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  • OT: PIAA Championships preview

    THURSDAY
    1 p.m.: Class A, Redbank Valley (13-1) vs. Bishop Guilfoyle (10-4)
    7 p.m.: Class 4A, Aliquippa (12-1) vs. Harrisburg Bishop McDevitt (12-1)
    FRIDAY
    1 p.m.: Class 2A, Serra Catholic (14-1) vs. Southern Columbia (14-1)
    7 p.m.: Class 5A, Penn-Trafford (12-2) vs. Imhotep Charter (11-1)
    tSATURDAY
    Noon: Class 3A, Central Valley (14-0) vs. Wyomissing (15-0)
    Last edited by jrshooter; 01-02-2023, 08:42 AM.

  • #2
    You don't have to distinguish the Bishop McDevitt's any longer as the one in Wyncote, Montgomery County closed last spring at end of the school year.

    The high school system of The Archdiocese of Philadelphia was built for the baby boomers when tuition was literally free...but several were merged or just closed outright.

    I mean Cardinal Dougherty High School in the Olney section of Philadelphia was once the largest Catholic High School in the world in the 1960's and it's been closed for years now.

    St. Joe's Prep is a private school and they just have the cash to recruit. They were a joke in foosball when I was in high school...total Catholic League nobodies. Not anymore.

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    • #3
      Nice preview. Some interesting matchups. You can also probably look for a couple of the usual routs of public school programs by programs that recruit extensively. That Bishop McDevitt gets away with playing in one of the lower divisions of the Mid-Penn Conference rather than the Commonwealth is ridiculous. Meanwhile, Aliquippa, which could play at 2A if it wanted, chooses to step up.

      Comment


      • #4
        Redbank Valley High is quite a story. Small town outside of Clarion (New Bethlehem).

        Comment


        • #5
          Originally posted by IUPbigINDIANS View Post
          Redbank Valley High is quite a story. Small town outside of Clarion (New Bethlehem).
          Yeah, that is cool, but they're probably up against it with Guilfoyle. One of my wife's cousins is a former high school AD, and you don't want to get him started about Guilfoyle.

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          • #6
            Originally posted by IUPbigINDIANS View Post
            Redbank Valley High is quite a story. Small town outside of Clarion (New Bethlehem).
            http://www.indianagazette.com
            www.twitter.com/MattBurglund

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            • #7
              I saw that. I think this is his first year playing football since junior high. Heck of a season.

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              • #8
                Aliquippa is going to formally appeal their forced move to 5A for next year. They are already playing 'up' 3 classes.

                Maybe they should just try and move them to the ACC next.


                Seriously, how in the world can you justify a tiny Class A school being forced to play in 5A?

                Comment


                • #9
                  Originally posted by IUPbigINDIANS View Post
                  Aliquippa is going to formally appeal their forced move to 5A for next year. They are already playing 'up' 3 classes.

                  Maybe they should just try and move them to the ACC next.


                  Seriously, how in the world can you justify a tiny Class A school being forced to play in 5A?
                  Seems the rule needs adjusting as it does seem unfair to Aliquippa. On the other hand, it is based not only on postseason success, but on the team having a certain number of transfers within a two-year period. It probably was originally aimed at schools who do a lot of recruiting across district lines and Aliquippa got caught up in it. Since the Quips have reached the 4A title game it certainly doesn't seem to have made them uncompetitive this season. They're a victim of their own dominance over the rest of the WPIAL.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Originally posted by Ship69 View Post

                    Seems the rule needs adjusting as it does seem unfair to Aliquippa. On the other hand, it is based not only on postseason success, but on the team having a certain number of transfers within a two-year period. It probably was originally aimed at schools who do a lot of recruiting across district lines and Aliquippa got caught up in it. Since the Quips have reached the 4A title game it certainly doesn't seem to have made them uncompetitive this season. They're a victim of their own dominance over the rest of the WPIAL.
                    The transfer thing is funny. No offense to Aliquippa, but they're not a community you choose to move to if you have choices. Hopewell exists because people wanted to stay close but get out of Aliquippa.

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Originally posted by Ship69 View Post
                      Nice preview. Some interesting matchups. You can also probably look for a couple of the usual routs of public school programs by programs that recruit extensively. That Bishop McDevitt gets away with playing in one of the lower divisions of the Mid-Penn Conference rather than the Commonwealth is ridiculous. Meanwhile, Aliquippa, which could play at 2A if it wanted, chooses to step up.
                      I don't know how it is on the football side, but I know the public vs. private school issue has really been a hot topic on the wrestling side for the last 7-8 years..

                      At one point I recall a District 11 team forfeiting every match against Bethlehem Catholic to open the District 11 team tournament as a form of protest. Notre Dame Green Pond has also drawn some ire for the number of high profile kids they brought in, going from an 8-10 record in the 2017-2018 season to being one of the six teams remaining in the state team tournament (class AA) in 2019-2020. Throw in the fact that there's a rule for catholic schools that forbids intergender wrestling and that some of the teams have taken to sending female wrestlers out against them, and it's overall just a downright bitter topic in that sport.

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Originally posted by KU_2014 View Post

                        I don't know how it is on the football side, but I know the public vs. private school issue has really been a hot topic on the wrestling side for the last 7-8 years..

                        At one point I recall a District 11 team forfeiting every match against Bethlehem Catholic to open the District 11 team tournament as a form of protest. Notre Dame Green Pond has also drawn some ire for the number of high profile kids they brought in, going from an 8-10 record in the 2017-2018 season to being one of the six teams remaining in the state team tournament (class AA) in 2019-2020. Throw in the fact that there's a rule for catholic schools that forbids intergender wrestling and that some of the teams have taken to sending female wrestlers out against them, and it's overall just a downright bitter topic in that sport.
                        I've long thought New Jersey has the right idea in having separate tournaments for public and private schools. You can't have a tournament where some teams are playing by a different set of rules than others.

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Originally posted by Ship69 View Post

                          I've long thought New Jersey has the right idea in having separate tournaments for public and private schools. You can't have a tournament where some teams are playing by a different set of rules than others.
                          I believe PA used to have that. My dad went to North Catholic years ago and he said they only played other Catholic schools.

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                          • #14
                            Originally posted by Ship69 View Post

                            I've long thought New Jersey has the right idea in having separate tournaments for public and private schools. You can't have a tournament where some teams are playing by a different set of rules than others.

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              I promise you, absolutely promise you, that within two years of the private schools being separated, you'll start hearing the same cries as in the '60s -- why can't we have one true state champion?

                              Careful what you wish for.

                              P.S. Ask Serra Catholic about this around 4 p.m. Friday.
                              Last edited by jrshooter; 12-06-2021, 05:00 PM.

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