Mike White: How goes it, everyone. Back at you for our weekly talk. Only three weeks left in regular season of football. Hey, start of high school basketball practice ("officially") is only a month away. Store is now open. Let's talk.
Wike Mhite: 1A playoff race is getting interesting. It looks like a 3way tie with 1 conf loss in Tri-County south is very likely. I assume that means all 3 will make it leaving just 1 wild card spot. Is Imani in position to get that wild card spot...not sure how it works but they are probably the 3rd or 4th best team in the class for WPIAL. It would be a shame if they missed the playoffs.
Mike White: Well Wike, there are three conferences in Class 1A. Total of eight teams make the playoffs. All the first and second place teams make it, plus two third-place teams as "wild cards." So Imani still has good chance.
john: Mike with a 3 way tie in 3A how does WPIAL figure out Conf Champ and playoff seedings?
Mike White: Well John, I will try to explain. There are two conferences in 3A. Four teams from each conference go to the playoffs. If there is a three-way tie for a spot, head-to-head competition is first tiebreaker. If they are all 1-1, Gardner Points is next tiebreaker. If they are still tied, the WPIAL tiebreaker system is used where you get up to plus 10 or minus 10 for conference games. Understand?
JC: Mike, you didn’t pick The Bears 🐻 They will Be at full strength at the end of season. Go Bears!
Mike White: You talking Clairton???? Well on our This Week In High School Sports Show, I did indeed pick Clairton to pick Imani.
Millertime: Do you know of any high schools starting a freshman QB? I have always wondered if it is too demanding of a position for a young kid to handle.
Mike White: Numerous freshmen have started at QB in the WPIAL over the past 20-30 years. It is not common, but it certainly has happened.
Panther MBA: Greetings Mike White. Why don't more teams and conferences schedule games at 7 pm as opposed to 730? The earlier start helps alleviate late nights for the athletes, band, cheerleaders, and fans. If Pitt basketball and the Penguins can start at 7, why not high school football?
Mike White: Well Panther, please go check out a schedule. You'll see almost everyone in WPIAL now starts at 7. For example, this Friday there are only 10 games starting at 7:30. That means there are around 50 at 7.
john: Nope! How about who is #1 in Big East 3a? With that scenorio
Mike White: If Derry, North Catholic and Elizabeth Forward win out, they will all tie for first with one conference loss. They will tie in head to head. They will tie in Gardner Points. So the WPIAL tiebreaker system will then be used. Only conference games count. And as I said, you get up to plus 10 for a win and minus 10 for a loss. For example, if Derry wins a game by 20-13, it gets seven points. If they win 27-0, they only get a maximum of 10. Same with losses. Add up the tiebreaker points (only conference games). What team has the most is the No. 1 team in the conference. Whoever won in the head to head game between the remaining two teams is second. Understand?
Mike: Big one in Burgettstown this week... Mohawk vs. Btown. Who ya got??
Mike White: Intriguing game. Part of me wants to take Mohawk. But I'll go Burgettstown.
HighLander: Do you think Mcguffey has a shot at a WPIAL title?
Mike White: No, absolutely no shot. They should just do like Carrick and cancel the rest of the season..... Come on. You have an undefeated team through seven weeks. Of course they have a shot, like a lot of other teams. Class 2A playoffs will be wide open.
Millertime: soooo are there any THIS season?
Mike White: I don't know. I'd have to think. I don't know the class of every starting QB.
Wake Up The Echoes: Excluding a miracle and/or prayer, what can be done to fix Butler football? Outside of a few blips on the radar, they’ve largely been a door mat for decades
Mike White: One of the great mysteries of WPIAL football. How they can be one of the largest districts, and continually have a bad football team. I don't have an answer. No one does. If they did, it would've been fixed. Funny thing is, they will have the worst 6A football team, and might be the No. 1-ranked 6A basketball team heading into the season. Go figure. One thing they have always lacked in football the past 20 years. Playmakers. Skill position guys.
rholl15146@yahoo.com: Hey Mike....apparently there was a lot of social media comments coming from the Franklin Regional players that may have had something to do with the final score...Gateways coach tells his players to do their talking on the field....one more thing...Gateway had substituted the entire 2nd half...
Mike White: Social media can be so harmful to teenagers in many, many ways - not just sports. I see it myself and know people that work in schools. Social media can be good for many things, but it's horrible in a lot of ways. I don't know about Franklin Regional social media. Don't really care, either. I do know Gateway is very good.
Animal : What in the world has happened at Ringgold? Didn't Coach Z realize that the cupboard was bare when he accepted the job?
Mike White: Maybe not. You know they have had some pretty good teams there in some years. They lost a lot of experience from last year and younger kids didn't play much. Coach Z will be OK. It certainly ain't Aliquippa, but he had said he was in this more than one year.
George: I actually figured that out this weekend. If EF, NC and DA all win out like they should on paper, Gardner points wont come into play because they will all be tied so it’s point differential. So DA is the only team that controls its own destiny. If they win by 10 or more in their final three conference games they come out as the #1 team. NC would be next. But of course that is on paper.
Mike White: George, right now Derry has 33 tiebreaker points, North Catholic 20 and EF 19. If Derry wins its final three games by 10 or more, it will indeed finish first. The system then reverts back to head to head for the other two teams. North Catholic beat EF, so North would indeed finish second.
Panther MBA: Good point on the 7 pm starting time. It seems there are still several schools in the 4A Big 8 that still schedule at 730, so I must have been thinking predominately about them. and at your suggestion, some schools even start at 645 and 630. Thanks!
Mike White: No, I know of no schools that start at 6:45 or 6:30. It's either 7 or 7:30.. There were a few teams that started games earlier a few weeks ago, but that was only because of storm were coming.
TjMark82 : Mike, I seen a video on social media of a 99 yard kickoff return, the kid from Mars who transfered from Clairton for basketball but is now playing football again. He was a starting WR at Clairton as a freshman and being recruited by D1 schools. Can he make an impact for Mars to put them in contention ? And correct me if I’m wrong but isn’t his father a coach at Mars now ?
Mike White: You're talking about Khori Fusco. He just joined football. The kickoff return was called back because of a penalty. If you can return a kickoff 99 yards, I guess you could make an impact. But NO, NO. His father is not coaching - football or basketball at Mars.
rholl15146@yahoo.com: Butler always had good, if not great teams when Art Bernardi had coached.
Mike White: Yes.
George: Mike I really enjoyed your show last week with Bob Palko and Eric Kasperowicz. Two really great coaches. One on his way out and another still on his was up. I loved the question they did not want to answer about why coaches don’t last as long. You prodding them was great and then they opened up to tell the truth about what has been such a big issue for coaches in all sports.....Parents! They spoke the truth. Are those shows archived so you can listen back?
Mike White: Thanks George. They answered. They said parents are No. 1 problem to drive away coaches. Palko had one of the best lines I've heard in a while. "If I was coaching at an orphanage, I'd probably coach 10 more years." That says it all. Sometimes those shows are archived. But I haven't checked with that one. It would be on The Fan 93.7 web site.
Class A: Who do u think will win Clairton and Jeannette game and do u see anyone else Beating them in the playoffs
BigChief: Top 5 to 10 boys high school sprinters from Western PA
Mike White: First, I would probably go with Jeannette in that matchup. Secondly, they would have to certainly be the favorites in the playoffs. But I wouldn't count out OLSH as possibly making it to the finals.
Mike White: Hey Big Chief. Clinton Davis is undoubtedly No. 1. Hands down. Can I say Lauryn Williams? Ha ha. Had what I still consider maybe the greatest 11-12 seconds I've ever seen by a WPIAL athlete. In the state final 400 relay, took the baton in last place by abut 10-12 yards and ended up winning. Would have to think some more for the boys.
Animal : Do you anticipate Matt Humbert moving on from Belle Vernon for bigger and better? He is an outstanding coach and still very young?
Mike White: I think Matt is turning out to be one of the best young coaches in WPIAL. Love what he's done at Belle Vernon. If he is going to go somewhere else, they are going to have to give him a job. Because he's also AD at Belle Vernon.
HeyMike: Has the “Evil Empire” found another great back in Tillman?
Mike White: He rushed for more than 300 yards last week. Pretty impressive. They need him because the offense has not been very good this year at Central.
Uj: It’s almost certain KO will not make the playoffs. Hard to believe given their start and the
Mike White: Yes, some tough losses lately. Two by a total of eight points. I guess if they would beat Aliquippa, they'd have a shot. But that ain't going to happen. If they don't beat Aliquippa, they will be out.
Bob: Mike, what in the world is going on in Plum? They used to regularly compete.
Mike White: Well, they have had some down years recently, yes. And they are struggling this year. But it's not like they were a power year after year. They are a team that will go in cycles.
HeyMike: Do you think Eric Kasperowicz will be a “lifer” at Pine?
Mike White: Depends on what the term "lifer" means. Will be coach 20 more years? Doubtful. I'd say 7 or 8. He has a son in sixth grade. I think he'll be there until he gets through. But don't look for him to be a coach forever. Maybe move on to a different level. Like Palko would like to do. I'll make a pitch for Bob Palko right now. He knows he might not be hired as a college assistant because he is 59. But he would love to be on a college staff in some capacity after this year. And I'll be honest. I think Pitt and Pat Narduzzi should think about him for some position. Pitt isn't exactly tearing up in Western Pa. recruiting. Bob Palko could help in that area - and maybe others.
Mike White: Truth be told, Bob Palko would've loved to have been Robert Morris coach after job was opened last year. But was never a serious candidate.
John: Is Gateway that good or Franklin that bad
Mike White: I think Gateway is really good -- and sometimes things snowball. But I think that game is indicative of what goes on in many classes in WPIAL now. After the top two or three teams at the most, there is a big dropoff.
CityGuy: In AA the interstate conference is a log jam at the top. McGuffey, Charleroi, Washington and Beth Center. I think all four are among the top 6-8 teams in AA. How the WPIAL seed the teams that come in 3rd and 4th from that conference?
John: It seems like there are three levels of teams. Some can win by 50 any week. Others can win by 50 then lose by 50. Others can't win.
Mike White: There are four conferences in 2A. The top four teams make the playoffs. First and second place teams get home games in the first round. Third and fourth go on the road. So two of those teams will have road games in the first round.
Mike White: To John, good assessment. I think I agree with you a lot on that.
Central fan: Saw Pitt had 4 of centrals young D line at game Saturday. What are chances of getting one or two of them to stay home at Pitt? Would love to see them get Soph Elliott Donald nephew of Aaron. Also the Beatty kid TE And D end appears to be the real thing with combo size speed. I hope Pitt can snag one or two!
Mike White: We'll see how heavily they are recruited. I'm not saying they won't be recruited by Pitt. But just because Pitt has you down for a game, doesn't mean you will get an offer. Stay tuned. But I hope they turn out to be good prospects because Western Pa. talent is sagging. Did you know there might be only 6 or 7 maybe Power 5 recruits in this class? Would most likely be lowest ever. Next year isn't exactly a stellar class either.
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Central fan: Baldwin ap
Mike White: Huh????
Central fan: Baldwin has really turned the program around great to see going in right direction.
Mike White: Yes, Loran Cooley has done a nice job. But they can't seem to get over the hump and get that much needed win against a good team - like USC or West A. Baldwin is 4-3 and hasn't had a winning season since the early 2000s. It might not come this year, either. They finish with Bethel, Penn Hills and Peters. Yikes.
Fawn Lebowitz: So about that prediction that Lebo would beat USC ?
Mike White: I was wrrr. .... I was wrrrrroo.... I was wrong. I think it happened one other time about 15 years ago.
Football Fan: How do you see the 2A MAC conference finishing? Who is the odd team out in that conference for the playoffs?
Mike White: Riverside, Neshannock, New Brighton all have two losses. Two teams in first are Mohawk and Freedom. Only four go. Hard to say, I'll say either New Brighton doesn't make it.
Mike White: Well that's it for now. Until we meet again next Tuesday at 11, everyone can be good. And can we get rid of these 80 some degree days and have some football weather? See ya.
First Published: October 9, 2018, 1:58 p.m.
Updated: October 9, 2018, 4:11 p.m.
