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Mike White's high school sports chat: 10.21.25
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Mike White
11:01
Friday is the final night of the WPIAL football regular season. With the WPIAL football committee now picking wild card teams for the playoffs, many questions remain. Will Aliquippa get in? Who will be the wild card teams in 5A? Otherwise, who gets the No. 1 seed in Class 1A, Clairton or Fort Cherry? Well, let's discuss anything you want in high school sports. Chat now open.
KennyTheHorse
11:03
How about a shout out to the winners at the PIMBA (Pa. Interscholastic Marching Band Association) championships before a standing-room only crowd at Deer Lakes this past  Saturday. The champions were Kiski Area in Class 4A, Moon in 3A, Fox Chapel in 2A and Mars in 1A. Congratulations to all 16 competing bands for their outstanding performances.
Mike White
11:05
And Kenny The Horse first out of the gate, feeling his oats. Woooo hoooo. Great for those bands. Why is Fox Chapel in 2A and Mars in 1A, though. Was this the new band alignment asked for by the Fox Chapel AD? And hey, did you know I once started a band called the megabytes??? We never got a gig, though. Woooooo hoooooo. I'll be here all week. Try the T-bone.
Hsfan
11:05
Has there been another time where the WPIAL chose who made the playoffs like they will do in 4A? There’s no criteria or system, so it’s purely up to them. It’s a lot of power and someone will be unhappy.
Mike White
11:08
This bas been written about before. WPIAL instituted this playoff system last year where WPIAL football committee selects wild card teams. In the past, wild cards were based on section records, Gardner Points and tiebreaker points. I don't have a problem with it. Heck, the NCAA basketball tournament is all picked by a committee. Same with football playoffs, right?
pz
11:08
Football Rule Change Suggestion: Limit on the number of carries for players in high school. No high school kid should be carrying the ball 40+ times (limit should probably be around 30).
Mike White
11:08
Silly.
Can't win
11:08
Junko proved yet again. Can't win big games. They came out and were flat and unemotional and look uninspired. He's the James Franklin of the WPIAL. They'll struggle with Baldwin this week.
Mike White
11:10
Yep, only won conference title last year, made it to WPIAL semis and WPIAL finals in 2022 when they got beat by a better team. Only a terrible coach would do that much winning. Struggle with Baldwin? Please. Who are you, anyway? Go back to bed. The negativity is making you sleepy.
pz
11:10
Football Rule Change: Similar to baseball pitch count, it forces teams to develop other players instead of just running the same kid 40+ times without regard for their safety or future.
Mike White
11:11
I already said it. Silly. What next, a quarterback allowed to pass only a certain amount of times?
Wild Card
11:11
If you had to bet in 4a who gets the wild cards ?
Mike White
11:12
Two teams from the Parkway. Good chance it comes down to Chartiers Valley and Quips. I think Quips have more quality wins and CV got handled pretty much in their two games against good teams -- Trinity and TJ. Aliquippa quarterback being out has to be considered, but I still say WPIAL puts in Quips.
X
11:12
I didn't see any coverage of the Pine Richland/NA game.   I didn't see coverage of Pine the week prior either.  Central Catholic had a couple of sentences that someone could've written knowing nothing about the actual game.   What gives?  These are the #1 ranked 5A team in the State.  The #1 and #2 ranked WPIAL teams in 6A.
Mike White
11:15
Yep, nothing on Pine-NA game bad mistake on our part. As for Central, you may not understand this, but it's reality. We ask at least home teams to send us scoring summary, and stats for both teams. Seneca Valley was home. And like they always do, Seneca Valley only sends in info on their own team. Nothing on visitors. And Central sent us nothing. So we had nothing to go on. But I think Central has had just a little bit of coverage this year. I don't think anyone from Central can complain.
X
11:15
I've seen Pine Richland the last 2 weeks and I saw them early in the season against Central Catholic. They were undisciplined in the CC game...continuing the dumb penalties that cost them against McDevitt in the playoffs.  When they got down, they just started long flings down the field in desperate hopium.
Mike White
11:16
So what's your point?
X
11:16
Big difference the past 2 weeks.  Strader has been on target with the precision passing game.   Taylor is electrifying after the catch and darn good making the catch.  Timmons isn't too shabby either.  The lineman that looks like he swallowed his brother twice is an absolute beast.   They have some size up front in general.    Both rbs run hard with McKissick not seeming like a drop off from Miller.   Is Roman Catholic a 5A?  If so, how do you see it playing out if Pine faces them.  Please don't even start with Peters Twp.  Pine will crush them.
Mike White
11:19
Pine does look awfully impressive. What don't they have? Now they have Timmons back, although I'm still not sure of the reasons he was out. Coach LeDonne said it was to take care of some academic things. Yes, Roman Catholic is 5A and so is Bishop McDevitt. Pine is definitely the favorite, but I'm not ready to count out Peters yet.
Mr Ed
11:19
Real good chance we see at least 4, maybe 5 repeat matchups for WPIAL championships next month?
Mike White
11:19
I would agree.
pz
11:19
Do you think pitch count is also "silly?"
Mike White
11:20
No. Throwing a baseball is just a little different than throwing a football, wouldn't you say. And just because you carry the ball 35 times in a game doesn't mean you're getting smashed 35 times.
3A Prognostiactor
11:22
Do you think Western Hills conference gets at least two of three wild card slots in 3A given he lack of wins by lower tier teams in other 2 conferences?  I could see 4th place in Allegheny getting the 12 seed.
Mike White
11:23
Yes, I think Western Hills gets two of the wild cards. That will be either Hopewell, Beaver, North Catholic. 3A overall is not real good. Western Hills is pretty good.
A sham
11:23
The playoff selection in 4a is basically which AD/Coach kisses the right backside the best. Who is on this committee ?
Mike White
11:24
Ahhhhh, conspiracy theorist. Here's a link to who is on the committee. Chartiers Valley AD is on the committee. https://wpial.org/sports/2023/7/27/football-steering-committee.aspx
Char Valley
11:25
Mike-reminder that Char Valley has a win over West A which complicates the wild card further.
Mike White
11:25
Yes, but so does Aliquippa.
X
11:25
I need to watch Clairton.  Are they as good as their box scores indicate?  I'm not sure what is going on across the ridge, but Bishop McCort has risen from the ashes.   They are a wrestling beast, but looks like they are. mighty tough in football this year.  Sumpin seems fishy about that.   BTW...Kenny is not a horse but he is one of a different color.   Any news on why Luke Rohan didn't play for NA Friday.  Darn good player.     Also, the Tatsch kid at Latrobe.   Has he played all season?
Mike White
11:27
Yes, Clairton is good. Duh. McCort is always good. Fort Cherry is good, too. I don't know why Luke Rohan didn't play against Pine and I do know the Tatsch kid has missed time at Latrobe. Not sure if he came back. ... As for Kenny The Horse, he favors the Chartiers Valley Colts, Plum Mustangs and Laurel Mustangs. His favorite player of all time was former NFL kicker Horst Muhlmann.
Cy
11:28
Who would you have to say gets in as the wild cards in Class A? Looks as if there are a few that could make a case.
Mike White
11:30
Well they take 4 and I think a lot depends on the games this week. I think winner of Cornell and Monessen gets one. I think Frazier gets one if they beat Springdale. Give Avella one as long as they give Bentworth some kind of game.
Seeding
11:30
Hey Mike.in 5A and 3A I think the wpial has some difficult seeding decisions to make. In 5A, the Allegheny six should probably get 5 out of the top 8. We are talking teams with losing records potentially getting a home game if they do not.  in 3A the western hills should probably get 5 of the top 8. Do you think they will reward those teams?
Mike White
11:34
Disagree with you somewhat in 5A. You're talking about South Fayette getting one of the wild cards. I don't think that's a definite. Yes, they beat Char Valley and EF, but that's a 4A and 3A team. Any good team, South Fayette was not close the last three weeks against USC, Peters and Bethel. Plus, South Fayette QB Drew Welhorsky got hurt Friday against Bethel. I don't know his status. That has to be considered. If he's out, that team drops a lot. Yes, I agree two wild cards should come from 3A Western Hills.
3A Prognosticator
11:34
Avonworth will be the 1 seed in 3A.  Who gets the 2 -- Imani or Elizabeth Forward assuming they both win on Friday?  Imani has a win over Clairton but they are 1A and EF's only loss is to a 5A team.
Mike White
11:35
I say Imani No. 2. And does it really matter all that much who is 2 or 3. They're set up to play in semis.
No home
11:36
So USC wouldn't get any home games would they ? All on the road
Mike White
11:37
They could get a home game. The top four seeded teams get a first-round bye. In all other opening-round games, the higher-seeded team gets a home game. I expect USC will be the higher-seeded team in the first round.
Joke of a league
11:38
ridiculous that the WPIAL isn't broadcasting any of the championship games on TV ? Dumb idea
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