04-28-2013, 09:04 PM
Here's the #1 problem. The competition level is getting worse and worse. Schools like Canon-Mac, Ringold, Unionton, New Castle, and Connellsville should be better than they are. All have a fantastic blend of both athletes and size. For whatever reason schools around here tend to lead more towards retreads rather than hiring great up and comers. People claim that the population decline is the #1 reason for the stark drop in talent locally but if that was the case 1A and 2A would still have some fantastic football rather than it being Clairton(1A) and Aliquippa(2A) dominating the field. In face Aliquippa is a solid 2A program, if WPIAL 2A was in the least bit solid Aliquippa would've ran away w/ the State Championship.
Lets face it, whatever the WPIAL is doing it is doing wrong. It really needs to allow its top schools to face top schools around the nation. That's how you get better. Let Woody High or NA play Lakeland. Would you rather see NA lose by 20+ to a Lakeland(Fl) or Christopher Columbus(Miami) or watch NA pound Mt. Lebo? The WPIAL is far too concerned w/ keeping its playoff format intact rather than letting its schools find a way to get creative w/ their scheduling.
The WPIAL is NOT a hotbed for talent. If you think it is then you're living in 1985. In those days the WPIAL was able to get away with just scheduling 7 conference games. Today we're not so we gotta be far more creative.
Going a step further, I tend to think 3* players are as good or better than 4*/5* players here locally. How did a school the size of Beaver Falls(Cocoa Beach) run TJ to the woodshed? The school was smaller than TJ so no one can be talking about population. Lakeland destroying Central Catholic is definitely another story.
Lets talk about the City League, these schools can't have enough athletes. So tell me why these 4A schools are no better than a mid tier 2A School? Give the CL schools better coaching and watch out.
Fact of the matter is the WPIAL and City League needs far better coaching. These schools are the lifeblood of Pitt's program. Don't tell me about weather or population. Nearby metros like Cleveland and Cincinnati are still producing NFL players at a far higher rate than Pittsburgh is. Even Buffalo produced a few from this past draft. I fully understand not every local player is going to pick Pitt or PSU(for that matter), but there needs to be an abundant amount that we don't need every single 4 or 5* player locally to compete.
Lets face it, whatever the WPIAL is doing it is doing wrong. It really needs to allow its top schools to face top schools around the nation. That's how you get better. Let Woody High or NA play Lakeland. Would you rather see NA lose by 20+ to a Lakeland(Fl) or Christopher Columbus(Miami) or watch NA pound Mt. Lebo? The WPIAL is far too concerned w/ keeping its playoff format intact rather than letting its schools find a way to get creative w/ their scheduling.
The WPIAL is NOT a hotbed for talent. If you think it is then you're living in 1985. In those days the WPIAL was able to get away with just scheduling 7 conference games. Today we're not so we gotta be far more creative.
Going a step further, I tend to think 3* players are as good or better than 4*/5* players here locally. How did a school the size of Beaver Falls(Cocoa Beach) run TJ to the woodshed? The school was smaller than TJ so no one can be talking about population. Lakeland destroying Central Catholic is definitely another story.
Lets talk about the City League, these schools can't have enough athletes. So tell me why these 4A schools are no better than a mid tier 2A School? Give the CL schools better coaching and watch out.
Fact of the matter is the WPIAL and City League needs far better coaching. These schools are the lifeblood of Pitt's program. Don't tell me about weather or population. Nearby metros like Cleveland and Cincinnati are still producing NFL players at a far higher rate than Pittsburgh is. Even Buffalo produced a few from this past draft. I fully understand not every local player is going to pick Pitt or PSU(for that matter), but there needs to be an abundant amount that we don't need every single 4 or 5* player locally to compete.