News & Notes !!!
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THE CHOPS
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News & Notes !!!
Scholastic Notebook....
12/18/2006 -
It wasn’t all that long ago that W.P.I.A.L. Class (AAAA) was being called “overrated” by reporters and coaches from other parts of the state. But the past three years, the WPIAL has flexed its muscle in Class (AAAA) again.
In case you didn’t notice, the W.P.I.A.L. has dominated the P.I.A.A. Class (AAAA) championship game the past three seasons.
The latest W.P.I.A.L. pummeling came Saturday night when Upper St. Clair defeated Bethlehem Liberty, 47-13, in the P.I.A.A. title game. Upper St. Clair was so dominant that, for the first three quarters, Liberty’s best offensive play was a botched punt snap. The punter picked up the ball and ran 13 yards.
Liberty did not have a first down until the fourth quarter and had only two in the game.
The mercy rule was invoked in the second half. Under the rule, the clock runs continuously when a team gets ahead by 35 or more points in the second half.
But this is the third year in a row a W.P.I.A.L. team has turned the P.I.A.A. final into a mercy killing. Last year, McKeesport ripped Liberty, 49-10. Two years ago, Pittsburgh Central Catholic destroyed Neshaminy, 49-14.
That means in three years, the W.P.I.A.L. Class (AAAA) champ has outscored the opposition, 145-37.
It shows that things do run in cycles. From 1996 through 2003, a W.P.I.A.L. lost in the P.I.A.A. Class (AAAA) final six times. And some of the W.P.I.A.L. teams were blown out. Here were some of the scores: Woodland Hills lost to Downingtown, 49-14. Upper St. Clair lost to Central Bucks West, 44-20. New Castle was destroyed by Central Bucks West, 56-7. Woodland Hills lost to Parkland, 34-12. Pittsburgh Central Catholic was defeated by North Penn, 37-0.
But here’s more proof of the cycle theory. From 1988, when the P.I.A.A. championships started, through 1995, a W.P.I.A.L. team won six times.
The W.P.I.A.L.’s success in Class (AAAA) could continue next year. Pittsburgh Central Catholic and Gateway could have very strong teams. No team from the East is expected to be dominant next year.
The Only One
Upper St. Clair was the only W.P.I.A.L. team to win a P.I.A.A. title this year. But that’s not that unusual. It is the 13th time in 19 years of P.I.A.A. championships that the W.P.I.A.L. has won only one title. The only time the W.P.I.A.L. didn’t win at least one title was 1992.
Overall, the W.P.I.A.L. has won "25" P.I.A.A. championships, by far the most of any other district in the state. That should come as no surprise because the W.P.I.A.L. is the biggest district by far in the state.
Three other districts have "10" P.I.A.A. titles. They are District #1, #2 and #4. However, Districts #2 and #4 have one team with a number of titles. In District #2, Berwick has six titles, while Southern Columbia has six in District #4.
Best Play............
Maybe the most impressive play of the four P.I.A.A. championship games this weekend came on an extra point in the Class AA game. After Wilson had scored a touchdown, the Warriors were lined up to kick an extra point. But Terrelle Pryor, Jeannette’s super athlete, timed the snap perfectly and actually leaped over the center’s head. Pryor landed on his feet and then blocked the extra point.
Tough Start..........................
All of Jeannette’s basketball players are on the football team. The football team got back to town Saturday night and boarded a bus at 2:30am Sunday morning for a trip to the airport. Jeannette took off for Fort Meyers, Florida, where it will be playing in the City of Palms Classic.
Jeannette’s first game is Monday afternoon, and the Jayhawks certainly don’t have an easy opener. They play Mater Dei High of California. Mater Dei features 6-foot-10 sophomore twin brothers Travis and David Wear. UCLA and Arizona already have offered scholarships to the Wears, and North Carolina coach Roy Williams reportedly was going to watch the Wears play in the tournament.
Back Already?
It will be interesting to see if Upper St. Clair’s Pat McShane and Dane Conwell play in the basketball team’s game Wednesday against Bethel Park. McShane and Conwell were two stars on the football team, but are slated to be starters in basketball.
Bethel Park is a big game for Upper St. Clair. It is a section game and Bethel Park is ranked #1 in Class (AAAA) in the MSA Sports Top Ten. McShane will be a key to Upper St. Clair’s basketball fortunes. He was an all-section point guard last season.
Getting Out......................
North Hills girls’ coach George Vlassich didn’t wait until after the season to resign. He did it last week.
Vlassich was in his fourth season at the helm. He said he resigned for family reasons and also because he didn’t believe the program was making progress under his direction. The team was 2-4 this season and 19-58 during his tenure.
“I haven’t accomplished the goals I set when I first got hired,” said Vlassich, 59. “One of those was, by the fourth year, to be .500 and have a shot at the playoffs. I don’t know if that’s going to happen. I didn’t get it done and that’s been grinding on me. It was a tough decision, but it’s time, maybe for someone younger.”
Assistant coach Tom Sandherr has been named interim coach for the rest of the season.
Novaceks Sit Out...................................
When the Hopewell girls’ team heads to Myrtle Beach for a holiday tournament, two of the Vikings’ top players won’t accompany the team. Twin sisters Becky and Joyce Novacek have decided to stay home for personal reasons.
Hockey Anyone?
Some of the top hockey teams in the area will play in the 11th annual Pennsylvania Hockey Scholastic Showcase Dec. 26-31 at Center Ice Arena in Delmont. Besides the Western Pa., teams, the tournament also will have top teams from Eastern Pennsylvania, Ohio and Illinois. Upper Arlington made it to the Ohio state semifinals last year.
The championship of the tournament is Dec. 31 at noon.
THE CHOPS
12/18/2006 -
It wasn’t all that long ago that W.P.I.A.L. Class (AAAA) was being called “overrated” by reporters and coaches from other parts of the state. But the past three years, the WPIAL has flexed its muscle in Class (AAAA) again.
In case you didn’t notice, the W.P.I.A.L. has dominated the P.I.A.A. Class (AAAA) championship game the past three seasons.
The latest W.P.I.A.L. pummeling came Saturday night when Upper St. Clair defeated Bethlehem Liberty, 47-13, in the P.I.A.A. title game. Upper St. Clair was so dominant that, for the first three quarters, Liberty’s best offensive play was a botched punt snap. The punter picked up the ball and ran 13 yards.
Liberty did not have a first down until the fourth quarter and had only two in the game.
The mercy rule was invoked in the second half. Under the rule, the clock runs continuously when a team gets ahead by 35 or more points in the second half.
But this is the third year in a row a W.P.I.A.L. team has turned the P.I.A.A. final into a mercy killing. Last year, McKeesport ripped Liberty, 49-10. Two years ago, Pittsburgh Central Catholic destroyed Neshaminy, 49-14.
That means in three years, the W.P.I.A.L. Class (AAAA) champ has outscored the opposition, 145-37.
It shows that things do run in cycles. From 1996 through 2003, a W.P.I.A.L. lost in the P.I.A.A. Class (AAAA) final six times. And some of the W.P.I.A.L. teams were blown out. Here were some of the scores: Woodland Hills lost to Downingtown, 49-14. Upper St. Clair lost to Central Bucks West, 44-20. New Castle was destroyed by Central Bucks West, 56-7. Woodland Hills lost to Parkland, 34-12. Pittsburgh Central Catholic was defeated by North Penn, 37-0.
But here’s more proof of the cycle theory. From 1988, when the P.I.A.A. championships started, through 1995, a W.P.I.A.L. team won six times.
The W.P.I.A.L.’s success in Class (AAAA) could continue next year. Pittsburgh Central Catholic and Gateway could have very strong teams. No team from the East is expected to be dominant next year.
The Only One
Upper St. Clair was the only W.P.I.A.L. team to win a P.I.A.A. title this year. But that’s not that unusual. It is the 13th time in 19 years of P.I.A.A. championships that the W.P.I.A.L. has won only one title. The only time the W.P.I.A.L. didn’t win at least one title was 1992.
Overall, the W.P.I.A.L. has won "25" P.I.A.A. championships, by far the most of any other district in the state. That should come as no surprise because the W.P.I.A.L. is the biggest district by far in the state.
Three other districts have "10" P.I.A.A. titles. They are District #1, #2 and #4. However, Districts #2 and #4 have one team with a number of titles. In District #2, Berwick has six titles, while Southern Columbia has six in District #4.
Best Play............
Maybe the most impressive play of the four P.I.A.A. championship games this weekend came on an extra point in the Class AA game. After Wilson had scored a touchdown, the Warriors were lined up to kick an extra point. But Terrelle Pryor, Jeannette’s super athlete, timed the snap perfectly and actually leaped over the center’s head. Pryor landed on his feet and then blocked the extra point.
Tough Start..........................
All of Jeannette’s basketball players are on the football team. The football team got back to town Saturday night and boarded a bus at 2:30am Sunday morning for a trip to the airport. Jeannette took off for Fort Meyers, Florida, where it will be playing in the City of Palms Classic.
Jeannette’s first game is Monday afternoon, and the Jayhawks certainly don’t have an easy opener. They play Mater Dei High of California. Mater Dei features 6-foot-10 sophomore twin brothers Travis and David Wear. UCLA and Arizona already have offered scholarships to the Wears, and North Carolina coach Roy Williams reportedly was going to watch the Wears play in the tournament.
Back Already?
It will be interesting to see if Upper St. Clair’s Pat McShane and Dane Conwell play in the basketball team’s game Wednesday against Bethel Park. McShane and Conwell were two stars on the football team, but are slated to be starters in basketball.
Bethel Park is a big game for Upper St. Clair. It is a section game and Bethel Park is ranked #1 in Class (AAAA) in the MSA Sports Top Ten. McShane will be a key to Upper St. Clair’s basketball fortunes. He was an all-section point guard last season.
Getting Out......................
North Hills girls’ coach George Vlassich didn’t wait until after the season to resign. He did it last week.
Vlassich was in his fourth season at the helm. He said he resigned for family reasons and also because he didn’t believe the program was making progress under his direction. The team was 2-4 this season and 19-58 during his tenure.
“I haven’t accomplished the goals I set when I first got hired,” said Vlassich, 59. “One of those was, by the fourth year, to be .500 and have a shot at the playoffs. I don’t know if that’s going to happen. I didn’t get it done and that’s been grinding on me. It was a tough decision, but it’s time, maybe for someone younger.”
Assistant coach Tom Sandherr has been named interim coach for the rest of the season.
Novaceks Sit Out...................................
When the Hopewell girls’ team heads to Myrtle Beach for a holiday tournament, two of the Vikings’ top players won’t accompany the team. Twin sisters Becky and Joyce Novacek have decided to stay home for personal reasons.
Hockey Anyone?
Some of the top hockey teams in the area will play in the 11th annual Pennsylvania Hockey Scholastic Showcase Dec. 26-31 at Center Ice Arena in Delmont. Besides the Western Pa., teams, the tournament also will have top teams from Eastern Pennsylvania, Ohio and Illinois. Upper Arlington made it to the Ohio state semifinals last year.
The championship of the tournament is Dec. 31 at noon.
THE CHOPS
