NO place, but HOME:
-
THE CHOPS
- Official BleacherCoach
- Posts: 1900
- Joined: October 24th, 2003, 10:42 am
- Location: SCOTTDALE, PA.
NO place, but HOME:
"NO PLACE BUT HOME":
An eyebrow or two shot skyward this week when the PIAA sent District # 6 champion Johnstown to District #4 champion Selinsgrove's newly carpeted home field, Harold Bolig Stadium, for the first-round state playoff game between the two schools.
On the surface it seems outrageous, taking the southwestern-most member of District #6 and bypassing at least two excellent sites (State College's Memorial Field and Altoona's Mansion Park) that could have served as a virtual midway point to end up playing on Selinsgrove's field.
Here's what happened.
First, the PIAA long ago established a policy of playing interdistrict first-round games in the home district of the team at the top of the brackets, then flipping them the following year. In this case, a District# 4 field was sought.
According to PIAA executive director Brad Cashman, entreaties were made to Bucknell University and Susquehanna University, but neither site worked out.
That being the case, only Shikellamy's grass field was available as a quality neutral site in District 4, but the PIAA insists games played on natural grass surfaces be played on a Friday night in order to have the following day available as a backup in the case of inclement weather.
Johnstown balked at playing on Friday primarily because it did not want to let students out of school too early, according to Cashman.
That was noble, but it also boxed everyone into a corner and left the PIAA with just one artificial-surface field available in District #4 for Saturday play: Selinsgrove's own stadium.
Johnstown agreed, and that's that. While the Johnstown-Selinsgrove situation is unusual, it's not unique. District 9 champion Clearfield is traveling to Pittsburgh Friday to face District 8 champion Perry on what is essentially Perry's home field, Cupples Stadium.
In (AAAA), District #8 representative Brashear is heading to Erie to face McDowell at Veterans Stadium. The stadium is not McDowell's home field, but the Trojans play at least one game per year there between regular season and playoffs with Erie Prep.
Now, don't expect the same set of circumstances in two weeks when the District #3 champions in Class (AAAA) and Class (AAA) play in the state semifinals.
For instance, District #3 is the home district in the (AAAA) semifinals against the winner between Brashear, Erie McDowell, Pittsburgh Central Catholic and Gateway. But the eventual winner among that group will not be traveling into District #3.
"That game is almost guaranteed to be played in Altoona," Cashman said yesterday.
"THE CHOPS".
An eyebrow or two shot skyward this week when the PIAA sent District # 6 champion Johnstown to District #4 champion Selinsgrove's newly carpeted home field, Harold Bolig Stadium, for the first-round state playoff game between the two schools.
On the surface it seems outrageous, taking the southwestern-most member of District #6 and bypassing at least two excellent sites (State College's Memorial Field and Altoona's Mansion Park) that could have served as a virtual midway point to end up playing on Selinsgrove's field.
Here's what happened.
First, the PIAA long ago established a policy of playing interdistrict first-round games in the home district of the team at the top of the brackets, then flipping them the following year. In this case, a District# 4 field was sought.
According to PIAA executive director Brad Cashman, entreaties were made to Bucknell University and Susquehanna University, but neither site worked out.
That being the case, only Shikellamy's grass field was available as a quality neutral site in District 4, but the PIAA insists games played on natural grass surfaces be played on a Friday night in order to have the following day available as a backup in the case of inclement weather.
Johnstown balked at playing on Friday primarily because it did not want to let students out of school too early, according to Cashman.
That was noble, but it also boxed everyone into a corner and left the PIAA with just one artificial-surface field available in District #4 for Saturday play: Selinsgrove's own stadium.
Johnstown agreed, and that's that. While the Johnstown-Selinsgrove situation is unusual, it's not unique. District 9 champion Clearfield is traveling to Pittsburgh Friday to face District 8 champion Perry on what is essentially Perry's home field, Cupples Stadium.
In (AAAA), District #8 representative Brashear is heading to Erie to face McDowell at Veterans Stadium. The stadium is not McDowell's home field, but the Trojans play at least one game per year there between regular season and playoffs with Erie Prep.
Now, don't expect the same set of circumstances in two weeks when the District #3 champions in Class (AAAA) and Class (AAA) play in the state semifinals.
For instance, District #3 is the home district in the (AAAA) semifinals against the winner between Brashear, Erie McDowell, Pittsburgh Central Catholic and Gateway. But the eventual winner among that group will not be traveling into District #3.
"That game is almost guaranteed to be played in Altoona," Cashman said yesterday.
"THE CHOPS".
Re: NO place, but HOME:
WOW!! Johnstown, who's baseball team disappears every Spring to places such as San Diego and New Orleans, is suddenly worried about students missing school for an afternoon, (or a day on the part of the football players).