Westpac

[Head Roadie]

If CT, Mey, NS, and Shade finish in the bottom 4 positions of the WestPac it could indeed be a very thin 5-A playoff situation.

Teams can "opt out" of the playoffs after the 4th week. It will be interesting to see who, if anyone, does that. Otherwise The top six are compelled to play and that could mean Windber, Berlin, NB and teams with 2-3 wins in the playoffs to complete the field. This would not be a good way to start the new split 5 and 6 playoffs. Blacklick Valley and Ferndale being stronger and potentially beating all of the aforementioned teams couldn't have been predicted though. The "hope" was that everyone in the playoffs would have at least 4 wins...we'll see.

[blah311]

I wanted to respond to southpaw about your comment about the westpac teams in the playoffs.....Portage played BG twice in the last 5 yrsdown in Altoona. Though the one yr we got blown out, the last time we were there against BG in 01 or 02, Portage was the one leading the game....going back n forth for the 3 quarters until a simple screen pass was ran 60 yrds for the winning touchdown with a minute left in the game. I dont recall the exact score but i know it was close and wasnt a blow out game. As for how portage will play against berlin, your guess is as good as mine.....I would not underestimate any team, not even ferndale or shade. Everyteam has a good chance of going to the playoffs and normally there are 4 teams that are right at the top yr in and yr out.....Portage, Windber, C. Twnship, and a back n forth between Valley n Meyersdale a few yrs ago.......But berlin had 5 wins last yr, i knew that them and blacklick at sum point are gonna be a great team as other teams near their run at the top. It'll make for a interesting game along with every other team in the ICC and WEstpac

[blah311]

I know this isnt a westpac team or even a ICC.......But i never got this chance to say this, thanks forest hills for beating BC....Dont like BC and they always recruit every player, seen papers yrs ago so they cant keep saying they dont. If they didnt recruit, yrs ago blacklick woulda been a top team in the westpac......They had the top backs who went off to BC. And even those players themselves said that they were recruited.

[southpaw]

Blah hum bug. Wasn't disrespecting Portage. Portage has good program and the largest team in the area. But they are not at the same level as Windber the "top" team in the WestPAC year in and out. BG and Bellwood are in the same eschelon as Windber. Portage would be like an MoValley or an Everett in the ICC, very good but not the best in the conference year in and out.

[blah311]

Southpaw, i know you werent putting portage down. I was just saying that BG n Portage went at it twice in the playoffs in recent yrs and Portage hung with them....I just think of portage as the atlanta braves, you get into the playoffs but dont go any further than that.....And im from portage and im not putting down portage nor the braves cuz i was born in atlanta n moved up here, lol im just saying thats what it seems like to me every time they get in the playoffs. Im not taking from windbers talents, i know what they have and known a few kids from there that were pretty kewl kids. Thats why i also said i wouldnt take anything from any team playing , anything can happen any yr, the players just need their best each game and sometimes they dont all come together at once.

[fleaflicker]

Portage could possibly dominate the Westpac this year with Windber no longer going 9-0 in the regular season. I think they have a real good shot to win their conference. As far ICC teams in the Westpac, I do think Bellwood and Bishop Guifoyle would consistently do well. And I think Northern Bedford has a good team this year, but I'm going to wait for a few more weeks before I say anything about whether they are going into the playoffs after last year. Ridge is a safe bet to make it though, so long as they don't let it get to their head, or choke. But that's because of last year and the returning players.