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Mike White's high school sports chat: 03.08.22
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Mike White
10:56
Well, WPIAL championships are over. A new season starts tonight with state playoffs. First round has 192 games the next two nights. So let's start with a new round of questions for chat.
FrankFromMckeesRocks
10:57
any word on attendance at the Pete? Looked like some great crowds
Mike White
10:58
Attendance was really good. I'll have story in next day or so. Over 24,000 total. Best ever since 6 classes. Interest in high school basketball playoffs seems to be strong and even growing, at least if you go by crowds. But a WPIAL official told me this weekend that attendance for playoffs in all sports this year is up. Good to hear.
Franz
10:59
Hey Mike, love the work. Which games will the PG be covering tonight and tomorrow? With no streaming options I guess I have to rummage through twitter.
Mike White
11:00
I'm going to Belle Vernon at Obama tonight. We will be covering Central Catholic at Allderdice tomorrow. Really interesting game there. Devin Crummie, Allderdice coach, works at Central. Played there and was an assistant there under his Dad. I think Allderdice can play with Central.
Steve the Baker
11:02
Did you see the fort cherry OLSH game. Fc kinda hung around with OLSH this year, maybe a little foreshadowing for an upset in the 2a state playoffs. Who do you think has the best shot at knocking OLSH off?
Mike White
11:05
Yes I saw the OLSH game. I think OLSH was in control the entire game. Great playoff run by Fort Cherry, but OLSH is just better. No, I don't think it's an indication of upset in state playoffs. You never know about teams outside your area, but I would be surprised if OLSH didn't make it to the state final. Once there, who knows. There is Constitution team out of Philly that is always good. OLSH beat Constitution in state final last year. Constitution is 18-8 this year. You can bet there are still some good teams in 2A in the east, but I'd still consider OLSH the favorite.
One more thing about OLSH. If they win the state title, that would be five more wins and they'd tie the state record for longest winning streak at 68 games.
Bill
11:05
Am I wrong to say North Hills played their worst game of the year in the finals?
Mike White
11:06
No, you're not wrong. But credit Fox Chapel. They had something to do with that.
Money
11:06
What school has the most team WPIALS all time in all sports combined?
Mike White
11:07
I'm really not sure, but I'm guessing it would have to be North Allegheny. I know I did a story maybe 8-10 years ago where North Allegheny had the most state championships ever in the state for all sports.
Dunked
11:07
What happened with the char valley girls they have so much talent and McConnell is a great coach. How in the world did they lose?
Mike White
11:09
Because South Fayette is pretty darn good. They played twice before the championship and Char Valley won by only four or five points. So maybe we shouldn't be all that surprised. But Char Valley seemed to be really clicking lately heading into that game.
Jake the Snake
11:09
I see Duquesne finally offered Thiero.   What are the chances he considers the Dukes?   He could be the hero needed to revive a sunken program.   His pops played at DU.   Is Quaker the favorite to win state?   Not sure who is out in the East.
Mike White
11:10
Interest in Adou keeps growing. A few more major programs now showing interest. Adou talked to Marquette coach Shaka Smart last week. Good to see the Dukes offer, but I don't think they have a great shot. I think more offers will be coming. I truly think there is a good chance Indiana might truly offer. I think some schools might be waiting to see who from their team might go in the transfer portal.
basket
11:11
What happened with Devin Whitlock? This fighting is starting to become a pattern for Belle Vernon and wasn't Joe Salvino the coach at Monessen when the Monessen Clairton fight happened. Should their be harsher on repeat offenders
Mike White
11:13
I don't think Joe Salvino did anything wrong. Apparently, something happened with Whitlock in the handshake line. The good ol' handshake line. I keep going back and forth on that thing. I think my final opinion is handshake line shouldn't be abolished, but I've seen more problems over the years in youth sports caused by the handshake line. Makes you wonder is it worth it. Then again, shouldn't we keep trying to teach the kids how to act after games?
t
11:13
What did you think about the canevin union WPIAL championship game
Mike White
11:13
Not surprised. Union was in it for a while, but I think Canevin just the better team. Rough day shooting for Union's Matt Stanley, team's leading scorer.
piaa fan
11:14
What do you see as the realistic maximum for WPIAL boys hoops teams going to Hershey and which teams do you see going?
Mike White
11:14
I think the maximum would be three. I think OLSH has the best shot at going.
Coach O
11:14
I watch very little girls basketball but did watch a fair amount of the games this past weekend and found it interesting watching them run through their offensive sets. Much more pronounced than boys. Since it seems hard for most girls to beat the opponent off the dribble looks like coaching detail takes on more importance than in boys?
Mike White
11:16
I don't know if I'd say coaching detail is more important in girls than boys. It's important in both. Only thing I could add is this: I've never coached girls basketball, but I've talked to some coaches over the year who have coached both. This is not me, this is what they have said. They said coaching girls is different because they listen more and pay attention more. And they probably are better at running sets. Again, that's not me because I don't know. That's just what some have told me.
WPIAL Fan
11:16
Do you see any WPIAL boys teams winning the state?
Mike White
11:17
Like I said before, I think OLSH has the best chance. But doesn't mean another one or two can't win it. Three state titles would be super for WPIAL.
guyn412
11:18
I think I know the answer to this, but going to ask anyway. Canevin is moving up to 2A next season because of enrollment. Now if they go on to the PIAA finals, and have a transfer, do they move up to 3A or stay at 2A?
Mike White
11:19
I don't know if they have a transfer in the past two years. But if they go to the state final, yes they would have the required six points to be bumped up in class.
Basketball
11:21
Can the Bishop Canevin girls win the state?
Mike White
11:22
Can they? Of course. Will they? Well, you know there are a lot of good teams out there in Class 1A. I don't think Canevin is a great team and WPIAL hasn't won Class 1A title since 2016.
shady side no 1
11:22
Shady side academy one of the founding members of the WPIAL just won the 3a championship. Didn't Shadyside leave the WPIAL and play in another league from the 20s to 90s. do you know anything about this league
Mike White
11:23
They played prep school teams.
Pants
11:23
Thought ref should have swallowed whistle on NC-LH game Agree with Blundo...let them play 4 more mins to get winner.
Mike White
11:24
It's a really tough call. There are so many schools of thought on this. If the official thought it was a foul, then he should call it, whether it's the first or fourth quarter. But I don
11:26
Continuing .... I don't agree with that. Games are called different, like it or not, in last 30 seconds than the rest of the game. I was up in the media section at the top of the first level. Hard for me to say if it was a foul because I wasn't that close. At first, I thought it might have been. I feel for officials. It's tough. But I just think in that situation, it better really be a clear foul for you to call it. I don't think that was a clear foul.
Brad Windhorst - EC
11:26
Mike you mentioned on your podcast about the legendary discussion about the shot clock and how we are closer than not potentially.
Mike White
11:28
PIAA basketball committee will meet after the season and possibly have a recommendation to give PIAA board. Director Bob Lombardi said if the committee recommends shot clock, the PIAA board could vote on it as early as the spring. In the past, I got the impression from some board members that they weren't in favor of it. Now, I get the feeling that maybe opinions have changed. I did a story in WPIAL on this maybe 3-4 years ago. Surveyed every coach boys and girls. Of those who responded I think it was around 70 percent favor having it. I think PIAA should listen to the coaches.
11:30
One of the knocks against shot clock from some people is the cost of buying it and the cost of paying people to run it for games. I think that shouldn't be the issue. It's not like it would cost 50 thousand dollars. I reported an average system 3-4 years ago was $2,500 to $3,000. Yes, you will have to pay people to run it and train them. But if cost is the reason not to have a shot clock, then we will never, ever, ever, ever have one. Why? Because it's never going to be free. Not now. Not 20 years from now. It's not like the cost is going to go down.
Big Baller Brand
11:31
New Castle vs Laurel Highlands... in your personal opinion do you think it was a foul on Gallagher at the end. I know NC had their chances. Wells missed two front ends of 1-1 which was huge. To me, Gallagher was out of control and should not have been a foul.
Mike White
11:32
No doubt that New Castle had chances. They can't put all of the blame on the foul call. But look above. I discussed it. Official was in a tough spot. I just think in that game, in that situation, it better be a clear, clear foul. If the official really thought it was a clear foul, then call it. But it better be clear. In that situation, I don't think it was clear. It wasn't a block/charge call where you had to call something.
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