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Mike White's high school sports chat: 11.10.20
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Mike White
11:01
Good morning, everyone. Well, it's not a good morning. I feel like I have to start this chat with a tribute to Bob Amalia, who established himself as a legendary coach at Blackhawk. He was Bobby Baseball in Beaver County and died yesterday from cancer. Tributes are pouring in from everywhere for a guy that was not only a great coach, but just a good person. So many will tell you that. I hope I captured the man's essence in obituary I did on him in Post-Gazette. I knew him and dealt with him for probably 35 years. What a gem. RIP, Bobby Baseball - and you were a dang good basketball assistant also - and husband and father. Blessings to Bob's wife, Audrey, and two daughters.
11:04
I have many good and funny memories of Bob Amalia. I loved that he kept his team's baseball statistics on a yellow legal pad. In about 40 years of doing this, some personal interviews stick out with me. One was with Bob in February of 2019. I was doing a big piece on him and his inspiring battle with cancer. It was just me and him in the Blackhawk locker room. He cried during the interview - and I cried. Will never forget it.
OK, now on to the chat.
Zman
11:04
I know you published the info a couple weeks ago but I can’t remember, what championship games will be on TV this weekend? Thx
Mike White
11:05
Hey Zman, you couldn't be Mike Zmijanac, could you? Nah. Anyway, the Class 4A game between Quips and TJ, and the 5A game between Pine-Richland and Peters Township will both be televised live by Pittsburgh CW. 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. at North Allegeny.
Zman
11:07
Your prediction: will Central Valley join the ranks of teams that mercy rule everyone through the state championship?
Mike White
11:08
Ahhhh, no they won't. Because they haven't mercy ruled everyone. They did not mercy rule New Castle. Check it if you want. So you can forget that idea.
JR
11:08
Did Pitt recruit Josh Hough?? Thanks
Mike White
11:09
They did offer Josh Hough a scholarship. A week or so before he committed to Syracuse.
Tim
11:09
Hi Mike. How did southern Columbia get out of being bumped up to 3A?? Farrell gets bumped up. And Aliquippa forced all the way up to 4A, but Southern Columbia gets out of being moved up to 3A??
Mike White
11:10
Under the PIAA's new competition formula, you have to have three transfers in a two year period. Southern Columbia had enough transfers, but they appealed to the PIAA, claiming the transfers were before the rule went into effect. So the PIAA didn't bump them up.
Ronald M
11:11
Hey Mike, where do you think the basketball championships will be held at? The 2 best that come to mind are Na and Bethel Park.
Mike White
11:12
No idea yet. Yes, NA would be one place. But too early to predict. I'm not sure Petersen Center is definitely out yet. Many nice, good-sized gyms are around. I like Bethel, but for whatever reason, that place is barely used for playoff games.
Parker R
11:14
Mike the boys 4a in hoops with Lp And qv might be the best section once again. Montour comes in as well, cv is always a fight, Blackhawk will be tough, and ambridge might be the sleeper in all of it. What’re your preseason thoughts on that section
Mike White
11:15
No doubt that is now an excellent section. But New Castle is out and in 5A. Some of those 6A and 5A sections are pretty competitive also.
Nickythegricky
11:15
Do you know  how the Seton Lasalle Head Coach search is going??
Mike White
11:15
Ahhhh, no.
Ed cain
11:15
What do ypu think about the beaver falls vs sto-rox game.
Mike White
11:16
Josh Hough might have an off day and average only 15 yards a carry, but Beaver Falls by two touchdowns.
Sonny
11:16
Who do you think wins the 5A Championship? Peters gets a lot of Mention about Hondru and McMillion on Defense but Pines Defense with Miller, Jackson and Company is just too Good IMO
Mike White
11:19
Pine's offense gets a lot of pub, and rightly so. But Pine's defense is terrific. Kasperowicz runs the defense. In eight games, Pine has allowed only 27 first-half points. That's pretty impressive. And scored 307 points in the first half of games. It will take a monumental effort by Peters to win this game. Pine is definite favorite. You have to figure. Unless Pine turns the ball over a lot, you have to figure they will score at least 28 points. I can't see Peters scoring that much. But who would've ever thought TJ would lose to McKeesport? So sometimes you just don't know. ... I know you've never heard that one before.
‘T’ from Green Tree
11:19
Could Central Valley be the best team in the state regardless of any classification except 6A?
Mike White
11:23
Hey T from Green Tree, you're barking up the wrong tree here. Please, chill. Central Valley is terrific but please stop with the best team, with the exception of 5A. Could they be competitive against 5A teams? Most certainly But the best? C'mon, man. Remember, Central Valley was really good a year ago. Won WPIAL. Played in state final. No knock against Central Valley because they have a lot of talent. But Central Valley lost to Thomas Jefferson, 28-3, a year ago. Does that tell you something?
BeaverCountyFan
11:23
COVID-19 cases are rising across the state. A few state playoff games across the state have been canceled. A lot of schools have gone back to remote learning for a few days as they work through contact tracing. With the upcoming holidays, why shouldn't the PIAA just consider pushing back the start of winter sports and begin January 1st?
Mike White
11:25
Why? Why not try to start? Winter sports begins Dec. 11. Do you really think it is going to make that much of a difference to start three weeks later? If you start it early and have to shut down a few weeks and have to shut down, that gives you some wiggle room for scheduling. But if you start Jan. 1 and have to shut down after, say, two weeks, you're really in a jam. As PIAA exec. director Bob Lombardi said in the summer, "the only wrong decision would be to at least try." But I don't think there should be tipoff or holiday tournaments. Single games and that's it.
11:26
And here's an idea put forth by a coach. When section games start, play them on back-to-back nights, home and away. Maybe Monday-Tuesday and Friday-Saturday. Maybe you might limit some exposure.
Wike Mhite
11:26
Who do you think is the player of the year as of right now?
Mike White
11:28
That's a really tough call. I've discussed with a number of people. Opinions vary. Derrick Davis has to be included. But maybe it should be Josh Hough of Beaver Falls. And Cole Spencer of Pine-Richland is right there. Both Hough and Spencer are having phenomenal years. I think you have to wait until season plays out.
Alan Fogg
11:28
Mike – Due to an inadequate number of football players, Monessen had to forfeit several games. I do not know if Monessen would be willing to enter into a co-op agreement that would allow interested students to play football for a neighboring district through a co-op agreement.  But Belle Vernon Area, and arch-rival Charleroi, might be possible schools with which Monessen could have a co-op arrangement for football. Do you know how many WPIAL schools permit football players from their districts to participate in football through co-op programs with other schools’ teams?
Mike White
11:30
Western Beaver is one with Lincoln Park students. I don't know of any others off top of my head. You have to remember. Co-ops are not always easy. It takes two to make a co-op. The other schools has to open to taking the other school. Here's the problem. Sometimes if you co-op with a school, that might bump a team up to a higher classification - and they don't want that. You have to count boys enrollment of both schools in co-op.
Big Dave
11:32
Who are some preseason top basketball players in the Wpial? Top teams?
Mike White
11:34
Dante Spadafora and Jake DiMichele of OLSH, Luke Gensler of USC, Rodney Gallagher of Laurel Highlands made Fab 5 a year ago. Devin Carney of Butler averaged 20 a year ago. Eli Yofan Fox Chapel. Brayden Reynolds of Char Valley. Demitri Fritch of Springdale. Antonio Epps of South Allegheny. Michael Wells of New Castle. ... I know someone will want to smack me on the knuckles with a rule for not mentioning their guy. But that's a few.
Mongo
11:34
Hey Mike. Never got your opinion on expanding to 6 classes for football . Think we need more than 4, but 6 doesn’t seem right.
Mike White
11:37
Do I like it? Not really. Has watered things down in 6A and some others. But I don't hate it. PIAA said it was designed to make some schools more competitive because gap in enrollment numbers isn't as wide. I think that has happened. For WPIAL, I still think they need to entertain thought of combining 6A and 5A in regular season and break out for playoffs. But some 6A schools were going to play 5A schools until pandemic hit this year. But what's my opinion matter? Get used to it. It's here to stay.
Larry
11:37
I was very impressed with the Aliquippa QB last week, both throwing and running against Belle Vernon, do you think can knock off the mighty TJ Jaguars?
Mike White
11:38
No, they have no shot. They just should just forfeit. ... Of course they can. They beat a Belle Vernon team that gave TJ a game for a half. Games against McKeesport and Plum should prove two things: No way this TJ team as good as last year, and they aren't unbeatable. But I'll still take TJ.
curious
11:38
Mike - are there exceptions to the transfer rule associated with playing in the play-offs?  If a kid transfers after their freshman yr and they played that sport in the school they left, are they always ineligible for the play-offs or can that be appealed and play-off eligibility granted?
Mike White
11:40
Yes, they can appeal and be eligible if they fall into one of the "exceptions." But it's after the sport you played in your SOPHOMORE year. Not freshman year. Athletes have won appeals and played in playoffs. Central Catholic has two-way starter in Matt Aulicino who transferred from Freeport, was originally ruled ineligible for playoffs, but won appeal.
JP
11:40
Aliquippas linemen are huge how are they skill-wise?
Mike White
11:40
Apparently not bad. They are in finals.
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