Nov 30 2008
Mike White | 8:15 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 29
WPIAL Class A champion Clairton is one win away from playing for the PIAA title. If the Bears make it, they will be facing a record-breaking running back.
Clairton plays Farrell in one semifinal next weekend. In the other semifinal in Eastern Pennsylvania, Steelton-Highspire meets Schuylkill Haven. Both have runners who broke state records this season.
Steelton-Highspire, the defending PIAA champion, features Jeremiah Young, who set Pennsylvania's career rushing record a week ago. He added 352 yards in Friday's 27-9 victory against Bishop McCort and now has 8,858 yards.
Schuylkill Haven beat Riverside (Taylor), 43-38, Friday and Zach Barket set a record for single-season rushing yards. He had 244, which gives him 4,057 for the season. It's a big deal around here when a runner gets 4,000 in his career. Barket got it in one season. He also has the state record for touchdowns in a season with 64.
But Clairton must get by Farrell to meet one of these teams.
Nov 29 2008
Mike White | 11:40 p.m., Friday, Nov. 28
There has never been a football season like this at Bethel Park - and the folks in the community are filling up the spots on the Black Hawks' bandwagon.
Last week, Bethel Park won it first WPIAL football championship in school history. Tonight, the Black Hawks won their first PIAA game with a 17-14 victory against State College.
"I've heard from people I don't even know," Bethel Park coach Jeff Metheny said after the game. "The community is really getting behind this thing."
After beating Gateway in the WPIAL final last Saturday, a few firetrucks and a few police cars met the team buses at the Galleria store on Route19. They escorted the team back to Bethel Park High School.
Bethel Park sold 3,200 tickets presale for the WPIAL final, by far the most of any school. For tonight's game, Bethel Park had to have at least 2,500 fans on its side of the stadium.
End of the domination?
Bethel Park is good enough to win a PIAA title, but don't expect the Black Hawks to dominate like WPIAL teams have done in Class AAAA in recent years.
Don't get me wrong. This isn't a knock against Bethel Park. The Black Hawks are impressive defensively and efficient enough offensively to win the state. But they probably won't dominate like Central Catholic, Upper St. Clair or McKeesport has in recent years. A WPIAL team has won the PIAA Class AAAA title four years in a row by a combined score of 166-37.
"Props" for Metheny
I've always thought Metheny was very underrated as a coach. Just because he didn't win a title before this year didn't mean he wasn't as good as some of the best in the business. If you had to pick a coach of the year right now, Metheny has to be the No. 1 choice.
Bell for Butkus
The Butkus Award is given annually to the top linebacker in the country. This year, there will also be a Butkus Award winner on the high school level - and Gateway High's Dorian Bell is one of the 12 national finalists.
Nov 28 2008
Colin Dunlap | 5:20 p.m., Friday, Nov. 28
Just made it up to Erie Veterans Stadium for tonight's PIAA Class AAA quarterfinal between Thomas Jefferson and Strong Vincent.
It was a white-knuckler the last 25 miles or so up I-79.
Here is what the field looks like right now.
Nov 26 2008
Mike White | 9:05 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 26
Hopewell standout running back Rushel Shell is only a freshman. But something happened lrecently that shows what some people think of his potential, and also how early some colleges start recruiting players.
Shell said Pitt offered him a scholarship last week. Although players can't sign a binding letter of intent until February of their senior years, schools can offer a scholarship any time they want. It's not in writing, but the scholarship offer can be made verbally.
By next summer, you can bet Shell will have a few more scholarship offers. He's that good. Shell rushed for more than 1,500 yards this season, and had three consecutive 200-yard games at one point.
How good will Shell be in the future? He is loaded with potential, but his value will be determined by a few things. First, his work ethic. Secondly how big he gets. He already is well-built at 5-11, 209 pounds. There is a possibility he could get too big to play halfback.
Elsewhere in recruiting, some schools are still recruiting some players who have committed elsewhere. North Allegheny lineman Ryan Schlieper is expected to attend the Pitt-West Virginia game Friday. Schlieper has made a verbal commitment to Maryland. Pitt hasn't offered him a scholarship, but the Panthers have stayed in touch with Schlieper and still might go after him if a few other possible recruits fall through.
Also, Gateway defensive end B.J. Stevens has made a verbal commitment to Miami (Ohio). But Stevens said a Florida State assistant recently sent him a text message, saying that if there is a coaching change at Miami, the Seminoles might start recruiting him.
Nov 21 2008
Colin Dunlap | 12:35 a.m. Friday, Nov. 21
This is just terrible news, and something that hits close to home for me:
Tom Borrelli, a Buffalo News sportswriter critically injured two
weeks ago in a fall down a steep staircase, died this morning of
complications from the fall. He was 51.
Borrelli was injured while covering a high school football game for The
Buffalo News at All High Stadium. He scaled the approximately dozen metal
stairs to the press box, before apparently striking his head on a steel
girder and falling backward down the stairs.
Now, I've covered more high school football games than I can count, scaling aluminum, wooden, cement and composite stairs in making my way to the press box and, in truth, never given a thought to being extra careful until now. On top of that, a lot of times when I'm finished filing my story after games, the lights in the stadium have been turned out, making navigating my way down the steps much, much tougher than the climb up them prior to the contest. Throw in rain, snow and sometimes ice, and the bleachers can be downright treacherous.
I just feel for Tom's family tremendously. This is a terrible situation. The guy left his home to cover a high school football game, and never made it back.
You can read the full story about Tom Borrelli --- HERE
Nov 21 2008
Mike White | 12:15 a.m., Friday, Nov. 21
After watching the Steelers play on the Heinz Field grass last night, it makes you wonder one thing: How bad will that field be by the fourth quarter of the fourth WPIAL championship game (Class AAAA) tomorrow night?
The field already looked chewed up in the middle. With cold weather forecast for tomorrow, it might not be a pretty sight for Gateway-Bethel Park. Gateway coach Terry Smith had an interesting comment in this morning's Post-Gazette, saying the Heinz Field surface will probably be the worst playing surface played on this year by all eight teams in the finals. They're very used to playin on turf.
A few coaches have said over the years that they wouldn't mind if all the championshp games were played at high school stadiums. Here is what Smith had to say about the idea:
"I'm kind of mixed about it," Smith said. "To go to Heinz Field is an awesome experience for the kids. It doesn't get any better than that atmosphere. But the other side of me says, play it at a high school stadium, fill it up and the atmosphere will be more electric. At Heinz Field, 20,000 or 25,000 fans doesn't sound like 20,000 or 25,000. It doesn't look like it, either. It looks empty.
"If we'd go to a West Mifflin or North Allegheny, and pack it, it would be more exciting."
Nov 19 2008
Mike White | 6:45 a.m., Wednesday, Nov. 19
When Gateway plays Bethel Park in the WPIAL Class AAAA championship Saturday, it will be a matchup of unbeaten teams. Both come into the contest with 12-0 records. Over the past 20 years, this is the 10th championship game matching unbeaten and untied teams.
Here are those 10 games, and the result:
2007 – Thomas Jefferson 34, Montour 0
2006 – Clairton 16, Rochester 13
2005 – South Park 24, Greensburg Central Catholic 20
2004 – Seton-LaSalle 42, Aliquippa 35
2003 – Pine-Richland 21, Thomas Jefferson 7
2000 – Aliquippa 14, Waynesburg 6
1999 – West Allegheny 37, Belle Vernon 12
1996 – Blackhawk 24, Belle Vernon 6
1993 – North Hills 21, Upper St. Clair 14
Nov 16 2008
Mike White | 1:45 p.m., Sunday, Nov. 16
The WPIAL had an overtime football game in the quarterfinals (Highlands vs. Montour). In overtime in Pennsylvania, each team gets a possession at the 10-yard line. If the game is still tied, the process is repeated.
This is different than college overtimes, where teams get the ball at the 25-yard line. That brings us to the Varsity Xtra Question of the Week. Do you prefer the high school overtime rule, or the college overtime?
To vote, go to http://www.post-gazette.com/highschoolsports/ and look for "Poll: Question of the Week." The results will be printed in Friday's Varsity Xtra section, but also are available on the Post-Gazette web site.
What's interesting about the overtime stuff is the WPIAL did not have overtime in championship games until the late 1980s. So if a title game ended in a tie, both teams were declared co-champs. When the league started playoffs in the early 1970s, it did not even have an overtime format in place to decide playoff games. And the league looked foolish in 1972 when Jeannette and Monessen tied, 14-14, in a WPIAL Class AA semifinal at Three Rivers Stadium. No one knew what to do because there was no overtime. So, get this: Jeannette was awarded the win because it had more total yards of offense.
Nov 15 2008
Mike White | 1:20 a.m., Saturday, Nov. 15
Notes, thoughts and anecdotes after the WPIAL semifinals.
Thomas Jefferson's Brian Baldrige had an unforgettable performance in the WPIAL Class AAA semifinals, running for 382 yards in a victory against New Castle. No one has statistical records for WPIAL playoff games, but Baldrige's yardage total was most likely a WPIAL postseason record.
Here's the logic: Only nine players in the history of the WPIAL have rushed for 400 yards in a game (the record is 455 by Connellsville's Marcus Furman in 2000). All nine performances came in regular-season games.
Baldrige was only 18 yards from 400. In 30 years of covering WPIAL football, I don't remember anyone rushing for 382 yards in a playoff game. And before then, individuals usually didn't post big statistical games. There wasn't as much offense as there is now in the WPIAL.
Considering all of the above, we'll call Baldrige's total is a record, unless we hear otherwise.
By the way, Thomas Jefferson's 47-20 victory against New Castle proved one thing. New Castle didn't have much of a defense. The Hurricanes gave up 49 points last week to Indiana.
* Speaking of records. Could Blackhawk coach Joe Hamilton be tied for one? Blackhawk defeated Highlands, so that means Blackhawk coach Joe Hamilton will be in the title game for the 10th time. That ties Upper St. Clair coach Jim Render, who also has 10 title-game appearances. Funny. Render is first and Hamilton second on the all-time WPIAL list for coaching wins.
* No matter what happens in the WPIAL championship games next week, here's my vote for Player of the Year: Gateway's Dorian Bell. I think he's a hands-down winner. He came into the season considered the No. 1 player in the WPIAL, mainly because of his play at linebacker. He's still talented at linebacker, but Bell also has rushed for more than 800 yards this season, including 121 on 13 carries against Penn Hills. What more can he do to show he's the No. 1 player?
While Bell is ranked among the top 10 linebackers in the country and is an Ohio State recruit, he might make for an excellent strong safety. He's 6 feet 1, 220 pounds and definitely fast enough to play the position. As a running back, he ran away from some Penn Hills defenders, who aren't exactly slow.
* Legendary Pete Antimarino, who coached Pitcairn and Gateway from 1954-89 , was on the sideline before the Penn Hills-Gateway game. Antimarino, who won 255 career games before retiring after the 1989 season, said he is "doing pretty good for an old man." He still attends Gateway games - and still makes his own homemade spaghetti sauce and meatballs at home. Antimarino was a tremendous coach and also an engaging character. His son, Pete Jr., who played QB at Gateway in the early 1970s, was with his father at the Penn Hills game.
"My grandkids, all they want to do is eat my spaghetti sauce and meatballs," Antimarino said. "They tell him [Pete Jr.] 'You don't make it as good as grandpa does.'"
* Penn Hills linebacker Dan Mason isn't ranked as highly as Bell on recruiting sites. If Mason is behind Bell as a linebacker, he's not behind by much. The few times I've seen him over the past two years, he has been dominating. Pitt is on his final list of schools. The Panthers should feel fortunate if they land him.
*The Post-Gazette Fabulous 22 appears Thanksgiving day. We talk to high school coaches, college coaches and scouting services to help pick the team. As of right now, Gateway's Dorian Bell, Corey Brown and Brian Williams seem to be shoe-ins. We might have to take a serious look at defensive end B.J. Stevens, a Miami, Ohio, recruit who has an amazing statistic. Stevens has 21 sacks this season, including two against Penn Hills.
* Aliquippa will play in a WPIAL championship for the 19th time in school history. Wow.
* Avonworth had an unforgettable season, making it to the WPIAL semifinals before losing to Monaca. Don't you wonder if Avonworth is a one-hit wonder? This was the first semifnal game appearance.
* Hey, the official start of basketball practice is Monday.
Nov 13 2008
Colin Dunlap | 10:04 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 13
If you are a fan of WPIAL Class AA football --- and particularly if you live outside of Pittsburgh and you can't make it to WPIAL title game at Heinz Field in person on Saturday, Nov. 22 --- you are probably not going to like this: It doesn't look like the Class AA championship game will be televised live.
As I was sitting here tonight, I scrolled ahead on my DVR box to check on the FSN Pittsburgh telecasts for next Saturday's four WPIAL football title games.
Well, according to my Comcast box, the schedule for that day goes like this:
10:30 a.m. -- Class A championship
1:30 p.m. -- Penguins pregame
2 p.m. -- NHL Hockey
4:30 p.m. -- Penguins postgame
5 p.m. -- Class AAA championship game
8 p.m. -- Class AAAA championship game
11 p.m. -- Class AA championship game
With that being the schedule, it is rather obvious fans of Class AA teams will have to wait to see the telecast (and it will be taped) until 11 p.m.
Now I know the Penguins are a professional franchise, and I know FSN does a vast amount of their games, but this just all seems out of whack. Having those four championship games on live, in sequential order (and with Stan Savran doing at least one of them) is one of those traditions fans of Western Pennsylvania high school football look forward to each year.
While not having the Class AA game on live TV doesn't take anything away from how huge the matchup will be, it does, truth be told, take a bit of the luster off it.
More Posts
Next page »