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Mike White's high school sports chat: 10.18.22
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Mike White
10:59
A chilly day for sure, so let's warm things up with some chat. Now open for business.
FootballGuy
10:59
What are your thoughts on 2A as the season winds down? Seems to have a lot of potential teams at the top of each conference who could make a run. I think Neshannock is a team to keep an eye on. They put up a lot of points and are well coached. Steel Valley is in the driver seat.
Mike White
11:00
Class 2A is another class that now seems to have a good amount of quality teams. I'll still go Steel Valley, Beaver Falls and Sto-Rox as top three teams.
Makeitmakesense
11:00
How are all of the Imani transfers eligible and some allowed to play 5 years of HS basketball, but kids like Kramer who transfers back to play for his home district have to miss playoffs?
Mike White
11:06
First off, the eligibility of at least two who transferred this year has not been ruled on yet, according to WPIAL. That is upcoming. But as far as them playing five years, they can't. I know a few of the transfers last year, Imani listed them on roster as the same grade as previous year - like Virgil Hall and Bez Adbul. They came from Baldwin. They were listed by Imani as sophomores last year. Maybe Imani put them in sophomore classes, I don't know. But they will be in their last year of eligibility this year. You get four years to play - not five. Another kid came from Baldwin last year to Imani. He returned to Baldwin this year, according to the coach, because his eligibility is up. But he can't play for Baldwin. Hall and Abdul are seniors in eligibility based on PIAA rules.
Tom
11:06
Hi Mike- which teams in 5A has been the biggest surprise and disappointment?  Thanks.  - Tom
Mike White
11:07
I don't name biggest "disappointments" on this chat or anywhere. These are high school kids. A surprise? Well I'd say that Franklin Regional and Bethel Park. I mean, I think we knew Bethel Park could be decent, but they're much better than decent. And I know FR has losses to Latrobe and Shaler, but they have clinched first in Big East.
YURM
11:07
Mike, are the PR Rams for real? Slow start but some big wins as of late, are they contenders for the 5A WPIAL crown?
Mike White
11:07
Most certainly. We have them up to No. 2 now. The change at QB has made all the difference in the world.
KB
11:07
How much does PR's wins against NA and Central and strong finish to the season get factored into playoff seeding if they do earn a bid? Unsure how WPIAL factors non-conference wins nowadays
Mike White
11:11
WPIAL certainly factors in non-conference games. You have to factor those in. Pine has three losses. One is to Pickerington North. Throw that out because that team is from Ohio and always is good. Then they lost to Penn Hills and Seneca. But wins over NA and Central are impressive. If Pine wins final two games and Bethel wins final two games, who gets the No. 1 seed? Pine beat Central, and Bethel lost to Central. So it's a tough call. I want to see how it plays out before I would decide that one.
Papa Charger
11:11
What does OLSH need to do this weekend to get its revenge back on Canevin
Mike White
11:11
Stop Canevin's big plays.
Coach O
11:11
Did u see the stats of the Knox kid from Oil City this past Friday? 54 carries, 444 yards…wth? Have you seen any tape of him? Must be a lot of fun being the QB and receivers on that team. lol
Mike White
11:16
You're talking about Ethen Knox. Stats are amazing. Six 400-yard games. Unbelievable. Now has 2,957 yards. He might get 4,000 in one season. I'm not knocking the kid, but will he make it through the season? Does he need a back brace for carrying that team? Second consecutive week he had more than 50 carries. He also had games with 44 and 48 carries. Yes, he has a ton of yards, but also a ton of carries. I never remember a kid in WPIAL carrying more than 50 times in two consecutive games. Let me ask you: Are you that impressed? What if other RBs carried the ball that many times. And there is a chance if Oil City goes far enough, it will meet WPIAL champ in PIAA playoffs. Two years ago, TJ played Oil City in PIAA playoffs. TJ won, 62-0. That might say something about Oil City competition. But give the kid his props, too.
Prodigal son
11:16
How about pine’s chances for the wpial 5a title now mike? I was under the impression you were their biggest doubter earlier in the season.
Mike White
11:18
As I said about, they are the No. 2 team in our 5A rankings now. So yes, I would say they have a chance. Was I a doubter after the first few games? Yes. And don't sit here and tell me you and most others weren't doubters, too. They were 1-3 and showing no offense. Moving Palmieri to QB made all the difference in the world. Totally different team. Credit Jon LeDonne for keeping them together.
Hs fb guru
11:18
With Pine Richlands quarterback returning from injury this week, what do ya say, keep rolling with palmieri or throw Hoffman back into the mix?
Mike White
11:19
No offense to Huffman, but c'mon what would you do? Do I need to even answer that question. Here we go ... Palmieri ... here we go.
Anon
11:19
any prediction on seeding for soccer
Mike White
11:19
No.
Stanley_Steamer
11:19
Westinghouse has been on a magnificent run since 2019. They have kids who do numbers on offense, and their defense is always lights out, yet they don’t seem to get the respect that some of their WPIAL counterparts get. What does Westinghouse need to do to be looked at as a western Pennsylvania power in football?
Mike White
11:22
I did a story on Westinghouse earlier this year. We covered their game two weeks ago against Butler. No one gets any respect, if you listen to people. C'mon, man. Until probably last year, why would the City get much respect. They did nothing outside of the City. Donta Green has restored glory to Westinghouse. It's great to see. Everybody talks about a "culture." He has established one at Westinghouse. 55 kids on team now. There were 23 when he first became coach a few years ago. We are planning a bigger thing on Westinghouse in very near future. They will get their pub - and they deserve it because they've done something out of the City.
Stanley_Steamer
11:22
Do you see a scenario where the City League/ District 8 is disbanded, and the “City League Six” are moved into District 7 and allowed to compete in the WPIAL?
Mike White
11:24
That has been studied before and talked about. Pittsburgh Board of Education decided against it in football and basketball. They have tried it in soccer, baseball and softball. Besides here and there, it hasn't gone well. Westinghouse is a Class 2A team. They could compete well with anyone in WPIAL 3A. Allderdice is 6A. They wouldn't do well in WPIAL and neither would Brashear or others. Basketball (boys) is a different story. Look for Allderdice to be one of the best 6A boys teams in Western Pa. this year. I've seen them already. They're good.
WPIALFan
11:24
Who is the last team out in 5A for the wild cards?
Mike White
11:28
Not sure what you mean by who is the last team out? I can't name who that will be. Too many factors, too many games, too many scenarios. If you're talking about format, it is: Top two teams in three conferences make the playoffs. Two third-place teams (wild card) also qualify. One third-place team will not make it. 5A only has eight playoff teams, which is a shame. WPIAL should look at that format for next year. Somehow take a week away from regular season in 5A and put 12 teams in. I know why there are only 8 because 5A PIAA playoffs start a week earlier than 4A, 3A, 2A and 1A classes. (more in next entry)
11:30
But it doesn't seem right. 5A might be your best classification, as far as quantity of quality teams. But only 8 of 18 qualify. Not even 50 percent. In 4A, 3A, 2A and 1A, more than 50 percent of teams qualify. For example, 12 of 19 in 3A, 14 of 23 in 2A, 16 of 30 in 1A and 13 of 22 in 4A. This should be looked at for next year.
Weston White Sr.
11:30
Hello, Give me your top 10 all-time city league football players...
Mike White
11:31
Can't give you of all time. Guys like Larry Brown (Super Bowl with Redskins), Lloyd Weston of Westinghouse and others played years ago and were great. Since the 1980s, I'd go Major Harris No. 1 without a doubt and Curtis Martin No. 2. From there, I'd have to think. Maybe Ray Zellars of Oliver No. 3.
Steeler Nation
11:32
If Penn Trafford wins out, are there in?
Mike White
11:33
Nope. P-T has only one conference game left against Franklin Regional. Even if they win, but Hempfield wins its final two games against Plum and Norwin, Hempfield and Penn-Trafford are tied for third. Hempfield would then get third by basis of beating Penn-Traford. Understand?
JP'zee
11:33
The next two weeks for the Central Valley football team is going to be very telling. This week at home vs West A (7-1) and next week vs Quip (7-0) at Freedom. What you say? 1-1, 2-0, 0-2?
Mike White
11:34
I say 1-1. Hate to go against them because they are good. But I say they beat West A, and Aliquippa wins a close one. Although Central Valley has proven they are more than capable of beating Aliquippa.
YURM
11:34
Mike, are the PR Rams for real? A slow start but with huge wins of late, are they contenders for the WPIAL Title?
Mike White
11:34
Read above.
Pickles
11:34
Rumor has it that Chick-fil-A sand which buns  are marinated in pickle juice
Mike White
11:35
You're trying to get my juices flowing, aren't you? Awwww yeahhhh. It's our weekly pickle hate by me. Juice left over from pickles is one of the worst tastes in world. Ruins sandwich.
Mikey boy
11:36
Your Biggest games this week
Mike White
11:37
Central at Seneca, West A at Central Valley, Armstrong at Highlands, Woodland Hills-Pine, Union-South Side Beaver, OLSH- Bishop Canevin, Monessen-Mapletown, Washington-KO. Is that enough?
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