You are viewing the chat in desktop mode. Click here to switch to mobile view.
X
Mike White's high school sports chat: 3.6.18
powered byJotCast
Mike White
11:02
WPIAL championships are complete. PIAA playoffs ready to start. It's another season. Store is now open.
WPIAL123
11:02
Mike, with all of these coaches quitting due to issues with school boards and parents, its going to be hard to get people to coach anymore. Montour is open, but the word in the area is that it is one of the hardest jobs due to parent involvement and horrible politics. Who would want to take that on?
Mike White
11:04
I'm not going to get into Montour's district or reputation, except to say you are not incorrect. Don't kid yourself. There will be people who want that job. It's a bigger district. Sports teams are often good in that school. I already know few coaches who probably want it.
Joe
11:04
Why doesn't the WPIAL designate PIAA qualifiers to avoid first round rematches of the WPIAL semifinals?  For example, in 6A girls you could say team that lost to champion in semis is 7-4 instead of 7-3. and vice versa for team that lost to runner-up.  As it is now, you have Peters and Bethel playing four 4th time this year in 1st round of PIAAs.
Mike White
11:07
WPIAL uses a follow-the-leader formula. It is what it is. I'd rather see teams play off for playoff spots when there are 5 or 6 spots. But you won't see rematches in PIAA playoffs next year. PIAA already has brackets set up for next two years. Rematches of WPIAL semifinals will be eliminated. However, there will be things that WPIAL won't like in new brackets. For example, in Class 5A boys, no WPIAL team will play another WPIAL team in first round. But 6 teams from District 3 (Harrisburg area) and two from Philadelphia area will be on western side of the bracket. A WPIAL team could play a Philly team in the second round. Lot more travel and you can bet people will complain about that. There is always something to complain about. Sometimes - rightly so.
The South will Rise
11:07
Mike, after the North Allegheny girls thoroughly dismantled my Peter's team. What is the outlook for North Allegheny in states if Rachel Martindale can't go because of the injury she sustained at WPIAL Championship?  She seems to be their main scorer/facilitator and their heart and sole on the court.
Mike White
11:08
Have no idea about her injury. Rachel is very good but that team has a number of "hearts" and "souls."
1
11:08
Thoughts on Chuck Crummie as a coach? And thoughts in Pine versus Central on Saturday?
Mike White
11:10
Chuck will retire as AD. I think he sticks around maybe another year or so as coach. The guy has won tons and tons of games. I hear the complaint that he has only won one WPIAL title. But do you realize he might end up with over 700 wins?
Gene Franks
11:10
With all the coaching resignations and firings and the aging officials pool how much longer will H-S sports last in its present form
Mike White
11:11
This will be the last year for high school sports. No more after this year. It will be extinct .
5A Fanatic
11:11
When will the Fab5 and All-Section selections be in the Post-Gazette?  Also, what is the  difference between the PABig56 and Post Gazette all-section teams?  PABig56 selected 7 members but typically the PG has 5.  Thanks Mike and great job this season!
Mike White
11:13
Fab 5 and all sections will be out after the state finals. End March or early April. PA Big 56 is for Class 6A and 5A. You're right. They pick seven players first team. We ask the coaches to vote and we only pick 5. We use a different point system also, I believe.
Old Quad North
11:13
What do you make of the PR-IMG game? Going to happen or not? If it does, good or bad idea? Any other week 0 games of note?
Mike White
11:17
Who knows? P-R football tweeted it and then took it down. Judging from past, P-R AD Josh Shoop doesn't like these games to become public until contracts are signed. Not sure if game will be on ESPN or not. And I don't think ESPN likes it when other media outlet breaks the news of the game. .... But in reality, if it does come off, it's one year too late. Would've been better to see that game this year. Besides, I don't really consider IMG a high school team. It's anything but a high school team. It's an all star team, with players from around the country. IMG is an impressive place. I've been there. But I don't call it a high school team. It would be like taking the Pennsylvania Big 33 team and playing a schedule with it.
Matt
11:17
Where would Quaker Valley rank in terms of all-time great classes if they win a state hoops title (to go along with their soccer and football titles)?
Mike White
11:20
Well since no school from WPIAL has ever won soccer, football and basketball state titles in same school year, I'd say they would rank pretty highly. What about you??? But QV is far from favorite for basketball title. Some top teams out east. One is Imhotep Charter, which is ranked No. 8 in the country.
Lanier
11:20
Can any WPIAL boys or girls players  Contribute to Pitt Women's and Men's Basketball future success.
Mike White
11:22
Sure, but Robby Carmody already has signed with Notre Dame. Pitt would love to have Butler sophomore Ethan Morton, but right now I seriously doubt he would choose Pitt. I really like Peters Township's Makenna Marisa. Girls player. Really good point guard. She would definitely help.
Stack56
11:22
Mike I follow bball all across the state. I think 6A is open to a number of teams. Philly ball is always good but it's not as strong as last season. Don't be surprised if local boys teams bring home more than one championship. Your thoughts.
Mike White
11:24
I would agree with you about 6A. Often times, a WPIAL team plays with the best from East in largest class. Look at last year with Pine-Richland and Reading. Pine very much in the game. But it is still very good out east this year. Plus, Plymouth-Whitemarsh lost and will play in the western bracket in 6A. They were undefeated until losing to Abington in District 1 final. P-W has a 7-2 player. I don't think the WPIAL wins more than one. Two would be spectacular.
WPIAL Lifer
11:25
13 consecutive WPIAL championships by private schools in 1A girls. The gap in the lowest enrollment classification(s) just seems to keep growing despite the expansion to 6 classes. I know you're loathe to enter this argument, but this is more than a trend. It's an absolute uneven playing field in 1A-2A that the PIAA permits and the WPIAL is powerless to change. Just venting....
Mike White
11:28
What makes you say I am "loathe" to enter this subject. Good Lord, I have written about it many times. Look at the story I did on Kennedy Catholic earlier this season. I've done many others. The complaints are many. They keep coming. But when I cover a game, I'm not there to cover the Catholic-Public story. C'mon. I get criticized for doing too much on the subject. Now you say I'm "loathe" to touch it. You can never win. Bottom line is this: Many would like to see something done, but PIAA bosses don't see it that way. The transfer thing is the bigger issue.
SF LION
11:28
Mike,  it is a disgrace what is happening at South Fayette and other schools with certain school board members.  Disgrace
Mike White
11:29
Agree. But it has gone on before and will continue to go on because some school board members or parents just don't care and have blinders on. And sometimes, the coach might be a teacher. So that person does not want to speak out for fear of what might happen to his teaching job.
Bill McBride
11:29
Hi Mike,why so games at Nortgate ? seems like an old gym,were there any games at NA this year
Mike White
11:32
Yes, Northgate used much more this year. It's close to I-279. Not a bad sized gym. We touched on this NA gym topic a week ago on this chat. NA doesn't want to host games this year. Many people wonder why? WPIAL said NA doesn't want games. NA AD won't approach the subject. Apparently something going on with NA and WPIAL.
Mr. Kool
11:32
What do think about grade school basketballcoaches getting T'-ed up?  Poor leadership for 5, 6, 7 and 8th grade boys?
Mike White
11:34
So be it. Been a long time, but I played in those grades. Coaches been getting T'ed up in those grades for ages also.
Will
11:35
How much do you take into account state playoffs when choosing the Fab 5?
Mike White
11:36
Well we haven't finalized the picks yet, so .... But just a player is on a team that goes far in state playoffs doesn't mean we suddenly pick them.
WWH
11:36
is there any way for the PG to list the first couple of piaa playoff rounds by local location.  It is like trying to find a needle in the haystack to figure out which games are where.  And its worse now with six sections times two.
Mike White
11:38
No there is not.  Go to the high school page on Post-Gazette web site and click on "schedules and results" on boys and girls basketball. Put the date of games and it will give you all the games that day.
WPIAL Lifer
11:46
My error on the "loathe" wording. I'll never knock your coverage and the position you're often put in. I guess better to say that your're probably tired of the argument/complaints. At any rate, couldn't agree more on the PIAA's lack of enforcement on transfer policy. I mean, why have the rule if you don't have the stones to enforce it?
Mike White
11:48
It's because some districts (Philadelphia and District 10) don't really seem to care that much about transfers. Many would like to see the rule changed. But it won't happen. PIAA does some window-dressing on the rule here and there, but nothing more than that.
WPIAL Lifer
11:53
what's more pathetic: Pitt giving away tickets to men's basketball games or charging people $20 to sit court side for a HS game?!? Here's hoping the games go back to the Palumbo...
Mike White
11:54
Well that's the WPIAL doing that with the courtside tickets. Past two years was first time WPIAL opened court side. They wouldn't use them previously. Their claim was how to regulate what team's fans sit there. It seemed more people were willing to pay the 20 dollars to sit there this year.
WIll
11:55
The only way I see change ever happening is if teams start forfeiting games. (which won't happen) Playing the game then complaining on social media won't solve anything
Mike White
11:55
There was a team, I believe in California, who did that a few years ago.
11:56
Well, that's about it for today. Time to go tape "This Week In High School Sports" with Sarah Spencer and "try" to predict some state playoff games. We'll do this next Tuesday again at 11 a.m.
Load More Messages
Connecting…