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Mike White's high school sports chat: 12.12.23
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Mike White
11:00
Hey, how's it going? Well, football is over. Our Player of the Year will come out Sunday. Who should it be? Basketball is heating up? So let's talk.
PA_20_T990015
11:00
WPIAL has the #1 & #2 Cross Country runners in the country - hope to see some PG coverage on this for a change!
Mike White
11:02
Yes, a great feat for Butler's Drew Griffith (No. 1) and Ringgold's Ryan Pajak (No. 2). We had a little story in the print edition of Sunday paper. We also had a little story on web site about it Saturday night.
JD
11:02
Mike, why does the WPIAL have the rule to move schools to a higher class when they win championships?  Aren't the classes based on school enrollments?  Does Aliquippa want to move up to another class and did they want to move up in the first place?   Thanks for your comments.
Mike White
11:05
First off, let's set you straight. It's NOT the WPIAL's rule. It's the PIAA's rule. Obviously, you haven't followed this much. Yes, classes are based on school enrollments, but PIAA put in competitive balance rule maybe six years ago where a football team can be bumped up in class if they go far in the postseason two consecutive years AND had three transfers over those two years. You must have both. No, Aliquippa doesn't want to move up another class. When this started, they elected to play Class 3A. But they were bumped up to 4A because of success points over two years and the three transfers. They have enough success points now to be bumped up to 5A next year, but don't have three transfers. So they will stay 5A.
BC Fan
11:06
What a great story this St. Joe's Prep to was.  I mean to only be able to recruit the best players from 3 different states and still win a championship against kids from the same community. A real heart warming story.  Congrats.
Mike White
11:06
Thanks. It is what it is and it's not going to change.
North2South
11:06
Which of the WPIAL teams that played in the PIAA Championship last week have the best chance to get back?
Mike White
11:09
I think Westinghouse has a decent chance. Good number of kids back, including QB. NA loses a lot, but with the low number of WPIAL 6A schools, NA will always have a chance. Peters can still be pretty good. Aliquippa is Aliquippa. Will seemingly always have a chance to get there. Tikey Hayes is back. Belle Vernon loses a lot. Fort Cherry has Sieg, but they lose a lot also. So I would say maybe you might see two make return trips. But might not be any, either.
Yuri D
11:09
Is this Shaler's year in 5A boys?
Mike White
11:09
Could be. But 5A has a number of pretty good teams.
LeboKid
11:09
Good morning, Mike. Had the chance to watch Matt Sieg from Ft. Cherry over the past couple of weeks, and your comparison with Mapletown’s Derek Bochna is spot on. Sieg is a terrific athlete, and he’s just a sophomore. I have a feeling his state championship game appearance won’t be his/Ft. Cherry’s last. And a past contributor asked your for your “Mt. Rushmore” of WPIAL athletes, and I’d add Luke Hagy from Mt. Lebanon (of course!) for your consideration. Incredible multi-sport athlete who went on to have a stellar football career at D1AA Cornell. Merry Christmas, Mike!
Mike White
11:11
Fort Cherry loses a lot of starters. But with Sieg, they seemingly have a good chance. As far as Mount Rushmore of multi-sport athletes ... man, it would take a lot of thinkings. Lot of guys from 50s, 60s and 70s you should consider. Guys like even Dan Marino (drafted high in baseball). Joe Namath. Dick Groat. Tom Clements played at Canevin. Wasn't in WPIAL then, but what a three-sport guy. Final choices were Notre Dame as a quarterback, or North Carolina as a point guard. I couldn't pick Mt. Rushmore without a lot of thinking.
Coach O
11:12
I’m going to ask a dumb question that no doubt has an obvious answer that’s escaping me but with transfers for athletic intent subject to WPIAL approval why is there so much angst about teams like Imani bringing in transfers? Are private schools not subject to WPIAL oversight in this regard? Seems ridiculous if not since they compete in the WPIAL. If they are, how do they get these kids approved? If it’s for legit reasons then there shouldn’t be any complaint. I don’t get it.
Mike White
11:15
Not quite sure what you are asking. Imani is like other private/Catholic/charter schools. They have no geographic boundaries to draw students. And it just so happens that basketball players show up at Imani, a tiny, tiny school. Sure, they lost two this year also - Alier Maluk and Dame Givner. Yes, their transfers go through same process as public school kids. But most times it's hard to prove a transfer was made for athletics. WPIAL just doesn't have proof most times. But WPIAL has made a few Imani kids ineligible over the years.
Jeff
11:15
Mike Congrats to Aliquippa for a truly dominant performance in going undefeated and winning the State Title. In your opinion are they the standard of how to run a successful high school football program ?
Mike White
11:15
Certainly one of them. But there are others in Western Pa. also.
Wpial champ
11:16
Why didn’t you cover the state championships?
Mike White
11:16
Personal reasons that you don't need to know.
JV Guru
11:16
There really needs to be more rules/boundaries for Catholic & private schools.
Mike White
11:17
Welcome to the party. Doesn't need to be more rules. And no way you can get geogrpahical boundaries for them. That ship sailed a long time ago.
SJPrep
11:17
Let's put the public vs private debate in a little perspective. SJ Prep has an advantage being able to take kids from a wide area - no doubt. So let's make it even. Draw a boundary around the Prep; we'll make it 48 square miles, same as NA school district. For all of the geography-challenged, that boundary will take in a good chunk of New Jersey, since the Prep is 2 miles from the Jersey border. Only kids in that boundary can play for Prep. BUT, anyone who wants to play for Prep can "move in" to the boundary area, just like any public school. Or they can use the address of a relative who happens to live there. And since we are worried about evening out advantages, we'll have to build a stadium and practice facility for Prep which has neither. Sound fair?
Mike White
11:19
No quite sure what you are saying, either. But there will be no geographic boundaries for private/Catholic/charter schools. No way you can do that to them. They can take whoever they want. You'll never change that now. That's the thing when Catholic schools joined the WPIAL in the 1970s. They had boundaries. But that went out the window a long time ago. One of the reasons was declining enrollment at those schools.
Bagels
11:20
I know you always answer with “zero chance they should just not even show up” when someone asks this question lol. But is there any team that can beat Lincoln Park? Especially 4a
Mike White
11:22
I have doubts whether any 4A team will beat Lincoln Park, but yes, it could happen. Always a chance. You know, Uniontown, Hampton and a few others are pretty good, too. It's not like Lincoln Park is the Lakers or even 2007 Schenley.
Jeff
11:22
Mike Westinghouse almost pulled it off in 2A........Congrats to Donta Green on a terrific accomplishment for that team and community going toe to toe with a terrific program in Southern Columbia and falling short
Mike White
11:22
What Donta Green has done with Westinghouse goes beyond impressive.
Santa
11:22
Is Central Catholic going to struggle this year or did it just start against two really good 5A teams to start the season?  Moon's new player - still not playing?
Mike White
11:23
Central has only one starter back from last year. Payton Wehner. Then Cole Sullivan decided not to play. Won't really know about Central probably until January. Some of those football players who didn't play hoops the past few years are now playing. We'll see.
Jeff
11:23
Mike terrific job by PG covering HS Football again this season youre the best
Mike White
11:23
Why thank you very much, Jeff. Nice of you to say.
Tyler Berkman
11:24
Allderdice HUGE win vs  an elite Erie team (who returned all starters). Yet I didn't hear a peep from any media outlets. One of the finest coached games i've witnessed. Best team in the WPIAL/City? I think so
Mike White
11:27
Hey Tyler. Yep, Devin Crummie is next coming of Red Auerbach. And that Erie team must have been tremendous that Allderdice beat. Erie only lost by 32. And yes, Allderdice HAS to be the best team in WPIAL or City ... after just losing to Gateway. ... Who are you and why do you keep sending in stupid stuff every week about Allderdice basketball? Yes, Allderdice is good, but you can stop. Check your email account. I think someone has hacked it and is purposely sending out things to make you look like an idiot.
Joe Montana
11:27
Ringgold’s Ryan Pajak set the state meet record with his win at the cross country championships.  He came close last year to winning 400 meter relay at state championships.  If he wins that this year would he have chance at athlete of the year?
Mike White
11:28
We shall see what he does in track. The Griffith kid is pretty good, too, right?
Hsfan
11:28
How about Gatway’s start to the season? They lost most of their top players, but have wins over FC, CC, PH, and Dice. Great job by Alvis Rogers.
Mike White
11:29
Good point. Gateway has opened eyes. They must be pretty good. Alvis Rogers doing really nice job there. Looks like we should add them to list of quality teams in 5A who could make some noise. Seems to be more than we thought.
Monessen
11:29
That kid Crews pretty much admitted he left Monessen for Belle Vernon in the article about their state final win for athletic reasons.  Shouldn’t the PIAA investigate and make them forfeit title?
Mike White
11:31
Ahhhh, no. He was already made eligible. Didn't say he was recruited. And are you really surprised? Belle Vernon has had a number of Monessen kids. Heck, after the state championship basketball game last year, Justin Edwards of power Imhotep Charter in Philly said on TV that he was thankful the coach recruited him to come Imhotep. Nothing ever happened. And he said it on TV!!!
Bill
11:31
Can you name a wpial team in the past you think would’ve beaten st joes this year
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