OT: D1

[IUPbigINDIANS]

But aren’t they being forced up because they get transfers? Isn’t the lack of transfers why Southern Columbia isn’t forced up?

I think there's also a clause about winning so many WPIAL titles and they move you up.

Aliquippa would win Class A games in the WPIAL by 100 points weekly.

If it was up to the WPIAL the Quips would be in the PSAC lol. While an incredible story, they are making a mockery of schools 4-5 times bigger than them.

[Fightingscot82]

Different breed of player. They dress like 20 kids and literally pummel 4A schools. It's amazing.

It's the culture from the time they are in kindergarten.

I think people who truly value high school football at such a high level they're willing to move there or live there in spite of the struggles. The PIAA only seems to get concerned about recruiting & transfers when they're high school kids. If a 7th grader moves from Rochester to Aliquippa, nobody flinches. Even if he's projected to grow into a 5-star player frame.

[Bart]

But aren’t they being forced up because they get transfers? Isn’t the lack of transfers why Southern Columbia isn’t forced up?

Transfers and winning move a team up every two year. Southern stays down because of no transfers.

[ctrabs74]

There was an original plan that some in the WPIAL had proposed that would have actually kept all the schools in their original classifications the same, and then there would be some creativity to figure out who advanced to reach the state playoffs. Given that they would have 2 additional classes. That never happened though. It was mostly because of when the state playoffs would start compared to when all classes would play the WPIAL championship.

All the WPIAL has to do is have a weighted power point system in which the regional rivalries in, say, 5A/6A can be maintained with weighed strength points in order to determine state playoff qualification, which is a common practice in other states (I can't speak to other PIAA districts, however). The WPIAL's long standing arrogance ranks right up there with Art Rooney II's (mis-)management of the Steelers over the past couple of seasons, the latter of which is reflected in how poorly the Steelers have been playing on the field. The WPIAL either adapt to the times or suffer long-term misery at the PIAA playoff level.

[ctrabs74]

Within the WPIAL, North Catholic is going to be the next power. The seeds are already planted.

The only "North Catholic" I can recall is the former Northeast Catholic High School (which was known at North Catholic, at least athletically) at Kensington and Torresdale in Philadelphia. I keep forgetting about Pittsburgh North Catholic...

Pittsburgh North Catholic was originally named after Cardinal Wuerl when the school moved to Butler County before the name was dropped in 2018 amid a grand jury investigation.

[IUPNation]

The only "North Catholic" I can recall is the former Northeast Catholic High School (which was known at North Catholic, at least athletically) at Kensington and Torresdale in Philadelphia. I keep forgetting about Pittsburgh North Catholic...

Pittsburgh North Catholic was originally named after Cardinal Wuerl when the school moved to Butler County before the name was dropped in 2018 amid a grand jury investigation.

With all of the talk about the Philadelphia Catholic League ruining the PIAA....those complaining don't seem to know the PCL has contracted quite a bit over the years.

When I was in high school back in the stone ages...the PCL was one league with two divisions (North and South)

There were 17 Catholic High Schools in the league then. There were 4 other Diocese HS that did not join the leauge...Archbishop Kennedy in Conshohocken...was merged with Kenrick in 1993..and that school was merged with St. Pius in 2010 to form the current Pope John Paul HS in Royersford. The aforementioned St Pius X in Pottstown. Lansdale Catholic in Lansdale and who is now a member of the PCL and Bishop Shanahan formerly of West Chester now on a new campus in Downingtown.

Of the 17 open in my day in the PCL only 12 still remain.

PCL North
Bishop Kenrick - Norristown (closed...in the process of being torn down for new homes)
Bishop McDevitt - Wyncote (Closed)
La Salle - Wyndmoor (Open)
Archbishop Wood - Warminster (Open)
Bishop Egan - Fairless Hills (Open...was consolidated with it's Sister school...Bishop Conwell...now called Conwell- Egan)
Cardinal Dougherty - Northeast Philadelphia (Closed) ....was once the largest Catholic High School in the world
Father Judge - Northeast Philadelphia (Open)
North Catholic - Northeast Philadelphia (Closed)
Archbishop Ryan - Northeast Philadelphia (Open)

PCL South
Archbishop Carroll - Radnor (Open)
Monsignor Bonner - Upper Darby (Open..merged with it's sister school Archbishop Prendergast...now Bonner-Prendergast)
Cardinal O'Hara - Springfield Delaware County - (Open)
St. James - Chester (Closed)
West Catholic - West Philadelphia (Open)
St. John Neumann - South Philadelphia (Open - merged with it's sister school St. Maria Goretti...now Neumann-Goretti)
Roman Catholic - Center City Philadelphia, oldest Catholic HS in US (Open)
St. Joe's Prep - North Philadelphia (Open)

[Fightingscot82]

The only "North Catholic" I can recall is the former Northeast Catholic High School (which was known at North Catholic, at least athletically) at Kensington and Torresdale in Philadelphia. I keep forgetting about Pittsburgh North Catholic...

Pittsburgh North Catholic was originally named after Cardinal Wuerl when the school moved to Butler County before the name was dropped in 2018 amid a grand jury investigation.

North Catholic was founded in 1939. It was an
all boys school until the 90s. Until building a new campus in the 2010s they were on Mt Troy on the North Side/ Shaler border. The name change also was not popular with alumni but a good part of that new campus and it's football complex happened with help from the Rooney family. They used to play football at North Park. When my dad went in the late 60s they played at what's now Cupples Stadium.

[ctrabs74]

North Catholic was founded in 1939. It was an
all boys school until the 90s. Until building a new campus in the 2010s they were on Mt Troy on the North Side/ Shaler border. The name change also was not popular with alumni but a good part of that new campus and it's football complex happened with help from the Rooney family. They used to play football at North Park. When my dad went in the late 60s they played at what's now Cupples Stadium.

Yeah, I had a massive brain cramp and forgot all about Pittsburgh North Catholic. It's been too long since I really stopped paying attention to WPIAL football.

[EastStroud13]

All the WPIAL has to do is have a weighted power point system in which the regional rivalries in, say, 5A/6A can be maintained with weighed strength points in order to determine state playoff qualification, which is a common practice in other states (I can't speak to other PIAA districts, however). The WPIAL's long standing arrogance ranks right up there with Art Rooney II's (mis-)management of the Steelers over the past couple of seasons, the latter of which is reflected in how poorly the Steelers have been playing on the field. The WPIAL either adapt to the times or suffer long-term misery at the PIAA playoff level.

Weighted points systems are already being applied in most of the eastern districts. D12 is the only exception. D1's system is pretty flawed because it's based purely on wins and classes, but D2/3/4/11 use the same system and it accounts for strength of schedule much better.

[IUP24]

All the WPIAL has to do is have a weighted power point system in which the regional rivalries in, say, 5A/6A can be maintained with weighed strength points in order to determine state playoff qualification, which is a common practice in other states (I can't speak to other PIAA districts, however). The WPIAL's long standing arrogance ranks right up there with Art Rooney II's (mis-)management of the Steelers over the past couple of seasons, the latter of which is reflected in how poorly the Steelers have been playing on the field. The WPIAL either adapt to the times or suffer long-term misery at the PIAA playoff level.

Truthfully, I don't care how any of the WPIAL teams perform in the playoffs. I graduated high school 12 years ago; I have no allegiance in that sense. But I'll continue with the statement that many in the WPIAL didn't like the 6 classification system because of how it impacted their product internally and the "mystique" of their traditional rivalries, conference scheduling at all four levels, and postseason format (playing every classification's championship game on Black Friday - forever - at either Three Rivers Stadium or Heinz Field). I understand the nuances and creative ways to get around that, but on the surface, that's what people cared about - and still do.

Kids in other parts of the state put a ton of stock into the motivational mantra of, "we have a real shot at state this year." The kids and the communities around Pittsburgh seem to care almost exclusively about the allure of winning the WPIAL. I'm not saying that's right or wrong. That's just the way it is and always has been.

[Fightingscot82]

Truthfully, I don't care how any of the WPIAL teams perform in the playoffs. I graduated high school 12 years ago; I have no allegiance in that sense. But I'll continue with the statement that many in the WPIAL didn't like the 6 classification system because of how it impacted their product internally and the "mystique" of their traditional rivalries, conference scheduling at all four levels, and postseason format (playing every classification's championship game on Black Friday - forever - at either Three Rivers Stadium or Heinz Field). I understand the nuances and creative ways to get around that, but on the surface, that's what people cared about - and still do.

Kids in other parts of the state put a ton of stock into the motivational mantra of, "we have a real shot at state this year." The kids and the communities around Pittsburgh seem to care almost exclusively about the allure of winning the WPIAL. I'm not saying that's right or wrong. That's just the way it is and always has been.

Yep. And those small, rural high schools view winning the conference as success - winning the district is icing on the cake and not viewed as significantly better. If you're Erie Cathedral Prep or Westinghouse, winning your conference simply puts you in the PIAA playoffs.

[IUP24]

Yep. And those small, rural high schools view winning the conference as success - winning the district is icing on the cake and not viewed as significantly better. If you're Erie Cathedral Prep or Westinghouse, winning your conference simply puts you in the PIAA playoffs.

Right. That's the unique component to the structure of the WPIAL - especially under the previous set up- given how many teams were in the district and how the number of schools in each classification were nearly balanced perfectly. People can argue that as arrogance or whether it's right or wrong to view the "local playoffs" as more important than winning a state title, etc. There's just much more individuality in terms of community affiliation with Western PA and the local high school than elsewhere in the state. And that's often seen in how people view the WPIAL playoffs.

I don't think many people care how any school does in the PIAA playoffs from the WPIAL, which is where this argument started. I stand by that the people upset were disappointed at how the new structure impacted the WPIAL internally.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Right. That's the unique component to the structure of the WPIAL - especially under the previous set up- given how many teams were in the district and how the number of schools in each classification were nearly balanced perfectly. People can argue that as arrogance or whether it's right or wrong to view the "local playoffs" as more important than winning a state title, etc. There's just much more individuality in terms of community affiliation with Western PA and the local high school than elsewhere in the state. And that's often seen in how people view the WPIAL playoffs.

I don't think many people care how any school does in the PIAA playoffs from the WPIAL, which is where this argument started. I stand by that the people upset were disappointed at how the new structure impacted the WPIAL internally.

Sounds like SR1 playoff logic.

[IUPNation]

Right. That's the unique component to the structure of the WPIAL - especially under the previous set up- given how many teams were in the district and how the number of schools in each classification were nearly balanced perfectly. People can argue that as arrogance or whether it's right or wrong to view the "local playoffs" as more important than winning a state title, etc. There's just much more individuality in terms of community affiliation with Western PA and the local high school than elsewhere in the state. And that's often seen in how people view the WPIAL playoffs.

I don't think many people care how any school does in the PIAA playoffs from the WPIAL, which is where this argument started. I stand by that the people upset were disappointed at how the new structure impacted the WPIAL internally.

Then why is everyone mad about St Joe’s? Ok North Allegheny are Kings of The Yinzerlands.

Everyone should be happy.

[Fightingscot82]

Then why is everyone mad about St Joe’s? Ok North Allegheny are Kings of The Yinzerlands.

Everyone should be happy.

Aliquippa has the most WPIAL titles with 38. Surprisingly, its mostly impoverished and working class communities.

• 38: Aliquippa
• 37: Monessen
• 30: Thomas Jefferson
• 26: Clairton
• 26: Jeannette
• 26: Upper St. Clair