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Mike White's high school sports chat: 09.19.23
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Mike White
10:55
Let's turn on the ignition switch a few minutes early and get this chat motor hummin'. Great week for big games in WPIAL. This is the season for surprise teams. And more. Let's go.
10:57
Oh, and before we get started, a little bit of news on basketball front. Rick Hauger has retired as Laurel Highlands boys basketball coach. Yeah, I know Rodney Gallagher took team to great heights (two WPIAL titles), but Hauger had to mold the thing together and he won seven sections and two WPIALs in 19 years. A good guy, too. https://www.post-gazette.com/sports/high-school-football/2023/09/19/ri...
Coach15
10:58
Are there any teams in the east that will be hard to beat, no matter who represents the west, & is Southern Columbia loaded AGAIN(word is they're throwing the ball MORE this year)?
Mike White
11:01
There will be many eastern teams that will be extremely difficult to beat. St. Joe's is St. Joe's again. Loaded with players and Power 5 players. Until someone beats them, St. Joe's has to still be team to beat, ahead of Central. Imhotep has all kind of top recruits, too. But so what? This team has trouble winning it all. Bishop McDevitt is extremely good again. Beat Quips in last year's state final and QB (committed to Kentucky) returns and so does WR (committed to Alabama). Southern Columbia real good again and so is Steel-High. So yes, eastern Pa. has some powerhouses.
North2South
11:01
What players do you think will be the difference in the Peters/USC game?  Who do you like to win?
Mike White
11:03
Peters QB Nolan DiLucia and Peters defense. I'll take Peters by two touchdowns. Peters defense is really good. And this DiLucia is an interesting story. Peters had back Chris Cibrone, who threw for almost 2,000 yards last season. But they made DiLucia the starter and he seems to be coming on. I really like Peters Township.
Guest
11:03
I know you probably don’t want to hear about Pine as much Mike, but after a good performance against Seneca(I know Seneca is not good at all) any chance Pine can compete with central and NA the next two weeks?
Mike White
11:04
Central will crush them and I think NA will handle them also. Not that Pine is bad. It's just those two teams are really, really good. On a level above Pine.
Guest
11:04
although the score was 42-18. Montour showed they can move the ball on the quips. 26-18 before the wheels fell off of montours defense.
Mike White
11:05
I like Montour. Jake Wolfe at QB has been really good, but Quips controlled him some last week. Montour definitely a team to watch.
Jeff
11:05
5A is heating up with USC and PT this week. Gateway may be a factor after last week's first win. Moon shocked PH and Shaler is a dark horse getting no respect
Mike White
11:07
Yes, don't forget about Gateway. They got some players back last week - Birch and Stevens. But I beg to differ with you about 5A. I, like many others, thought 5A was the best class before the season, as far as depth of really good teams. I don't feel that way any more. I think 4A is really good. Some 5A teams haven't been that impressive. And please stop with the Shaler "no respect" thing. You're like so many fans at so many schools. And even coaches. "We get no respect." Please stop. Shaler is ranked No. 3 in Class 5A. What more do you want? We did a story on their QB. We covered one of their games. No respect? Go back to bed.
Central Skeptic
11:07
Mike—with Central Catholic averaging nearly two touchdowns a quarter, it almost looks like they’re a team of men among boys. My question is does the PIAA have any random drug testing in place, or are they considering it? I was at the Lebo/Central game and most of the kids’ arms were the size of my thighs (and I’ve been a serious crossfitter for nearly two decades). Does PIAA check birth certificates also? I saw a kid who looked like prime Tom Selleck out there, full mustache.
Mike White
11:08
You are just so hilarious. I really appreciate your insight. Your intelligence seeps through your question.
victim viking
11:09
Mr White, why aren’t you talking about PCC more? I know they destroyed your favorite team in Lebo, but the least you do is a report on the dominant victory. I bet you didn’t realize that it was the worst defeat ever for Lebo. Stop talking about 1a schools
Mike White
11:11
Lebo my favorite team? That's a good one. And yes, you're right. We haven't talked about Central enough. We only had four of their players on the COVER!!!! of our preseason football tab with a big story. We covered their first game. We did three of their players in our Blue Chip Chat series in the preseason. I covered their first game. They have led the 6A roundup on Friday nights two other times. You can go back to your cave now.
Kevin K.
11:12
I thought the offense at Btown would improve w/out that city slicker calling the plays. Two games in a row zero points for the flying Devil’s O!! Can this Friday against winless Char Houston be the remedy they need?
Mike White
11:13
Btown??? Oh, I get it. That's Burgettstown. They are 1-2 but losses were to awfully strong teams - Bishop Canevin and South Side. Things might get easier.
BuzzGabosConscience
11:13
Shaler Area football...contender or pretender? Why?
Mike White
11:15
Contender. Because they have a ton of kids back from last year, learned a few things from last year's falloff at the end of the season, and they have a really good QB. Contender also because I don't think 5A is as good as everyone thought at the beginning of the season. But they better be able to run the ball with success, too.
traveler
11:15
North Hills appears headed to another 5-5 type season, will the cycle of mediocrity ever end? I thought a new offense might spark some things but not the case so far.
Mike White
11:17
Nice win against a banged-up Gateway team. Tough loss to a decent Woodland Hills team. North Hills went for two and the win with nine seconds left, but failed. North Hills certianly is nothing great and looks like will have awfully tough time now making the playoffs.
Brian M
11:17
Good Morning Mike and thanks for the weekly chats.  Do coaches get paid by certain companies, say Under Armour or Nike, when they supply uniforms/equipment to schools?
Mike White
11:18
Not at WPIAL schools. What has happened at a few schools over the years is this (I know this from a few coaches). Maybe Under Armour will say to coach, we will give you a 10,000 dollar budget to buy whatever equipment/gear you want for your team and coaches. Coach then decides. But no coaches get paid as far as a I know.
Coach O
11:18
Not saying he’s as good or will be, but watching Julian Dugger all I keep seeing is Rod Rutherford II. Pitt recruit, tall, lefty, very athletic, long strides, strong arm, but not much touch(yet, he’s young). What do you think?
Mike White
11:27
Don't do that. Just don't. No knock against Dugger. Good player. Very athletic. But he's not Rod Rutherford. I saw them both play in high school. I'll give you the biggest similarities are left-handed and have long strides. But let's not call Julian Dugger another Rod Rutherford. Do you know Rutherford is still the 6th all-time leading passer in Pitt history and second for most yards in a season? Dugger is athletic and shows potential at times. He will go to Pitt as a QB. Again, he's a nice high school QB, but he needs time to develop and needs refined also. With maybe 20-25 pounds, could he be anything from a rush end, outside linebacker or H-back?
Ryan
11:27
who Wins The Kiski Area north catholic game on Friday i think my Cavaliers have a good chance of winning if finney and Heinle Do Good this week
Mike White
11:27
I'll take North.
Jon D
11:27
A couple of really good games this week. NA vs Central and BV vs TJ are two I'll be keeping an eye on.  Who ya got in these ones?
Mike White
11:27
Central and Belle Vernon, although NA isn't getting the credit for how good they are and a TJ win wouldn't surprise me.
TM
11:27
What are the factors that play into your decision which game to go to on a Friday night? Team match ups, individuals to see, venue, etc...
Mike White
11:28
We at the Post-Gazette try to pick the best 3-4 games that we will send a reporter to cover. We look at rankings and what might have the most interest. We then pick a game of the week out of that. I usually go to the game of the week.
Jealous
11:28
Central Skeptic sounds like a bitter Lebo who is mad because his team got stomped. You're overrated. Deal with it
Mike White
11:29
You said that. I didn't.
Really ?
11:29
You really think PT is 2 touchdowns better then USC ? USC has a pretty good defense
Mike White
11:29
Yes, I do. At least one touchdown.
Bullwinkle
11:30
A lot of talk about Catholic/private schools recruiting, due to blowouts and the unlevel playing field it creates. Many say that having a Catholic league will never happen here, because large schools like Central/North cannot play small schools like Serra/OLSH. Right sizing makes sense if you are talking about school districts that cannot cherry pick players from communities, however for Catholic/private schools it does not and should not matter because they can all recruit equally. Ask trainers and 7on7 people how the Catholic/private schools recruit and look for needs to fill. It's great that parents can send their kids to Catholic/private, particularly in underperforming districts or if they do not agree with the curriculum, just have their own "private" league, since that's what they are. There are 10 Catholic/private teams in the WPIAL (bigger than 6A). It was not long ago the City League had 11 teams and small schools like Oliver/South had to play huge schools like Brashear/Dice and it was competitive.
Mike White
11:33
All valid points, but I'm telling you there is not going to be separate leagues, unless state leigslature would mandate it. PIAA has made it plain and simple that it doesn't want separate leagues and WPIAL won't do it, either, although a committee of WPIAL ADs, etc., has met in past two years to discuss the idea. But nothing has come from it. They've only talked about separating them for regular season. We'll see if they even do that. Regardless of what you or I feel, it just ain't happening. And what I'm hearing might be going on what small private school with basketball is really something. That's all I'll say right now. We'll have to wait and see what happens.
Last night
11:33
There was a picture of the Jersey Shore game of the player who tragically died on a magazine cover entitled "The WPIAL Edition". I assume it was something the school had made but is Jersey Shore a WPIAL school ?
Mike White
11:34
I think WPIAL edition is a Twitter account. Not run by the WPIAL. Just by a person. No, Jersey Shore is NOT a WPIAL school. It's in Eastern Pa. Lycoming County. But man, that story is so sad with that player dying. And he went down with only 11 seconds left in the game. Horrible
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