JotCast | Mike White's high school sports chat: 10.24.23

Mike White's high school sports chat: 10.24.23

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Mike White

11:01

This is the last week of the WPIAL football regular season. So how about starting the chat with a historical factoid? This year marks the 50-year anniversary of the WPIAL taking every conference champ to the playoffs. In years before that, WPIAL had only a championship game in every classification. In 1971, they had a few playoff games before championship. The same in 1972. But still some conference champs didn't go to playoffs if they had losses. In 1973, every conference champ went to playoffs. Still only 14 teams made the playoffs. OK, enough of history. Let's get to it.

Tim green

11:02

Does Montour have a chance to be the two seed in 4a.

Mike White

11:03

I would doubt it, even though they should be considered. I think the winner of McKeesport vs. TJ will get the No. 2 seed. But if Central Valley beats Quippa, and Montour wins, there will be a three-way tie for first in Parkway. I still think McKeesport-TJ winner gets No. 2 seed.

Mole

11:03

Mike can you check a stat for me.are the quips now tied with jeanette for the most wins all time in wpial football history

Mike White

11:03

No, I can't.

Tobin Gelman

11:05

Saw on Twitter UMass Lowell Hoops was in to see 8TH GRADER Micah Ziff of Community Day School. Heard the kid is a legit 6’6, but this seems ridiculous! Who in their right mind scouts a kid so young…lots of pressure put on at a young age too. Any thoughts on this?

Mike White

11:07

I have no idea who Micah Ziff is and really don't care if UMas Lowell was in to see him. Really? We're concerned about UMass Lowell's recruiting. But it's not that unusual for schools to check out 8th graders. Heck, there are 9th graders in this world who have offers in football and basketball before they play a game in 9th grade. Heck, 6th graders have had offers. Karis Thomas, a star sophomore hoops player at Shady Side Academy, was offered by Duquesne women in 4th grade.

Johnny Football

11:07

Who are the early front runners for Player of the Year for each classification? Coach of the Year?

Mike White

11:07

Too early to do that.

mr head

11:08

If Aliquippa wins the WPIAL this year do they get moved up to AAAAA. If yes will they fight the move ?

Mike White

11:10

If they get to WPIAL championship, they will have enough success points under the PIAA competitive balance formula to be moved up next year. But they also have to have 3 or more transfers to be bumped up. I don't know whether they have those three. And yes, I would imagine Aliquippa would fight it.

Jeff

11:10

Mike 6 A is a Mess in WPIAL. 5 Schools is a joke and with Baldwin Norwin Hempfield Butler as potentials (By Enrollment) not even playoff teams its not going to get any better. Solutions without wrecking 5 A are few and far between. Thoughts ?

Mike White

11:12

I believe there will definitely be a few schools that move up to 6A football next season. It's hard to know for sure, though, because you don't know how cutoffs might change. But Norwin and North Hills are two schools that saw their boys enrollment numbers jump significantly for this realignment. It's hard to say what might happen and come up with solutions until we know definite classification enrollment cutoffs, which should come out soon.

mr head

11:12

Will the WPIAL change the format of 5A playoffs if there is not enough teams to have a 12 team playoff. Maybe start playoffs 1 week early and have 1 less non-conference game

Mike White

11:13

I wrote a whole column on 5A playoffs last week and how it needs changed if next year's state playoffs stay the same. Shortening the 5A season by a week was my suggestion. Here's the column. Check it out: https://www.post-gazette.com/sports/high-school-football/2023/10/18/wp...

Your Cousin from Boston

11:13

What basketball team is flying under the radar and going to surprise people this year.

Mike White

11:14

Moon in Class 5A boys. Should maybe be ranked No. 1.

Big Bob

11:14

Do you think wpial should or would ever go to 2 conferences in 5A and teams could play 7-8 conference games? As it is now, half of the games teams play are basically exhibition games that have no affect on playoff standings.

Mike White

11:15

It would depend on how many teams are in 5A next year. If there are 15 or 16, possibly they would. But they have three conferences of 6. Other classes have conferences of six. I have no problem of three conferences of 6 teams.

Jeff

11:15

How was Shelly Pie ? Better than the Woodland Hills - PR Game I'm sure ! Is Pine Richland the only school in the running to stop Peters in 5 A? Penn Hills looks less than stellar and same with Gateway. Very good article on the playoffs and with only 8 spots there is more prestige for those who make it. Great games with USC - Moon last week and hopefully Penn Trafford - Franklin this week decide the playoff fate of those who make it or not and give significance to the regular season

Mike White

11:17

I asked former Post-Gazette sports writer Shelly Anderson to give me directions to Shelly Pie, but she misheard me and gave me directions to house of former WVU and Ohio State SID Shelly Poe. So I ended up at Shelly Poe's house instead of Shelly Pie. We read Edgar Allen Poe poetry. Was a good time.

Jeff

11:17

Mike I am going out on a limb and predicting McKeesport will defeat TJ and go on to win the WPIAL 4 A Championship ! Great program for many years and will unseat the Quips in 2023

Mike White

11:18

Wow, you're wild and crazy. But is that really going out on a limb? McKeesport is 8-1 and almost beat Belle Vernon. That wouldn't be all that surprising.

Lawrence County Guy

11:20

What is your take on 2A? It's hard to figure out who is the team to beat or who will get the 1 seed. How will the WPIAL take into consideration the Imani/Serra game cancelled? Big game in Lawrence county Friday night to decide the MAC Championship between Neshannock and Mohawk. Although Neshannock will struggle to play with Mohawk, does the winner of that game get a 1 or 2 seed and a 1st round bye? Where does the loser end up? I would say members of the MAC Conference get some respect in seeding due to the grind that conference is. Similar situation with Wash High and McGuffey for seeding. Would be interesting to see a Lawrence County Semifinal match up. Thanks

Mike White

11:22

2A is most certainly hard to figure. The Neshannock-Mohawk game will clear up some of it. So will Steel Valley and Serra, although I think Steel Valley wins that one. McGuffey-Washington should also clear some things up. I had a note on WPIAL has declared Serra-Imani Christian game "no contest." So we really won't have a definitive answer on where those teams finish in conference. WPIAL football committee will simply seed them based on their opinion. Serra vs. Steel Valley game will matter.

Shaun

11:23

Curious about attendance for marquee games in the WPIAL. When you have matchups like CV-Quip, Port- TJ, PT-FR, do these stadiums typically pack to capacity?

Mike White

11:24

Yes, I would say all those stadiums will be packed. For some reason, over the past 10-15 years, people don't come out to playoff games like they do for big regular season games. I don't know why. Maybe too many other things to do. Maybe at that time of year people don't want to go out in cold. Also, so many of those games were video live streamed past few years by Trib. That won't be the case this year because Trib's deal with WPIAL is no more.

Shaun

11:25

Additionally - What are the largest WPIAL stadiums based on capacity?

Mike White

11:25

Not sure, but Woodland Hills is probably No. 1, just because the home side bleachers (on concrete) go up really, really high.

11:26

Do you think there are too many teams in each classification that make the WPIAL playoffs?

Mike White

11:26

No.

3A Playoffs

11:26

With Knoch losing last week, if both West Mifflin and Knoch win on Friday, who would you give the 5 seed to in 3A. Really big difference with the 6 having to play One of the Big 3 in 3A in the round of 8

Mike White

11:28

You have to wait and see what happens in EF-Belle Vernon game. If Belle Vernon wins, I think EF still deserves to be in top five and I would put East Allegheny probably in top 4-5 if they beat Shady Side. Remember, EF beat Knoch. Shut them out, 22-0. No way Knoch gets seeded ahead of EF or East Allegheny.

cristroymentzer@gmail.com

11:28

What does the matchup at Karns City look like Friday evening? They play Mt.Union from central Pa.

Mike White

11:28

No idea.

11:28

Peters Twp. defense has been very strong this year, giving up the fewest points in WPIAL. In your opinion, how do they stack up against recent dominant defenses?

Mike White

11:28

Playoffs will tell.

Jeff

11:28

Mike Bill Fralic was in 8th grade as a caddie at Alcoma GC in Penn Hills when he met Jackie Sherrill the rest us history as legend would have it

Mike White

11:29

Yep, Sherrill asked him where he went to college.

Mike Junko

11:29

We're still in deep deep you know what aren't we ?