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Mike White's high school sports chat: 03.30.21
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Mike White
10:56
Well, let's get started a little early. Back from Hershey. One WPIAL boys champ and one WPIAL girls champ. That's not that unusual. Let's talk. Store is now open.
Gizzeria
10:56
Hi Mike, never too early to ask... your prediction for next years Boys 4A Basketball Wpial semi final teams?
Mike White
10:59
Good lord, season is over for three days and you want semifinalists in one class already for next year? Yep, people like predictions a year away. Lincoln Park would have to be No. 1. Four starters back. Belle Vernon will be good again. Whitlock and Martin back. I think Quaker Valley has chance to be good again, although I don't know status of Adou Thiero knee. North Catholic loses some key guys, but also has some returners. They'll run around, press and shoot a lot of 3's. Is that good enough info?
Basketball 5
10:59
Mike I was just wondering if there is or was a high school basketball player that has received all state honers 4yrs in a row from the wpial?
Mike White
11:03
I am not totally sure. I don't want to say one way or another. But Dante Spadafora of OLSH will likely do it. It's a great accomplishment. Not to downgrade his achievement, but all-state for the past decade or two is much different than it used to be. Now there are all-state teams, three or four teams for each class. It used to be there was a small school and a big school all-state team. That's it. And for the longest time, there was just one all-state team, with all classifications looped into one. So it was much harder to make all-state.
Basketball company
11:03
Mike just out of curiosity who picks the Fab5?
Mike White
11:06
Well, it's the Post-Gazette Fab 5 - so obviously the P-G picks it. Our high school sports staff has final say and we'll put it to a vote. But we talk to numerous coaches also, get their opinion and also consider their votes. Someone will always be ticked off. And there will be a few probably really ticked off this year. But we pick 5. It's not easy with picks 4 and 5. Lot of times 6-7 people could be interchanged. It's always easy to say "so and so" should have made it. But I always say, "OK, then who to do you take off?" And when you take off that player, people say, "I can't believe he didn't make it."
11:08
What always miffs me is reasons people give for someone not getting picked. People have even gone on social media in years and accused us of racism when making picks. Please.
Coach Z
11:08
Hi Mike!  Just wanted to say thanks to you, Brad, and Steve for all of the work you guys do to cover high school sports.  We are spoiled as high school sports fans in this area with how much excellent content you guys put out.
Mike White
11:10
Why thank you coach Z. Very nice of you. High school sports has been a gigantic part of my life - and I still enjoy it, especially basketball playoffs. The podcast with Brad, Steve and myself seems to have caught on some. Hopefully people liked it and it will return for football and basketball. Anyone out there want to sponsor it for next season (shameless plug)? It hit me in Hershey this weekend that it was my 36th year at the state championships. wow.
Ron
11:10
Boys or girls hoop team with the best chance of a repeat title either wpial or Piaa?
Mike White
11:11
Well, only one boys team and one girls team won PIAAs. OLSH has four starters back, but will miss Spadafora dearly. North Allegheny will miss Groetsch dearly. But it seems almost all of the WPIAL champions have many returning starters and seemingly have good chances to repeat as WPIAL champs. State champs is a different story.
Marky
11:11
Isn’t a question just want to say thank you and everyone else who covered football and basketball this year, with all the craziness you guys did a wonderful job and hopefully by the time next season rolls around we get some normalcy back. Thank you all again!
Mike White
11:12
Hey Marky, well thanks for the kind words. We don't usually get those. It's usually complaints, like "why no love for Mohawk girls." So, thank you again.
‘T’ from Green Tree
11:12
As always-enjoyed the chat during high school hoops season. Sure missed going to the games!
Mike White
11:13
It's good to chat, even if some questions are idiotic.
Joe shmo
11:13
Hey mike I’m still confused of the rules of teams moving up in sections by a competition stance. So will teams like olsh and Lp have to move up next year or something idk I know you’ll be able to clarify that!
Mike White
11:16
OK, Joe Shmo. First thing. Classifications are done on a two-year basis. So no one will be changing class next season because this was only the first season of the two-year cycle. Now, about the competition formula. Teams move up a class if they go far in the postseason two years in a row and have a certain number of transfers over a two-year period. I believe it's two over two years. So if OLSH and Lincoln Park would go to, say, the state semifinals next year and they have two transfers, they would have to move up a class for the 2022-23 season. Got it?
Stefko>Timbo
11:16
What are your thoughts on the North Allegheny girls’ basketball team? What a program Stefko has built. However, he did much the same at Char Valley with the girls team, when he lived behind the shadow of Timbo. He’s earned being mentioned with the great ones.
Mike White
11:18
Spencer the great. All bow to Spencer. He is king. Seriously, he has done a tremendous job everywhere he's been. I think he's been in a WPIAL title game 9 or 10 years with three different teams. That's unbelievable.
Mel
11:18
Thoughts on the best game you saw last week?  The 6A game was exciting on TV.  Thanks for the coverage this year and years past!
Mike White
11:20
Unquestionably the 6A boys final. Had the most talent. Was one of the most intense games I've seen in a while. Wood's point guard Rahsool Diggins is ranked No. 46 player in country. I understand why. He's a UCONN recruit and definitely the best player I saw all year. The Hickory-Allentown Central game sure was exciting, but not the best-played. A 41-40 final. One of lowest scoring games since 1950. But it was good to watch.
Who ?
11:20
Mike who plays you in the Disney film about the USC Boys Basketball team ?
Mike White
11:23
Well, Frankie Avalon has been cast as USC coach Danny Holzer. I think Dan Marino plays me. In my 20s, I used to get calls of me looking like Marino. Understandable. But I was always much better looking and my arm was close to his. If Marino doesn't play me, then it's New Castle coach Ralph Blundo. He's wanted my job for years. And there is another part in the film for a second Post-Gazette reporter. So Adam Sandler has been cast as Brad Everett. They were separated at birth.
Zayre's soft pretzels
11:23
Mike i haven't seen you mention anything about the great Guy Gaudnino and his baseball legacy at North Hills for couple of springs.. Any words about this years squad?
Mike White
11:26
What? Go eat your lunch. First off, nice try on the name but it's Guadagnino. And I don't ever really remember writing about him any time in recent years. As for North Hills, I hear they will certainly be competitive. But 5A sections are really good. 5A is loaded with quality teams.
Who ?
11:27
I was thinking Zac Enfron could play you
Mike White
11:27
Sure. That sounds swell.
Andrew Zimmern
11:27
Mike I'm in town looking for the 3 best foods from a HS concession stand or 3 best HS concession stands in general. Who do you recommend ?
Mike White
11:30
Well there were no concession stands this high school sports year. So go to Archie's on South Side for wings. Spicy ranch. And ask him to bring up his section plaque for Boyle's basketball section championship to show you. Mike McCarthy might even be there. Or go to Hal's in North Hills and ask Hal Koenemund to talk about the great 1992 Blackhawk team he was on with Dante Calabria that won a state title. You might get free food if you tell him how good he was.
11:31
By the way, that question earlier was from 'Zayre's soft pretzels.' Tremendous handle. But I preferred the 18 cents ones at Hill's myself. Or something from the food counter at Woolworth's in Northway Mall. And get it to go so you could watch the birds in the big bird cage.
Jerry Malarkey Fan Club
11:31
Is that Sean Casey's son I see on the USC Baseball roster ?
Mike White
11:32
Yes it is. Andrew Casey also played but he graduated.
Ghost of Timbo Present
11:32
I was watching the 5A girls game on TV since PCN will not up grade to HD is was hard to tell, but it looked like the Cardinal O'Hara girl boxed out the other player on the jump ball.  What is your take, and that can not be legal?
Mike White
11:33
I did not notice.
Proud Big Mac
11:33
I'll continue with the thank you's for covering high school sports.  You guys do a great service to the scholastic athletes and families in our area.  Speaking of...the PIHL season just ended with Peters on top.  I've watched every team play and they appear to be the best team.  But that's why they play the games!  Playoffs start next week....will the Post do a playoff preview or cover the PIHL playoffs?
Mike White
11:35
Yes, playoffs start soon and we will have roundups on first few rounds and cover championship games. Keith "Good News" Barnes handles most of our hockey coverage. Don't get him confused with Marvin "Bad News" Barnes.
Laurel Gardens Gang
11:35
Mike easy on the guy who misspelled Guadagnino. I guess one toe and a guy is a cannibal. You go eat your lunch!
Mike White
11:35
I will soon.
Stefko<Timbo
11:39
Stefko is a good coach, but lets not forget he left Chartiers Valley for Seaton LaSalle.  Ray Charles could have led them to the title game!  Then went to NA which was build by a McConnell with talent!
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