Anybody read the post gazette....

[Crimson09Crazy]

Check out the Sports, Pitt tab and the Q&A with Paul Zeise.


Don't worry I flipped out to Zeise, hopefully my Q will be Aed in an upcoming edition of the Paper.

[Ghost]

Does DL from Pittsburgh realize the 2 guys from Johnstown aren't the reason Pitt's losing? It's a team effort there pal.

Zeise doesn't even know who Erin Andrews is, I find it hard to believe he know what he's talking about with anything.

http://www.bustedcoverage.com/?p=8128

[sportsfan1000]

I think its a 95 percent chance that poster is WpialTitan.

[Crimson09Crazy]

I replied.

I said first off I'm gonna defend my hometown.
My High School was in the State Championship last year, we have 6 professional football players, 1 NFl Hall of Famer, and more college players then most AAAA schools. Johnstown is one of the most winningest programs in the state, and they did that being a member of the WPIAL for a good portion of those wins. Mike Cruz is obviously the best Tight End in the program, and there obviously aren't any Corners good enough to unseat Antwaun. Being from Johnstown has nothing to do with our struggles......


Then I went to my question,

Do you think Wannstedt and Pitt recruit the WPIAL too much? The WPIAL gets overrated by people and is held to such a high standard, but its not the same wpial as it used to be. Its obvious through Pitt and Penn State's struggles. Maybe Wannstedt should continue recruiting out of state in New Jersey, and make Florida a priority again.

[dougkeklak]

Zeise is hardly my favorite Pittsburgh sportswriter/media personality but I appreciate him reminding the short memory of D.L. Smith (if that is in fact your real name) about LaRod Stephens-Howling playing in the big boy league (and on the pro bowl ballot to boot).

I'm also glad he didn't flip flop how he feels about Reed (he's done that with other opinions he's had in the past). Prior to this season he said he felt Reed could be the best corner at Pitt since Revis. The guy has had a rough stretch of games but he's hardly the reason the team is in the situation it's in. I think Cruz has done OK but can (and probably will) improve.

BUT....the fact that Johnstown-area teams haven't been powerhouses on the state level is completely irrelevant. Sure, winning teams attract attention, but it's the job of those scouting players to find D1 size, speed and talent EVERYWHERE. Just because Tyrone is the only D6 state champ is complete non-factor. State championships have only been contested since 1988. There are many, many good programs that have yet to win it all.

If you ignore pockets of the state just because they haven't won state titles, you're going to ignore a lot of good players.

[Crimson09Crazy]

A d1 athlete is a d1 athlete wherever he plays.

Mike Cruz is a 6-4 260 TE, He was going Division 1 wherever he lived.

[jack daniel]

A d1 athlete is a d1 athlete wherever he plays.

Mike Cruz is a 6-4 260 TE, He was going Division 1 wherever he lived.

cruz got alot more looks then pitt my sophmore year florida state, boston college, and illnois all had coaches come to various practice to watch him thorughout the year. and crimson you may be able to attest to this since you were still at mccort at the time there were a few times coaches from temple, pitt, fsu, and psu were at school during the day to talk to him. so your right no matter where he was from he was going d1

[colonelsanders]

What I dont get is how the johnstown area in general gets over looked as a place where there is talent. A reason might be some guys give up football at the high school level to focus on life after football. People need to take note of this area. Hell, we have one of the best returners in the NFL from the 814. If you look at the progression of guys that went D1 they have done work in their respective programs. Scotty Lewis, LaRod, Antwann, Both Cruz's, Kanuch, Hawkins brothers, Koenig, just to name a few. Being a at small school in the D3 level, there are a lot of kids from the WPIAL on the team. They think they are better than everyone. They think that just cause they are from the WPIAL that everyone should bow down to them.

Johnstown does not get respect from anyone. We have always been that way. We have to work hard to achieve greatness, while some others think that greatness is handed to them. It is the values that you learn from playing against some of the best athletes in the state right here in the Johnstown area. You learn to appreciate the rivalaries between high schools and what they teach you about small school players.