JotCast | Mike White's high school sports chat: 3.27.18

Mike White's high school sports chat: 3.27.18

Mike White

11:00

Hello from Hershey. Second day of state basketball championships. Let's get started. Store now open.

BigChief

11:00

Since PIAA allowed Philly area teams into playoffs their fan support for basketball has not been good at Hershey (and they moved them from Penn State). Now there is an all Philly 6A Boys Final (Roman Catholic vs Lincoln). Will districts like D-2, D-4, D-6, D-8, and D-10 push to have 1 auto bid instead of playing subregionals?

Mike White

11:05

Well Big Chief, it's not up to Districts 6, 8, 10. It's up to PIAA. I'll use 6A as an example. There are many more 6A teams in the eastern side of the state. So a while back, those districts complained that there should not be equal representation between east and west when east has many more teams. Remember back when maybe 8 teams from WPIAL were going to state playoffs. So, the PIAA said, "OK, we'll give the east more teams in the state tournament than the west. However, there is not enough spots for all those teams in the eastern side of the bracket. So we'll put a few eastern teams on the western side of the bracket." Do you get where I'm coming from with this?? It's not up to the western districts to decide how the playoff are set up. It's up to the PIAA. There is no more true east-west brackets in basketball. I don't like it and a lot of other people don't like it. But the east likes it and I'm not on the PIAA board.

Himer R.

11:05

I know its like beating a dead horse but seriously, The P.I.A.A. should be ashamed of themselves regarding the Catholic & Charter Schools vs Public Schools. Its embarrassing just listening to the play by play commentary making the game closer than it really is. Imhotep and K.C. looked like Villanova playing. Put all the Charter & Catholic Schools in 1 Bracket for the State Playoffs! I know there isnt enough teams around for a whole season schedule but you can do it for playoffs. Any thoughts?

Mike White

11:09

Himer, you just threw a couple more blows to that horse. It's been talked about, debated over and over. I've written about it numerous times. Many people complain. What is going on this season has brought about more critics. But again, I don't think anyone on PIAA wants to dip their toes into the water of separation. Honestly, they'd probably be in court pretty fast. But so what? Some have talked about an idea of letting those teams play a normal regular season schedule against public school teams, and then separate for playoffs. But that idea has not seemed to go anywhere.

John

11:09

Why doesn't the PIAA adopt a rule allowing a third-party school to challenge a transfer? So if Player A transfers from School X to School Y, School Z could challenge the transfer. This way, the shenanigans you wrote about would decrease significantly.

Mike White

11:11

This has happened. I remember back to Dan Fortson when he transferred from Altoona to Shaler. He was going to be eligible. Butler challenged it and wanted a hearing. A third party can challenge something but to have a hearing, you have to have hard evidence of either recruiting, etc. Then there would just be a hearing and a ruling. District 12 had a hearing with Neumann-Goretti girl. But no way they weren't going to make their girl ineligible.

PittSwag22

11:11

Do you think Pitt will consider bringing Brandin Knight back as Head Coach?

Mike White

11:12

Would they consider it?? Maybe. But probably not for long. They "CONSIDER" a lot of people. Doesn't mean they seriously consider them and doesn't mean they have a real shot.

Bob

11:14

Where do Imhotec players have interest and offers from?

Mike White

11:15

Donta Scott and Bishop kid are juniors who are highest regarded. Both have offers. Penn State has offered both. Scott seems to have more offers.

Spring Fever

11:15

Spring is in the air…. Well that is what the calendar says. It can be debated that the best athlete in this 2018 class has yet to compete this year. Ayden Owens is going after his third state title in the 300 M Hurdles and his second in the 110 . Who knows he just may get his first in another event maybe Long Jump. The USC recruit could walk away from his HS career with 6 state titles. Do you know of another WPIAL Track athlete that has done something similar?

Mike White

11:20

You're talking about Ayden Owens from North Allegheny. Yes, a tremendous athlete. A future decathlon guy possibly. Has done things on the national level also. Six is a lot. Not many from WPIAL have done it. I believe Clinton Davis was the first from Steel Valley in the 1980s. He won three sprints two years in a row. Dom Perretta of Beaver Falls just finished with six couple years ago. Won 800 and 16000 three years in a row. So it has been done before. Just not a lot.

Norhian

11:20

Any word on how North Hills baseball team will stack up in section play this season?

Mike White

11:21

Word is everything will depend on how assistant coach Steve Long coaches third. At least that's the word. ... North Hills should be pretty good. Mars and Hampton also in section also are good. Our first baseball rankings come out Friday in Varsity Xtra.,

Zane

11:21

Do you know if any other boys or girls team has gone scoreless in a whole quarter like Lourdes Regional did in first quarter against Kennedy?

Mike White

11:22

Of course it has happened. Happens every year in WPIAL and I'm sure other places. Now if you're asking state championships? I'm not sure. I don't have box scores for the history of state championships.

Zane

11:23

Was just talking about in a state fial.

Mike White

11:24

Not sure. But this is my 33rd time at state finals and I don't remember it happening.

11:28

Headed to arena shortly. OLSH boys play at 2 and Mars boys play at 6. Ask me a month or so ago if any WPIAL team had a shot at 5A championship and I'd have said no way. But some teams I thought were extremely good have fallen, Mars plays Abington Heights. No doubt that Abington Heights is good but this does not appear to be a team as strong as some past Neumann-Goretti teams or Imhotep Charter or Roman Catholic from few years ago. I think Mars has a chance.

11:31

Just FYI, West Virginia's Bob Huggins and Virginia's Tony Bennett were at Kennedy Christian game yesterday. Huggins and Indiana coach Archie Miller was also at Kennedy game in semifinals. Oscar Tshiebwe is man among boys for Kennedy. WVU wants him and Maceo Austin. I'd be surprised if Tshiebwe and probably Austin don't end up at WVU.

Hector

11:31

Best boys and girls team of all time? Can you pick only one?

Mike White

11:31

No I can't Hector.

11:35

I will say that best boys player I ever saw play live in a high school game (not counting all star games) was definitely LeBron. Best player I ever saw in person in a high school game in Pennsylvania was definitely Carlisle's Billy Owens. His senior year he was considered the No. 2 player in the country behind Alonzo Mourning. Owens went on to play at Syracuse and in NBA. In fact, this is the 30-year anniversary of the greatest individual performance in PA state championship history. Billy scored 53 -- yes I said 53 -- when Carlisle beat Central Catholic in the 1988 Quad-A title game. Was unbelievable.

11:35

Best two teams in boys...Midland and South Catholic in 1965!

Mike White

11:36

Yes Midland is one of the best. No double. Van Lier and Simmie Hill. I know South Catholic had some great teams but don't know much about South Catholic in 1965. Was that a Jerry Conboy team???

11:42

Yes...Hank South, Steve Litz, Tom Donohoe, Dave Welty, Val Madia.

Mike White

11:42

Yes, I have heard about that team. Some excellent players.

Vball

11:42

Wish there were more about boys volleyball

Mike White

11:42

Oh well.

San Juan

11:42

Bishop Boyle 82

Mike White

11:44

A very good team but not among the best ever around here? Shawn McAllister at the point and Mike Masley scored a ton and was a stud. But many will always wonder what if the two kids from Puerto Rico never showed up??? Chago Gotay and Kike Rivera. ... See there were strange happenings with kids transferring way back then.

Prexie

11:44

Wash High teams in the 80s? longest wpial win streak.

Mike White

11:46

Tied for longest win streak. No doubt they were great teams ---- on their level. Yes, judging teams on their own level, those teams were up there. But not among the greatest of all time in Western Pa. They're not on level of Midland 65, Ambridge 67, Schenley teams and others. C'mon. I loved those Washington teams with the Popecks and Brian Davis. But they didn't have one Division I college player, although Davis was a big-time football payer and one of the best WPIAL athletes ever. Played center at 5-10.

11:51

Mike, what's the biggest upset you can remember in state basketball finals?

Mike White

11:52

Oh, I don't know. When you get to the state finals can it really be that big of an upset???

Prexie

11:52

Who are they tied with?

Mike White

11:52

Uniontown.

11:55