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Mike White's high school sports chat: 11.18.25
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Mike White
10:59
Well, two WPIAL championships in the books. Four more Saturday at Acrisure. State playoffs here for some. And basketball right around the corner. So let's get some hot talk.
Fab 22
11:00
I always look forward to the fab 22.  How long does it take for you guys to put it together?  Are there long meetings?  Also could you ask them more interesting questions?  Nobody cares what their favorite thanksgiving food is
Mike White
11:01
We're looking at things throughout the season and we start talking and putting together some of the team right after the season. We talk to a number of coaches about players also. And we watch the playoffs. It's not something done in one or two days. Sorry you don't like the questions. Some people do like them. To each his own.
Alec Baldwin
11:02
Why doesn’t Art Walker coach his high school Baldwin?  I don’t understand these guys that are allegedly great coaches not coaching their school.  They see their schools suffering and they don’t use their skills to make it better.
Mike White
11:02
Are you really serious? I'm not even going to answer.
Long snapping master
11:04
I thought it was the interesting when Keith mentioned Nolan Dilucia as a great long snapper in the playoff preview.  Who is the greatest high school long snapper you ever saw?
Mike White
11:04
Definitely Snap Dogg.
Short king
11:04
Why is Darrellle Revis and Sean Lee on your best players of the last 25 years when both lost player of the year to Eugene Jarvis who wasn’t on your list?
Mike White
11:05
Best players is different than Player of the Year. You certainly can make a case for Jarvis. I just didn't pick him on top 10.
Short king
11:05
Rank these short kings in high school.  Eugene Jarvis, Cam Saddler, and Scoop Smith
Mike White
11:05
All three are different players. Jarvis was strictly a running back. I think I'd go Jarvis and Smith 1 and 1A. And Saddler next.
Joey
11:07
Why is central catholic 2004 so well regarded?  You look at their numbers throughout the year it wasn’t that impressive.  Also would you bet on 2016 Steel Valley to beat 2007 Jeannette?  Why 2019 TJ ahead of past TJ teams?  Past teams had college and even NFL players
Mike White
11:09
I don't know. Maybe it's because they've outscored teams 43.1-9.9. and play at the highest level. Or maybe it's because their only loss is to La Salle, the No. 1 team in the state. Or maybe it's because they have about 10 players who are either committed or have offers from power conference college. ... You're right. Those are no reasons to be highly regarded.
Angry PR guy
11:09
As a PR alum I am grossed out by the football team these days.    They said they fired Eric partially because they thought the school put too much emphasis on football.  Now we have a coach that brings in kids from everywhere and takes away opportunities from home grown kids.  I hope Peters kills them.
Mike White
11:09
You're entitled to your opinion. That's pretty strong.
Pittsburgh is going to the super bowl
11:10
As a neutral observer to the Moon-Pine Richland game, I was impressed with Moon's effort. I can also see why John Ledonne hit the recruiting portal considering the only kids to make the majority of plays for Pine on Friday were the transfers. Would have been a different game in 2nd half without the cheap shot on Moon's QB.
Mike White
11:10
I didn't see the game. But Moon's teams always are physical and play tough. But so does Pine.
Dan
11:11
Any info on Oil City’s football team, Aliquippa’s next opponent?
Mike White
11:15
I hear the players from Oil City are pretty slick. And there are no dip sticks on this team. ... Woooo hooooo. I'll be here all week. .... Seriously, they are 10-1. Lost to General McLane. Seem like and OK team. Obviously I have not seen them. Nothing major stands out for them. They have a 1,000-yard rusher. I would've liked to see last year's Oil City team play a WPIAL team. They had Ethan Knox last year. He graduated. As a junior he ran for 3,705 yards and broke Derrick Henry's national record with four 400-yard games. Oil City has only two PIAA wins ever. I expect the Quips to definitely win.
Wpial dude
11:16
Which Bob Palko West Allegheny team was the best, and what would the score be if that team played Lebo 2021?
Mike White
11:17
I think you'd have to go with the West Allegheny team of 2001. I mean, that was the only team to win the state title. And they had Tyler Palko, who was a great player. He was an X factor that no one else had. Who would win between that team and the 2001 Lebo team? Wow. I think I'd go Lebo 2001. But I would never like to bet against Tyler Palko in high school.
Realignment
11:17
It will be interesting to see how sections are made in 4A and 2A... I would like to see them make larger 7 or 8 team conferences. 6 team conferences are difficult. Half of the games that a team plays are meaningless.
Mike White
11:19
You have a point. But you have two conferences and now you get into geographical questions, and people will complain about why are teams from way east in conference with teams from way north. Not an easy answer any which way.
Mr Ed
11:19
I see WPIAL again turned down Farrell’s request to rejoin. Makes no sense to me. Why wouldn’t you want to bring back a school with a great history and tradition in several sports? And the travel expense reasoning is bogus. They are a small school so they could play in conferences with Lawrence and Beaver County teams. Just ride up and down I-376. Non conference games could play
Sorry hit wrong button to finish my thought Farrell could still play D-10 teams in non conference. Shame.
Mike White
11:22
I don't disagree with you. I don't have a real answer. But it was a unanimous vote by the WPIAL board. I guess some schools talked about the travel concern. But it's more than football travel. Have to consider other sports, too. Still, I might have voted to take them in.
Moon Fan
11:22
Pine loses last week without their Seton transfer --so the PIAA and WPIAL have completely botched the competitive balance rule in making him eligible.  There is no way that in part it was NOT for athletics- he plays 7v7 with their QB and other WRs.  Moon was robbed and Pine is not different than a private school.  Nice that he decided to move a week after Anthony Smith his Seton QB was ruled ineligible.  The kid is a great talent no question but they have made the WPIAL wild west.  Very sad.  They create the rule then list exceptions to it---giving people a convenient way to skid it.
Mike White
11:25
You're talking about exceptions to the PIAA rule of being eligible for the playoffs. You can be eligible if you fit one of the exceptions. I know it doesn't seem like there is any consistency in the rule. But like I've said before on this chat, you don't know the reasons one gives to the WPIAL. You're talking about Kahlil Taylor. I know when he transferred he said he wanted to get out of living in the Hill District because of violence. Well, that might fit one of the exceptions. I know the reason the PIAA put the rule in was to maybe curb all the transfers. But has it worked? And it's really hard to understand why some get made eligible and some don't.
State college
11:25
State college is 2-13 all time against wpial opponents. Will Central Catholic make it 2-14?????
Mike White
11:25
Yes.
Warfield
11:26
Mike Warfield has now truly entered the greats for his coaching in this season.  He lost several players to transferring.  He kept that team together.  The culture of accountability and academics and rules he created will help these kids even more than the wins.  Does he pass Don Yannessa as a coaching great there?
Mike White
11:27
Mike Warfield has definitely turned out to be a great coach. It's more than on the field stuff, too. What he's done is ultra-impressive. Do you think he stays for many more years?
Navy
11:27
Was Covid/transfer portal the reason Alex Tecza and Eli Heidenreich didn’t get offered by Pitt? They were some of the best high school players I’ve seen in my years of watching, and their proving it at navy
Mike White
11:27
I don't think that had anything to do with it. Pitt, along with many others, apparently didn't think they were good enough.
Hsfan
11:27
With the discussion around the wpial returning to 4 classes, or modifying how they make the conferences, who makes these decisions? Do the ADs/Coaches have any say? Is there a process for doing this?
Mike White
11:29
A few times in the past when realignment has come up, the WPIAL has sent out a survey. Years ago under Tim O'Malley they sent out a survey and asked about combining classes. Majority were against it. ADs and coaches can give opinions but it's the WPIAL board of directors who have the final say. The WPIAL football committee makes a recommendation and usually the board goes with whatever the committee recommends.
Mediocre teams
11:29
Its safe to say that NA didnt deserve to be in that wpial championship, they werent even competitive. Likely not a top 7 team in all the wpial-Central Catholic, Pine Richland, Peters Township, USC, Moon, Aliquippa, and Mckeesport were all better. Get rid of 6 classes please!!!
Mike White
11:30
What do you mean they didn't deserve to be in that championship? They won a semifinal game to get there.
TW
11:30
Hearing rumors of naming Mt. Lebanon Stadium Art Walker Sr. Stadium……Hear anything?
Mike White
11:31
No idea. But that wouldn't be a bad idea. Art Sr. was a great one.
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