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Mike White's high school sports chat: 8.29.17
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Halik Mooker
10:56
Was the Quip vs NC game more of an indicator of another powerful Quip team or a disappointing Canes team?
Mike White
10:57
Hello to everyone. I will be doing this chat every Tuesday at 11, hopefully through basketball season. Seemed to have interest last year, So if you want to talk or have questions fire away.
10:59
First to Halik Mooker: Yes, Aliquippa is good again. Very good. No surprise. Lot of starters back from last year. Funny thing is, they will be really good again next year. They have only 6 or 7 seniors I think on whole team. The top teams just keeping from Quip. What I found a little amazing is that they are very small school. Yet, they have so much size on lines now.
11:00
As for New Castle, hey remember they had Geno Stone last year at QB-DB. He was tremendous. He's No. 2 safety on depth chart at University of Iowa. They have no one like him. QB is a sophomore. Hard to start your first game against Quippa.
11:01
I think New Castle will still have a very good season. Coach Joe Cowart wasn't happy last week. But Marcus Hooker will make plays. Interesting game this week against Montour.
Ian
11:01
Pine-Richland Represented the WPIAL strong against Ohio. Without Kenny White for a few weeks can they keep the scoring up?
Mike White
11:02
Listen, Pine-Richland was going to be really good without Kenny White. Yes, he is added dimension. But they have guys who can run the ball -- Jordan Crawford, Meckler, etc. Sure, having White adds something, but they don't need him to score lots of points. That No. 15 guy is the reason they score points. And Falcone is really good and their line is good.
11:03
By the way, P-R coach Eric Kasperowicz said yesterday Kenny White mild sprain. Day to day.
Guest
11:03
Ramen Droughtly, I really like the combination at Montour with adding the kid from WA Lipford, they also have a good QB if its the same kid from last year your thoughts
Mike White
11:05
Yes, pretty nice when a good player shows up at your place in August. That's Lipford. But Montour was going to be good, I think, before he got there. They already have Div. 1 receiver in Ronnie Stevenson (Temple). Will always remember his Dad grabbing dimes off the top of the backboard as a hooper at Langley in early 80s. Fab 5.
Brady Smith
11:05
You thoughts on the 4A, I think New Castle will win it all with Hooker
Mike White
11:06
I beg to differ with you. New Castle could be a factor come playoff time. And Joe Cowart has done a great job there. But they wouldn't be my pick to win it all. Kind of hard to go against TJ.
Tom K.
11:06
Who would have won, the 1945 Donora team or the 1959 Braddock team?
Mike White
11:07
Well Tom, I've been doing this long, but believe it or not I didn't cover the games of those teams. But just on reputation, I'd go with Donora. One of best ever in WPIAL. Go Bimbo Cecconi!!!!!!
Greg Palmer
11:08
What are your thoughts on  TJ getting through the WPIAL championships and finally get get past Erie Cathedral?
Mike White
11:09
Greg, like I said, TJ is the definite favorite in 4A. I wouldn't pick against them. But sorry, looking at it right now, no way they beat Erie Prep. Look at what Erie Prep did to Central. Erie Prep beat TJ last year and Erie Prep is probably better this year. This is the team they've been waiting for. And Bill Cherpak would like it if he never sees Erie Prep again.
11:12
Joe, why??? And what do you mean they keep getting a pass??? When they had the fight in state title game a few years ago, they got penalized. And coach Wayne Wade is suspended four games this year for criticizing officials. Four games is pretty stiff. Some thought it was too stiff, although some wanted more. When a player is arrested for a crime, what's the WPIAL supposed to do to the team???
Big Jim
11:12
Mike any chance they shuffle the conferences in 6A after this year? North is too strong.
Mike White
11:13
Jim, tough to say. A lot will depend on how many teams will be in 6A. If it's the same, I hope they do. I don't know why they didn't put Central Catholic in Southeastern this time to balance things and maybe move Canon-Mac or someone over to North. The heck with geography.
Old Quad North
11:14
After watching PR, the real story is the defense. Coach K taking over seems to have really made a difference. And even with White out, whoever they had at CB shut down the big kid from Wayne. Also, I saw a different level of physicality that hasn't been around there is a while. The question become - can they be physical enough to stop NA and Central?
Mike White
11:17
Hey, Old Quad North. Yes, Pine defense was impressive. They have athletes, size, experience. Love the Tommy Camino kid. He was tremendous Sunday. Tyler King really is good also. But it's one game. Pine will be awfully hard to beat this year, but NA and Central aren't filled with slouches and their coaches are pretty good, too. As for Pine defense, it certainly needed to get better. Eric Kasperowicz is running similar to Pitt defense. He has been to Pitt to learn. But he said it's the same defense that they used in 2014 and somewhat in 2015. Totally different than last year when they used three man front. Their defense was bad last year.
Old Quad North
11:17
Second game in a row that Central got mercy-ruled. Ever happened before? Whats the deal with them - or is ECP just that good?
Mike White
11:19
I was going to use that as a note later this week. That is something. But let's look. That St. Joe's Prep team was tremendous in state final last year and Erie Prep is top notch this year. So it has a lot to do with competition. But who would've thunk Central would get mercy ruled twice.?
Tom K.
11:19
Good reply Mr. White.  My dad would say that Donora was great but nobody was beating his Braddock teams.  Thanks for replying though.
Mike White
11:20
Oh this is Tom Klausing???? How is Dad??? Sorry. I only like to give props to Chuck Klausing and his teams. So I take it back. If Dad is following, they would mercy rule Donora.
Old Quad North
11:20
Moving along - can Seneca Valley with a new starting QB duplicate some of the magic from last year and make the playoffs again? Is Penn Hills the team that grabs the 4th spot, or are they just the same old Penn Hills team with a different coaching staff. Lots of highlights and little substance.
Mike White
11:24
Yes Seneca can make the playoffs again. For sure. Good battle for that fourth playoff spot. I think Seneca would be my favorite. Jury out on Penn Hills. They shut out Plum, but Plum not real strong. We'll know more about Seneca next week when they play Pine. Pine might handle them, though. Penn Hills semi interesting game this week against Butler. Butler's not great but they do have some big lines and Pitt recruit Jake Kradel on line this year. Can they play with Penn Hills??? I don't know.
AJ
11:24
Jurkovec better than Pryor was?
Mike White
11:27
I think we'll be hearing this comparison a lot this year. They're similar in size but I think they're different players. Phil is a tremendous athlete, but Pryor was just a freak of an athlete on a level you don't see. Phil runs well but doesn't have Pryor's total speed. But Phil is still a very good runner. Phil a better passer though. Pryor was decent passer, but Phil was better. Honestly, I don't think Ohio State developed Pryor's passing enough when he was there. That's why he's not a QB now. Sure, he was a pretty good passer at Ohio State, but didn't develop enough. Just my opinion.
11:31
But Phil is one bad dude as an athlete also. I mean look at QBs around here. Who has done what he's done in football and basketball??? Individually and team wise??? And what I like about him is he really seems like a great kid. I've learned over the years that even though we in the media might cover someone a lot, we don't really know them well enough to judge if they are a great kid. Although I think we CAN judge a knucklehead. Ha ha. From everything I see of Phil, and I've been around him and his family outside of the fields and arena, he seems to be genuinely a great kid. Honestly, reminds me a lot of Neil Walker when Neil was at Pine, as far as a person.
Hebrew Hammer
11:31
Any idea why Mark Madden loves North Hills so much, especially with him being a Shaler alum??
Mike White
11:32
Hammer Time .... Well I think North Hills does have a special place in Mark's heart because his mother was a teacher there for a long time. She even taught me.. Ha ha.
Old Quad North
11:32
Final questions - I was going to pick Butler as the upset special to make playoffs. If they can just get a little offense, Coach Densmore always does a nice job with the defense, but they have their problems scoring points. Next, does NA have a new defensive coordinator? My South Wexford connections are saying that they are changing things up on that side of the ball to get more athletes on the field? Lack of horses, or just tweaking things?
Mike White
11:32
I have no idea who North Allegheny DC is.
11:33
Well I'd throw it to Falcone a lot, too. Falcone is pretty good. But against Wayne, a number of kids caught passes. And I like Crawford. He will make noise.
Tim
11:34
What are West A's chances to repeat this year, with all of their transfers? Do you think that the fact that it's supposedly Palkos last season will propel the team to success?
Mike White
11:37
Tim, what's up? West A lost a ton from last year and then Kenny White and Brandon Lipford transferred. But you know what? You won't hear Bob Palko complain. West A has a PROGRAM. You don't win eight WPIAL titles without having a program. No, West A might not be as good as last year and would definitely be better with White and Lipford. But Bob Palko probably loves who he has and doesn't fret about who he doesn't have. Might not be a championship this year, but c'mon. They always seem to come up with players and a winning team.
11:39
Southeastern??? Maybe. Not exactly going on a limb and saying it will be them or Bethel. But WPIAL title??? Easy, Rob. I like what Mike Melnyk does. And I love this Aidan Cain story. Doesn't even play last two years because of two torn ACLs. First game Friday catches 12 passes. Great story. But they play Pine this week. Maybe Pine will have a little letdown after that Wayne game (what a great atmosphere). But Lebo might have a lot of trouble stopping Pine. Defense will be key for Lebo.
11:43
Look, here's how national rankings work. They usually pick teams from areas that are usually strong. Rightly so. How else would you do it?? And pick teams that have a lot of players back and major-college kids. Pine has all of that. So, yes they could be in the 20s of national rankings. But let's remember some other teams outside the WPIAL and their reps. Like St. Joe's Prep. I think they have to be ahead of Pine. Then there's Archbishop Wood, and Harrisburg, and Erie Prep. Look at what Prep did to Central. I'd put Pine in the same class right now as Harrisburg, Prep, Wood. But right now, if I was the one doing national rankings, I would still put St. Joe's ahead of Pine-Richland. That could change though.
1234
11:43
Pine is very very deep at skill this year, I think if phil and their line is healthy they walk with the 6A title. If penn hills can play disciplined, defense well, and a good o line play they can make noise, they're loaded with skill players.
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