Basketball Rankings

[SouthSide Johnny]

I recently was informed that Grace Prep (D6A) defeated Cambria County Christian (Non PIAA affiliation).  Cambria County Christian starts an eigth grade player.  In CCC's league 7th and 8th grade players are eligible to play varsity without losing any eligibility.  Would these victories count towards playoff points?

[upnorth]

Eligibility is a PIAA concept. Many of the small Christian schools (who are not PIAA members) allow middle school students to play on what we consider varsity teams. For some sports, such as soccer, this is the only way they can field a team.

My understanding is that these victories do indeed count towards playoff points. The non-PIAA schools are counted as single-A programs unless documentation is provided that their enrollment would classify them differently.

It's a quirk for sure and only has come to the surface this year now that we have a closed tournament. Should Grace Prep be ranked that high? No, but when 8 of 10 teams qualify for the playoffs, the only harm is that the 5th ranked team will not get a first round home game they normally would have as the 4th seed.

[SouthSide Johnny]

My understanding was that for points to count the non-PIAA school has to comply with PIAA eligibility rules.  Would playing 7th and 8th graders make them non-compliant?

[Crimson's Ghost]

That's an interesting question, I know other states allow junior high kids to play varsity, but Pennsylvania is not one of them.  For instance, Andrew McCutchen was his team's starting center fielder in 8th grade (he hit .474 lol). But I don't know how this works here.  I wasn't even sure Grace Prep was considered PIAA until recently because I know the type of schedule they play. 

[Prince Sidewinder]

Heard that District 6 reviewing the Grace Prep schedule.

[theprophet]

It is true D6 is reviewing Grace Prep and St Joseph' Catholic schedules. I believe any game played against any school or academy that does not meet PIAA standards will be removed from counting against or for their point system.

I believe this is a necessary step the district is taking. If they don't you could see teams scheduling more and more weaker or non qualifying schools just to accumulate points.

[theprophet]

The more I think about teams playing non PIAA sanction teams the more it seems really unfair. We need to stop looking at scholastic sports as just high school sports and look at it as life learning experiences. What message are we sending to our youth that a team that follows all rules and regulations are punished, but school who worked outside the lines of the rules are rewarded. They could even be rewarded with a home playoff game. Now that may not seem like a big deal to everyone but imagine when these students become adults and they talk about their high school experience. You would hope hosting a playoff game is in that conversation. This needs fixed.

[Crimson's Ghost]

I said this weeks ago, I didn't even think Grace Prep was even PIAA because they don't play a PIAA schedule. 

[ChrisKentRam]

Sort of like how many of us have to talk about how our careers ended against some private school AAU team   This is what happens when you bend the rules for schools to be allowed to recruit.  Now the district has no choice, but to allow the team that bent the rules to play inferior teams to host a home playoff game. 

[theprophet]

I said this weeks ago, I didn't even think Grace Prep was even PIAA because they don't play a PIAA schedule. 

If you said it weeks ago then you are spot on.  This doesn't seem right.  I would imagine AD's have to be calling the D6 on this issue.