How I would've aligned Class A
How I would've aligned Class A
Normally this is an off season topic for me. But some people wondered what I meant by the WPIAL being backwards w/ how the Conferences are set up and the way things are schedule. I like the 8 conference, less teams model because it allows schools to schedule out of conference games. Picture Monessen having Charleroi, Washington, and even Belle Vernon on its 9 or 10 week schedule. Picture Clairton playing out of state competition like Wheeling Central Catholic or schools like TJ and Aliquippa. These match ups aren't possible with the way the WPIAL aligns everything and schedules like at least 8 out of the 9 games on any teams schedule. I'll only post Class A but I'd align the leagues like this from Class 4A to Class 1A.
Conference 1
Laurel
Neshannock
Shenengo
Union
Conference 2
Rochester
South Side Beaver
Western Beaver
Vincentian
Conference 3
Brentwood
Bishop Canevin
Carlynton
Our Lady of Sacred Heart
Sto Rox
Conference 4
Avonworth
Northgate
North Catholic
Imani Christian
Wilkensburg
Conference 5
Apollo Ridge
Leechburg
Riverview
Springdale
West Shamokin
Conference 6
Clairton
Frazier
Geibel Catholic
Monessen
Serra Catholic
Conference 7
California
Carmichaels
Jefferson Morgan
Mapletown
West Greene
Conference 8
Avella
Bentworth
Bethlehem Center
Chartiers Houston
Fort Cherry
Conference 1
Laurel
Neshannock
Shenengo
Union
Conference 2
Rochester
South Side Beaver
Western Beaver
Vincentian
Conference 3
Brentwood
Bishop Canevin
Carlynton
Our Lady of Sacred Heart
Sto Rox
Conference 4
Avonworth
Northgate
North Catholic
Imani Christian
Wilkensburg
Conference 5
Apollo Ridge
Leechburg
Riverview
Springdale
West Shamokin
Conference 6
Clairton
Frazier
Geibel Catholic
Monessen
Serra Catholic
Conference 7
California
Carmichaels
Jefferson Morgan
Mapletown
West Greene
Conference 8
Avella
Bentworth
Bethlehem Center
Chartiers Houston
Fort Cherry
Re: How I would've aligned Class A
I threw Vincentian in there because they are playing WPIAL football this year anyways against TCS schools and they're more than likely going to be a full fledged member the 2013 season anyways. And where I put them is the most logical conference without tinkering other conferences too much.
Re: How I would've aligned Class A
Monessen fans that lurk/post on the board. Picture this schedule:
Week 1 Charleroi
Week 2 Brownsville
Week 3 Washington
Week 4 Sto Rox
Week 5 Wilkensburg
Week 6 Serra Catholic *
Week 7 Yough
Week 8 Frazier *
Week 9 Geibel *
Week 10 Clairton *
Conference games *
Week 1 Charleroi
Week 2 Brownsville
Week 3 Washington
Week 4 Sto Rox
Week 5 Wilkensburg
Week 6 Serra Catholic *
Week 7 Yough
Week 8 Frazier *
Week 9 Geibel *
Week 10 Clairton *
Conference games *
Re: How I would've aligned Class A
Northgate fans that post/lurk on this board. Picture this schedule:
Week 1 Bishop Canevin
Week 2 Shady Side Academy
Week 3 OLSH
Week 4 Keystone Oaks
Week 5 Springdale
Week 6 N. Catholic *
Week 7 Imani Christian *
Week 8 Vincentian
Week 9 Wilkensburg *
Week 10 Avonworth *
Conference Games *
Week 1 Bishop Canevin
Week 2 Shady Side Academy
Week 3 OLSH
Week 4 Keystone Oaks
Week 5 Springdale
Week 6 N. Catholic *
Week 7 Imani Christian *
Week 8 Vincentian
Week 9 Wilkensburg *
Week 10 Avonworth *
Conference Games *
Re: How I would've aligned Class A
Thanks for all your posts. You are by far the most informative poster on here. I really enjoy the District 7 information.
Keep it up.
Keep it up.
Re: How I would've aligned Class A
Thx brotha. As the season gets rolling I'll start to post playoff projections n'at.deepcreek wrote:Thanks for all your posts. You are by far the most informative poster on here. I really enjoy the District 7 information.
Keep it up.
Re: How I would've aligned Class A
The WPIAL (rightly so) has moved towards eliminating meaningless non-conference games. IMO, the larger conferences are the correct way to go. Why go from playing a majority of your schedule with meaningful conference games to one where you only play a couple meaningful games?
As well, how on earth do you seed the playoffs with 8 conferences? Especially since a really good 2nd place team would be forced to play on the road because they lost one game.
As well, how on earth do you seed the playoffs with 8 conferences? Especially since a really good 2nd place team would be forced to play on the road because they lost one game.
Re: How I would've aligned Class A
Why would we have Penn Hills & Woodland Hills pummel schools an hour(plus) away in Canon Mac & Peters Township and not challenge the kids? I'm sorry I'd rather see those schools have a Cincinnati Moeller or Lakeland(Fl) on their schedules.
Old rivalries are suffering because of this bigger conference concept. Games like Charleroi/ Monessen, Bishop Canevin/Seton La Selle, Chartiers Valley/South Fayette, Clairton/Jeannette or Aliquippa needs to be played. How great was it to see TJ vs Gateway a few years back? You can't get those games the way the Alignment is currently constructed.
Yes population is 1 reason why WPA is falling behind and not the hotbed it used to be(not saying there isn't talent here anymore either. Kids get better facing better challenges. And they're not going to get better sitting on the sideline during the 2nd Half of a Mercy Rule Game.
But hey, if we want to see the area's football to continue to decline lets continue the status quo.
As far as the playoffs are concerned, just Conference Champions with an unseeded playoff on neutral fields. Conference 1 plays Conference 8; Conference 2 plays Conference 7, Conference 3 plays Conference 6, and Conference 4 plays Conference 5. If that means the top 2 teams play in the first round, then so be it. The cream will rise to the top anyways. And if we include the top 2 teams, then so what if a good 2nd place team has to play on the road, if they're the better team then they'll win it. But I believe we have too many teams in the playoffs as it is.
Old rivalries are suffering because of this bigger conference concept. Games like Charleroi/ Monessen, Bishop Canevin/Seton La Selle, Chartiers Valley/South Fayette, Clairton/Jeannette or Aliquippa needs to be played. How great was it to see TJ vs Gateway a few years back? You can't get those games the way the Alignment is currently constructed.
Yes population is 1 reason why WPA is falling behind and not the hotbed it used to be(not saying there isn't talent here anymore either. Kids get better facing better challenges. And they're not going to get better sitting on the sideline during the 2nd Half of a Mercy Rule Game.
But hey, if we want to see the area's football to continue to decline lets continue the status quo.
As far as the playoffs are concerned, just Conference Champions with an unseeded playoff on neutral fields. Conference 1 plays Conference 8; Conference 2 plays Conference 7, Conference 3 plays Conference 6, and Conference 4 plays Conference 5. If that means the top 2 teams play in the first round, then so be it. The cream will rise to the top anyways. And if we include the top 2 teams, then so what if a good 2nd place team has to play on the road, if they're the better team then they'll win it. But I believe we have too many teams in the playoffs as it is.
Re: How I would've aligned Class A
Those games are very few and far between.animus wrote:Why would we have Penn Hills & Woodland Hills pummel schools an hour(plus) away in Canon Mac & Peters Township and not challenge the kids? I'm sorry I'd rather see those schools have a Cincinnati Moeller or Lakeland(Fl) on their schedules.
Guess what.....the AAAA schools didn't want the AAAA/AAA crossover anymore, because there are far more bad matchups than TJ vs Gateway. Instead of TJ/Gateway, this year we get NA vs Gateway. How is that worse? WH vs McKeesport....Penn Hills vs North Hills....Bethel vs Seneca....Old rivalries are suffering because of this bigger conference concept. Games like Charleroi/ Monessen, Bishop Canevin/Seton La Selle, Chartiers Valley/South Fayette, Clairton/Jeannette or Aliquippa needs to be played. How great was it to see TJ vs Gateway a few years back? You can't get those games the way the Alignment is currently constructed.
If Clairton wants to play the Quips or Jeannette, then they can move up to AA. That's what those schools are doing.
The decline of WPA football has nothing to do with conference alignment.But hey, if we want to see the area's football to continue to decline lets continue the status quo.
So you would be perfectly fine if the top 2 teams in Single A played in the first round because you determined the playoff opponents by some random draw. Clairton/Rochy at some random neutral field with only a decent crowd because you have a whole bunch of other teams playing that night. THAT is what is supposed to make the WPIAL better? Seriously?As far as the playoffs are concerned, just Conference Champions with an unseeded playoff on neutral fields. Conference 1 plays Conference 8; Conference 2 plays Conference 7, Conference 3 plays Conference 6, and Conference 4 plays Conference 5. If that means the top 2 teams play in the first round, then so be it. The cream will rise to the top anyways. And if we include the top 2 teams, then so what if a good 2nd place team has to play on the road, if they're the better team then they'll win it. But I believe we have too many teams in the playoffs as it is.
Re: How I would've aligned Class A
Out of state games are few and far between because the WPIAL offers 0 flexibility for those games to happen. You ever see a Cocoa Florida schedule; they play 3-4 games out of state on an average year. This weekend alone there was at least 5 out of state games on TV and a plethora more that wasn't on TV.
If 3A/4A schools don't want to schedule each other so be it. They could schedule games of their size within the WPIAL or outside of the WPIAL.
Why does Clairton need to play 2A? Our enrollment was 110 while theirs was in the 140's/150s and our roster size is traditionally 25-30 while theirs is in the low to mid 50's. Clairton could certainly compete with 2A schools but overall depth would kill Clairton for a full 2A schedule. That would be the same as saying TJ should've played 4A a few years back because they won some state championships and could've beaten any 4A team at the time.
Speaking of TJ and Cocoa, Cocoa is of smaller enrollment and destroyed TJ. So decline of population has little to do w/ WPA's decline. There are small schools across the nation like 3A Alcoa(TN), which would be 2A in PA, beating schools 2-3 times its size. Should those schools move up in enrollment too?
Clairton/Rochy is going to draw a good crowd regardless of the venue and is usually a neutral site game anyways. Outside of Heinz Clairton and Rochy has played at Peters Township and West Allegheny. Its developing into a fine playoff rivalry and good replacements for Monaca and Duquense.
If 3A/4A schools don't want to schedule each other so be it. They could schedule games of their size within the WPIAL or outside of the WPIAL.
Why does Clairton need to play 2A? Our enrollment was 110 while theirs was in the 140's/150s and our roster size is traditionally 25-30 while theirs is in the low to mid 50's. Clairton could certainly compete with 2A schools but overall depth would kill Clairton for a full 2A schedule. That would be the same as saying TJ should've played 4A a few years back because they won some state championships and could've beaten any 4A team at the time.
Speaking of TJ and Cocoa, Cocoa is of smaller enrollment and destroyed TJ. So decline of population has little to do w/ WPA's decline. There are small schools across the nation like 3A Alcoa(TN), which would be 2A in PA, beating schools 2-3 times its size. Should those schools move up in enrollment too?
Clairton/Rochy is going to draw a good crowd regardless of the venue and is usually a neutral site game anyways. Outside of Heinz Clairton and Rochy has played at Peters Township and West Allegheny. Its developing into a fine playoff rivalry and good replacements for Monaca and Duquense.