You are viewing the chat in desktop mode. Click here to switch to mobile view.
X
Mike White's high school sports chat: 12.21.21
powered byJotCast
View Full Chat Next Page
Mike White
11:18
Sorry everyone. Some technical difficulties with chat site to start. Now working, so let's get started.
Billy
11:19
So it looks like the new parameters will allow more teams in 6a after all
Mike White
11:22
No, no, no. Not true. I don't have enrollment figures from all schools. PIAA won't release all school numbers until January. But it's looking like WPIAL will only have five 6A teams. I know North Allegheny, Seneca Valley and Mt. Lebanon are 6A in enrollment. According to Canon-Mac AD, they are right at the cutoff for 6A, so they will stay 6A. Central has said it will stay 6A, even if their numbers are 5A. But I have Norwin numbers. They will drop to 5A. Baldwin will drop. I've been told that Hempfield might drop also. So it's looking five in 6A.
Mike D.
11:22
Word on the street NH boys coach hasn't been with the team and they had to cancel a game because of it.  Who is running the team?
Mike White
11:24
Nope, not true. Buzz Gabos is back with the team. He was out a couple days for a little health issue. But North Hills never canceled game. Allderdice pulled out because Pittsburgh Public Schools shut down all activities Friday and also Saturday because of some supposed threats. North Hills didn't cancel.
WPIAL Pigskin
11:25
I saw Lincoln Park boys hoops hasn't played a game since the opening weekend.  Did they have some kind of COVID outbreak...weird that they have only played 2 games so far.
Mike White
11:25
Honestly, I don't know situation at Lincoln Park. They are supposed to play Quaker Valley Thursday in a big Class 4A game.
Sharpshooter
11:25
It’s going on year four that Tim McConnell has left the boys program. All the “McConnell kids” are gone. When is the last time a Char valley team has started out 0-5??
Mike White
11:27
Hey, Brandon Sensor has done well as Char Valley's boys coach. They were in WPIAL final last year. But they lost a lot of talent from that team and I don't think anyone expected them to be strong this year. They just don't have the talent as before, although Jayden Davis certainly is one of the best freshmen around. I know they never started 0-5 under McConnell, though.
Mike D.
11:27
Ellwood City dropped another game.  Is the workload for the swimmers starting to catch up to them?
Mike White
11:29
I don't know. I don't talk to the Roth brothers (swimmers-basketball players) on a regular basis. But they have lost two games -- and both losses weren't exactly against tomato cans. They were to Blackhawk and Union. Plus, Ellwood came back and beat Blackhawk by 21. So I think Ellwood will be OK.
WPIAL Pigskin
11:30
Watched Char Valley/Central Catholic last night.  CV has to be the best 0-5 team in WPIAL history!  I saw the Colts have your North Hills Indians next week in the Hampton tournament.  Honestly, I predict they still finish in the top 2 in their section!  Your thoughts?
Mike White
11:32
First off, Char Valley has played a darn good schedule. The 5 losses are to Upper St. Clair, Gateway, Quaker Valley, Bishop Canevin and Central Catholic. Thing is, they've all been double figure losses. The section is pretty good, though. New Castle is in it. West A. looks pretty good this year. Trinity and South Fayette also. Moon is improved. Yes, CV could end up top two. It's possible. But it will be tough.
Hoop Season is here
11:32
Noticing Ambridge hasn't started out very well with a new coach and missing a key player from last year. Guess the school board made a good decision. Lol. On the other end it looks like some teams are progressing this year like Deer Lakes and Carlynton.
Mike White
11:33
Yes, got rid of Astorino. Not sure why. His kid transferred to Eden Christian. Might not be a good year for Ambridge.
Billy
11:33
Interesting. Didn’t know norwin and hempfield will drop, but is there a chance Pine or any 5a teams move up?
Mike White
11:34
I do not know if Hempfield is definitely dropping. But I know Norwin is. I don't have Pine's exact numbers. We will have to wait and see on them, but I think they will probably be 5A.
Ball Hogs
11:34
So many reclassed freshmen and sophomores scoring a bunch of points on a bunch of shot attempts. Kids shooting 30 times to get 30 points in HS and still losing games. Some of these coaches need to get a backbone and reign these kids in. Gallagher, Parham, etc are the model player these kids need to emulate. Some have become so selfish.
Mike White
11:38
And who might you be talking about Ball Hogs?? Although I will say I love the way Gallagher plays for Laurel Highlands. And you're talking about 6-7 sophomore Royce Parham at North Hills. He is already very good and could end up being really good. Thing is, he is shooting 60 percent from field in three games and only takes 15 shots a game. He is averaging 19 a game. But he's not even leading scorer on team. Alex Smith is at 24 and Matt Seidl 21.
Billy
11:38
With only 5 teams in 6A, what options do you see the wpial pursuing?
Mike White
11:40
Don't have many choices. One is to keep 6A with its own conference and schedule them five non conference games against 5A teams. Other option is to put 6A teams in conferences with 5A teams and then break 6A teams out when it comes playoff time. But I know many 5A teams want nothing to do with playing some of the 6A teams.
Richy
11:40
4A section with QV, Montour, and LP is absolutely brutal. Blackhawk is also good. Tough sledding for the other 4 teams in there.
Mike White
11:41
I'd say that's probably second-best section in WPIAL next to Section 1 in 6A. North Allegheny, North Hills, Butler, Pine-Richland and Seneca Valley. Now that's brutal. And they play each other three times.
Guest
11:41
How could Pitt just stop recruiting Rodney Gallagher for basketball? Seems they aren't in a position to turn down anyone at this point, especially a local kid who's a winner.
Mike White
11:43
Rodney Gallagher did not say they stopped recruiting him completely. He said he didn't hear from Pitt much. But it was like that with all the basketball schools who were recruiting him. Seems like they thought he would be a football player. But can you blame the college hoop coaches? It is so hard to play both football and basketball at the major-college level, especially if you're a point guard like Gallagher. Think of it. He likely wouldn't get to basketball season until early January. That's a lot of missed time for a point guard.
Mike Kochanowski
11:43
Hello from your old neighbor...
Mike White
11:43
What's up.
Beaver County Lifer
11:43
Astorino was forced out of Ambridge because he didn't play politics. That district is a joke. My son played against the Bridgers with him as coach and his son on the team. Both great people, heard his son is doing well at Eden. Ambridge has no discipline and heard parents sit in at HS practices.
Mike White
11:45
I always found coach Astorino to be a good guy. I know he didn't want to leave. And yes, his son appears to be doing OK at Eden. As I said, could be a long year for Ambridge. Got crushed by both Avonworth and Moon.
Richy
11:45
Lot of class talk about football but will the new cycle bring any big changes in hoops that you know of?
Mike White
11:46
It's still hard to know changes without enrollment figures from schools. But before the PIAA revised its parameters and schools re-sent their enrollment numbers, it looked like 6A would have maybe 12-15 teams and 5A might have anywhere from 32-35.
HS Fan
11:46
Hi Mike!  Where do you see Butler's boy hoops team fitting in this year?  Can they compete at the top this year?
Mike White
11:47
By all means, yes. They are still one of the top teams in 6A. Wouldn't be surprise if they still challenge for a championship.
Chucks Bucs
11:47
Does the chat still start at 11 am, I was at St Mary's Lawrenceville Grade school tourney last week, did you ever do a story on this tourney ?
Mike White
11:49
First off, Chucks Bucs, the chat does still start at 11 a.m. We had some technical issues this week.; Secondly, no I never did a story on the St. Marys Lawrenceville Tourney. But I know all about it. I played in it for two years at St. Sebastian. Of course, that was just a few years ago. Nice to hear they still have it. Memories of John McGrane running that thing for years. Although I'm sure it's nothing like it used to be because there are nowhwere near as many Catholic grade school teams as years ago.
Richy
11:52
Lots of conjecture on the ambridge comments. Always two sides to every story.
Mike White
11:52
Yes, I don't know what went on there, except that coach Astorino's job was opened.
Smitty
12:01
I can't remember but was Morton and Carney fab 5 selections at the same time?  How many times have two fab 5ers been selected from the same team in the same year?
Mike White
12:04
Carney was not Fab 5 at the same time as Morton. We have had Fab 5 players from same teams. One year, we had DeJuan Blair and D.J. Kennedy from Schenley, as well as Herb Pope and Jon Baldwin from Aliquippa. There have been other teammates also. Like New Castle.
Lando
12:04
Gateway seems to be starting off hot. Can they win 5a?
Connecting…