The WPIAL football alignment for the 2010 and 2011 seasons will be released at the Board of Control meeting Tuesday.
A total of 12 teams will change classification, including McGuffey (AAA) and Burgettstown (AA). Our Lady of the Sacred Heart has ended its co-op with Cornell and will compete in Class A. Central Valley, the merger of Center and Monaca, will play Class AAA.
Considering the changes, this must have been one of the more difficult alignments in recent memory.
Here's a couple strong possibilities:
Washington, Burgettstown and South Allegheny moved to the Century Conference and replace Bishop Canevin, Sto-Rox and South Park. Bishop Canevin and Sto-Rox dropped to Class A, while South Park moved up to Class AAA.
McKeesport moves back to the Great Southern Conference.
The Black Hills Conference takes on a new look with the addition of Bishop Canevin and Sto-Rox. There's also a lot of talk about the Tri-County South being disbanded or, at the very least, Monessen being moved from that conference.
* It's been a weird year for Section 5-AA boys basketball.
First, Zach Hooks does not play at Charleroi and one published story reported the 6-6 junior transfered to Aliquippa.
Next, Terrance Stepoli was kicked off the Monessen team thanks to his actions during a loss at Washington. According to several sources, Stepoli is hoping to enroll at Greensburg Central Catholic.
And, last week, Dylan Bongiorni quit the Burgettstown basketball team after the first game of a stretch where the Blue Devils played three games in three days. Bongiorni was averaging 19.7 points. Many believe Bongiorni will end up at West Allegheny.
Hooks, Stepoli and Bongiorni were considered three of the top players in the section entering the year. With half the section schedule remaining, they are not playing.
It certainly adds some twists to the playoff race, which also includes Washington, Chartiers-Houston and California.
The most behaved team may end up winning the section.
* Anyone else like the grit of the Trinity boys basketball team?
The Hillers aren't going to wow anyone with statistics, though junior Josh Valentic is in the midst of a superb season. Trinity is winning close games and doing it with defense, hustle and rebounding.
I covered two Trinity games last week – a 21-point win over Elizabeth Forward and a two-point win at Belle Vernon. As someone who covered a lot of Pitt basketball through much of the decade, I see Trinity doing a lot of the little things that the Panthers did so well when they first became a national power.
17 comments:
How can all these transfers just take place? Will the WPIAL look into this or just let it go?
Great job by the Trinity Boys Basketball team! Congrats to Coach Dunn and to the Hillers who are suprising everyone with their hard work and effort! Very impressive win on Friday over Belle Vernon!
Keep it up boys! The season is only half over, so make sure you continue to work!!
Burgettstown is going to be slaughtered next year in football.
I wonder if they will get articles written about them like Avella always does. Will Burgettstown be the loveable losers of AA?
I think they have 1 senior next year.
Good luck coach Taylor.
Coach Dunn and the boys work very hard. They are determined to have a great season. The win vs BV at BV was very impressive. They proved that they don't rely on Josh Valentic as much as everyone thought. They had player like Tony Edwards and Christian Capo step up. Great job guys and best of luck to you with the second half of your season still to go! I'm sure you'll do the blue and white proud!
The schools they are leaving can contest their departures. In the case of kids the schools want to be rid of, they may choose not to contest the transfer.
Can these kids transfer mid-season and play immediately provided the original school doesnt contest it?
Whats interesting about Stepoli is that his Dad is a Greyhound assistant - that cant be a good situation...
I doubt Monessen will contest the transfer of Stepoli. From what I heard he acted pretty bad in the locker room at Washington and it was his own father that sent him to the stands, not the head coach. I'm wondering what will happen to the younger Stepoli? Will he stay in Monessen or transfer to GCC as well? Wondering also what will happen to Coach Stepoli if his son goes to GCC, will he continue coaching his Hounds?
This is a bad and sad situation. I'm sure Coach Stepoli is sick to his stomach. From what I have seen, the oldest Stepoli boy has a bad temper when playing sports and if he thinks he is going to college and play with his attitude he will be sitting in his living room watching ESPN sooner than he could imagine.
I'm sure there is a way to rectify the problems he has encountered. Running to another school isn't the answer. He will find that out if he goes through with the tranfer to GCC. He won't be big man on campus there, he wont fit in. There will be no chemistry.
Go back to your Hounds and show everyone what character you have.
Hey mike why did you delete my post about stepoli? Nothing I said was inaccurate. He is what he is...and he proves it every time he steps on the court or the field.
Washington is going to win the section. Char Houston will come second. California and Monessen will finish 3rd and 4th in no particular order.
The posters can take pot shots at each other (Im speaking from experience when another poster didnt like what I wrote and took a shot at me - that didnt get deleted) but writing negative info although factual about a kid probably will get deleted - thats just what its like in this day of political correctness and fear of lawsuits....
Did you see Monessen just beat South Fayette? I doubt they will be 3rd or 4th. Looking forward to the next Washinton/Monessen game. They are not the same team they started with from what I've been reading.
If Stepoli leaves Monessen to go to GCC it is only for athletic intent. There was never intention to transfer until he was kicked off the basketball team. If Monessen School district allows this to happen then shame on them. They are not supposed to allow athletic intent to happen. Step up Monessen because if he goes then you may find more to follow. With such a small school district I wouldn't let this happen and neither should the residents of Monessen. You owe the tax payers to do your job. Your AD better look at his job responsibilities. Even is people feel Monessen is better without Stepoli, its not what this is about.
Monessen might be on their way to wpial championship if they play the way they did aginist South Fayette they play inside out and they can run the floor and now that they settle down they will make a run and it started with a impressive win over the #1 team
Monessen played a great game and sharing the court nicely. Don't count your eggs before their hatched. They are coming along nicely, have a lot to work on and will continue to improve. They are taking it one game at a time. Not even thinking about the WPIAL yet...
Chartiers-Houston got bad news last week when point guard Mark Jones was injured.Jones is having an operation on Monday and may be lost for the season.He ment alot to the team, and he will be very hard to replace. This is a big blow to their team.
It's intresting that the coach was NOT the one to send Stepoli packing at half time of the Wash Hi game. It tells you all you need to know about what is more important winning or disipline and integrity.As far as the kid. The apple does not fall far from the tree. A true chip off the old block.
To all the transfer athlete's parents: you uprooted your child's lives, to get fame and glory somewhere else. PARENTS you are the wanna be athletes through their eyes. The pressure you put to them, I hope you feel this is healthy. I certainly hope the new school distict you parents chose, you are legally there. Hate to see others pay tax dollars for someone not legally living there. I guess the saying is "Its my way or no way." Such spoiled parents. By the way all the coaching with Palko, where is the son now? Politics, go to capitol hill. It seems to be a mess these days.
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