M
11:10
Good Morning and as always, thanks for taking the questions.     Not asking for any names, but did you ever have coaches or parents ask you to do a story on their child in the hopes that it may open some eyes to recruiters?
Mike White
11:12
Heck yeah. I'll tell you something that has happened a number of times over the years. A parent will call me or email me and say someone from the Post-Gazette called and left a message because they were doing a story on their son. But they didn't leave a name. Was it me who called and am I going to do a story? When in fact, no one from Post-Gazette ever called. And certainly not me. Just a parent using a lie to try and get a story. They think I'll say, "Oh, I'll do a story on your son now."
Stop cheating
11:12
Why isn’t Belle Vernon investigated for having multiple kids from Ringgold and Monessen?
Mike White
11:13
Because all have been ruled eligible by the WPIAL, I think. WPIAL hasn't found any rules being broken.
LeboKid
11:13
Good morning, Mike. Your recent article regarding the uptick in high school football participation was intriguing. Did any of the coaches/administrators you spoke with point to improved helmet technology and a greater understanding of CTE and other brain traumas for the upswing? Only a few years ago there was a chorus of detractors saying that tackle football was an endangered species.
Mike White
11:15
Concussions were talked about in story and how parents are still concerned about concusssions, but maybe not worried as much because they are more informed about them. And coaches are more in touch with the whole concussion dilemma. So yes, that was talked about in story.
Terrelle
11:15
The Jeannette Jayhawks seem to be having a bit of a renaissance under their new head coach. Demographic and enrollment issues remain, but do the Jayhawks have another WPIAL run in them in the future?
Mike White
11:16
Yes, they are doing better. They probably have more players than Roy Hall's last year. Roy did a great job there. Don't knock him. They are definitely improved and should be in playoffs, but, no, I don't see a WPIAL title for them.
Joey
11:16
Better basketball team… 2007 aliquippa or 2010 charters valley?
Mike White
11:18
Wow. Really good question. The 07 Quips had Herb Pope and Baldwin. The 10 Char Valley team was T.J. McConnell's senior year. I'd probably go with Aliquippa team but T.J. always found a way to win - except in state championship. But against three or four Div. 1 players against Neumann-Goretti, no one could still guard him.
11:20
By the way, seeing some reports that Phoenix Suns are interested in trading Pacers for T.J. McConnell. I think that would be a great move for Suns. Can you imagine K.D. and Devin Booker and Bradley Beal? I would think they'd love playing with T.J. Just get a little open and he will get you the ball. I hope it happens. Would be great for T.J. He would be playing for a team that should challenge for an NBA title.
Joey
11:22
Better state champ… 2012 north Allegheny or 2021 Mt Lebanon?
Mike White
11:23
Oh, man. Another tough one Joey. That would be a great game. I think I'd go 2012 NA.
11:26
By the way, I need to point out something. GIve a shoutout. I covered the South Fayette at Moon game last Friday and that was the most entertained I have been covering a game in a long time. Not so much by anything on the field. But I was in the press box near the Moon coaches - and the comments coming from the "red-haired" coach during the entire game were simply special. And I don't think he was even trying to be funny. It came naturally. Thanks, coach. I'd like to be in that press box again.
A Haunting Scene
11:26
Hi Mikey, I visited my local highschools football game last Friday, and I saw a scene that has haunted me for the past few days. Many kids on the sidelines (on both teams) were massively overweight. Frankly, saying that these kids are unhealthy would be a ridiculous understatement. Some of them could hardly walk. As a gym owner, this really upsets me. Do you feel guilt for this phenomena in any way? For example, the article comparing Aliquippa’s line to the Steelers?
Mike White
11:32
Sure, as a high school reporter I lay in bed at night soaked in guilt that some kids on some football teams are overweight. So you're basically saying I have something to do with players being overweight? What a beautiful claim by you. Have you looked at our society as a whole? Good lord, I've had some unbelievable questions and comments on this chat over the years, but this has to be the topper. So maybe I should issue an apology: "Hey, any big kid out there in the WPIAL. I'm sorry you're overweight and aren't playing much. It's my fault, the dolt in the stinkin' media."
Joey
11:32
Better state runner up… 2001 Woodland Hills or 2014 pine Richland?
Mike White
11:32
Joey, are we going to do this the entire chat?
Trash
11:33
I don’t know if you’ve seen some of the posts on Twitter between student section accounts, but there are a lot of unsavory pictures and comments being posted about these kids (there was a really bad one on a barstool account last week that I don’t want to publicize). When I played ball in upstate new york I was the only Italian guy on the team and the words my coach used were so hurtful. I was a little overweight in my sophomore year so they called me “Stocky Balboa”. When I whiffed on a tackle they’d chant “Fettuccine in Afraido”. It seemed like the coaches/players spent more time thinking of nicknames than they did football—The Fraudfather. Robert De Zero. Italian Scallion. I can only imagine what they would’ve posted about me back in the day (probably some juvenile photoshop of my face on a meatball). How can we finally put an end to this culture of bullying?
Mike White
11:34
It will never end and social media only makes it worse. Unfortunately, it's the world we live in. Some schools should do a better job, though, of monitoring student section Twitter accounts.
Stanley_Steamer94
11:34
Westinghouse lost a really talented group of seniors, but continues to win games. Do you think they have what it takes to make a serious run at the 2A state title?
Mike White
11:35
I said there is no way Westinghouse could be as good this year, simply because they lost so many seniors. But maybe they are now the City's version of an Aliquippa, or Thomas Jefferson. They have a program now and just reload. I still don't know if their offense is as good as last year, but defense is impressive.
Slob
11:35
Hi Matt, who is the “Sleeper” in Football Wpial 6A this year?
Mike White
11:36
Sorry, I think Matt Gaetz has his high school sports chat on the Congress web site.
More Sour Grapes
11:36
Sorry fat fingers!! Will the TJ transfer from Highlands be eligible for the playoffs??
Mike White
11:36
I don't know who it is.
TM
11:36
"Back in my day" you used to see very little contributions from Fresh/Soph in WPIAL football (all sports really). Why do you think this has changed so much recently?
Mike White
11:40
I have written stories on how so many more freshmen now play varsity sports in the past 20 years or so. I remember Dwight Collins of Beaver Falls was like a freak of nature when he was starting in football and basketball as a freshman in the mid 1970s. Heck, I remember Blackhawk coach John Miller wanted Dante Calabria on the varsity as a freshman and school board had a policy that no freshmen could play varsity sports. I don't think there is one reason for this freshmen phenomenon. I think a couple reasons. First, kids are more prepared physically to play as freshmen than years ago. They lift weights earlier than years ago. They train more than years ago. In some sports, they play year round and might be more ready to go as freshmen. I also think coaches aren't afraid to play younger kids now. Forty years ago, coaches wouldn't even think of it. But you're right, times have definitely changed.
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