Playing up question

[Crimson's Ghost]

I don't think that's what he's saying. WPIAL AAA is tougher than WPIAL A they are getting a legitimate challenge out of it.   The Portage girls basketball team played up to 5A this year because all they had to do was win one game. The challenge would have been to stay and compete with Bellwood and Juniata Valley, not run to play Hollidaysburg and Obama Academy. 

[Colonel Mustard]

That's exactly what I was trying to say Crim.

Compare Penn Cambria girls bball and their once in a generation run through AAA last year to Forest Hills girls, ho-hum, we beat one team with a winning record on our way to another 4A D6 title.

Who benefits from that, the egomaniac coach that gets to stare at their banners for the next 10 years?

[sportsfan1072]

Good point Colonel, I have even heard grumblings from a few Forest Hills fans that do not like their girls team playing up and going to the D-6 title every year and only having to win one game (2 last year) to claim the championship.  They feel it is only to see that banner on the wall and lessens the achievement.  They were more proud of what their boys team did last year, 3rd in D-6 and going just as far as the girls team in the state tournament.  I have also heard a few fans say they do it for the competition.

Either way, the FH girls do have very successful regular seasons, can't discredit them there and maybe they truly are trying to move up to play tougher competition.  But at the district level the AAA girls seems to be much tougher than AAAA.  Only a few people could truly answer why they move up.


On a side note, I was very impressed with what the Penn Cambria (#1- D6 losing in the second round of states) and Central Cambria (#3 - D-6 and losing in the final 4 of states) girls did last year.  Both of those teams lost to the eventual state champion.

[tubmill]

I admire teams that move up in class, even though they may be doing it to avoid a power in their own class. I believe that they more than likely will face OVERALL stiffer competition when moving up in class. 

[MrBaseball]

FOOTBALL FORUM

[PaSportsGuy]

Well, Penns Valley already played 3 of the 4 AAA schools and won all 3.  Their only loss was to the undefeated #1 AAAA Clearfield by 7 points.  Bellwood did already beat Tyrone in a double OT game I believe.  Richland has played some pretty stiff competition (and some bad) and won vs Bedford (District 5 #1 AAA team 42-13), Westmont (District 6 #3 AAA team 42-6), BG (likely the #1 A team 36-0).  Another tough one this week against a good Chestnut Ridge team.  

I think the 2 best teams in AA are Richland and Penns Valley and they could easily win the AAA.  The other 2 could compete with the AAA schools.  Just my opinion.

I'll go one better, I think that PV or Richland would have a better shot at winning a state title in 3A. Would they beat Aliquippa or Wyomissing, the two teams I think look the best for that game right now? I'd give them a 40% chance just based on the fact that Quips haven't really seen a very good team yet. Wyomissing, they have.  We'll see what Quips have this friday vs Central Valley

Quips beat Clairton. 

[CharlieConway]

Similar thread a while back - 


CharlieConway wrote:
This is all tricky.  We have a lot of different variables in PIAAs structure and format.  Some of the issues/questions I see:

Private Schools/Non-Boundary Schools - Students can attend on a tuition basis.  This allows for schools to entice (in various ways, academics, facilities, recruitment, or even play on a team that could win a state title) in whatever ways, students/athletes to attend their school.  This causes multiple issues for schools, without the same resources, trying to compete at different levels, especially at A and AA.

Charter Schools - Same issues.  Students can attend, not for tuition, but school choice reasons as long as transportation costs are covered.  The lures are the same (academics, facilities, recruitment, etc).  This can cause issues for other schools without the same resources to compete, especially at A and AA.

Public Schools - Public schools that have taken on the challenges in the two points above (Private/Charter) and found their own solutions to the PIAA problems.  Their solutions, recruit themselves using resources provided from several different ways (school's coach, facilities, academics, etc) so they could compete at the state level with A's and AA's.  

Public Schools - Some schools that have taken on the challenges in Private/Charter have recently discovered a new solution, avoidance.  Move their school to a different classification to avoid district parings against certain schools (Private/Charter).

These are just four things that I am seeing across the board from some schools/coaches/athletic departments.  Do changes need to be made?  Does something need to be done?  I think we all agree something needs to happen, because the publics have started firing back and the landscape is getting even worse.

I'd rather take my true, nonrecruited, public squad up against anybody in the classification the PIAA has deemed for us to play in.  Let the chips fall where they may.  If we lose, to an opponent that has found themselves in a position where they have exploited the rules of fair play, then so be it.  But at least I tried to do it the right way.

What I couldn't do, is pack up on the town and move my own kids to another school.  Even if I knew they would have a better opportunity to be successful at sports.  And my points on this matter, may be stupid to some.

With the divorce rate so high in America, and so many children growing up in split homes, I think this is a wrong message to send.  If things aren't the way you think they should be, pack up and go somewhere else because the grass is greener.  I'd rather have mine stay and grind it out, work it out, and find enjoyment with the good times.  Because those good times are where you were supposed to be and who you were supposed to be there with.  And if you aren't enjoying those times, stay because you made a commitment to those around you.  

The last type of people I want around me are the ones that look for exits when it gets tough, because let's face it, its going to get tough and be unfair.

So for those that have ever packed up and moved, ever recruited, etc for your kids to find success, I hope it was worth it.  I hope that you spent a lot of time with your children and teaching them about commitment and that you don't walk out when times get tough.  I hope they listen, and buy it, because we both know you were talking out both sides of your mouth.

Back to my original points, we are stuck here in this cycle until state lawmakers make changes or join one of the four options laid out above.  Either way, the answer to if you are right or wrong, that comes from the person in the mirror.

If you can live with it.

[billmurray]

Well, Penns Valley already played 3 of the 4 AAA schools and won all 3.  Their only loss was to the undefeated #1 AAAA Clearfield by 7 points.  Bellwood did already beat Tyrone in a double OT game I believe.  Richland has played some pretty stiff competition (and some bad) and won vs Bedford (District 5 #1 AAA team 42-13), Westmont (District 6 #3 AAA team 42-6), BG (likely the #1 A team 36-0).  Another tough one this week against a good Chestnut Ridge team.  

I think the 2 best teams in AA are Richland and Penns Valley and they could easily win the AAA.  The other 2 could compete with the AAA schools.  Just my opinion.

I'll go one better, I think that PV or Richland would have a better shot at winning a state title in 3A. Would they beat Aliquippa or Wyomissing, the two teams I think look the best for that game right now? I'd give them a 40% chance just based on the fact that Quips haven't really seen a very good team yet. Wyomissing, they have.  We'll see what Quips have this friday vs Central Valley

Quips beat Clairton. 

At the time they played, Clairton was struggling.  The bears lost first two, then struggled in the next two before turning the corner. 

[PAgridder2011]

The quips played Clairton the first game of the year and beat them 35-14, then Clairton they played 8-1 2A McGuffey, who would probably win D6 2A, as would Wash High, Avonworth, and probably Burgettstown. Then they let GCC score a couple late to make the score 21-14. GCC is 7-3 and in the Single A play-offs and I wouldn't be shocked if they beat Southmoreland this weekend. I wouldn't call that struggling. I would call it playing 3 of the 4 for best teams on their schedule in the first 3 weeks.


Do you really believe any 2A team from D6 would have the speed to match up with the quips? Your saying SC is better than Aliquipa and I'm not arguing that. But I certainly wouldn't base it on SC pounding an undefeated Wyoming team. Aliquipa would pound them as well.

[PAgridder2011]

Once Aliquipa went the spread last year it made them twice as good.