Pine-Richland to 5A in 2020

[new2pa]

Was at a party this weekend and heard from reliable source that there is a shot P-R will drop to 5A in the next cycle. Something like 80-90 boys fewer than last classification. Will be close. Out west, schools like Peters Twp and Bethel Park are right on the cutoff and growing. Any 5A schools out east that are getting bigger?

Would certainly make things interesting.

 

[Soup13]

Was at a party this weekend and heard from reliable source that there is a shot P-R will drop to 5A in the next cycle. Something like 80-90 boys fewer than last classification. Will be close. Out west, schools like Peters Twp and Bethel Park are right on the cutoff and growing. Any 5A schools out east that are getting bigger?

Would certainly make things interesting.

New - I heard they are gong back to 4 so we shall see but if Pine drops to 5 they will absolutely dominate. 5 is loaded but Pine is very good. I think coach K does not get enough credit either, staff too.

 

[JACKY6996]

Just read the post gazette article today. Imo I don’t agree with the move. I think PR might be looking at with a perspective that a state title in 6A is going to be near impossible with SJP being loaded every year, so why not give a better chance in a deeper public school class. With what they have coming back though, they’ll run through 5A like a hot knife through butter. It said in the article in that they could try to retain PCC and NA as non conference games, which would further justify the move for them. I don’t think PR will get better competition in 5A though, it honestly might get worse. I think with Palko at Lebo and SV always playing tough every year no matter their record, 6A still has decent teams. They need to go back to the old 4 class format and then send 6 representatives to the PIAA playoffs. Too watered down. Some of these 5A teams would give the three big 6A schools close games back when they used to all be 4A.

 

[tulla]

Just read the post gazette article today. Imo I don’t agree with the move. I think PR might be looking at with a perspective that a state title in 6A is going to be near impossible with SJP being loaded every year, so why not give a better chance in a deeper public school class. With what they have coming back though, they’ll run through 5A like a hot knife through butter. It said in the article in that they could try to retain PCC and NA as non conference games, which would further justify the move for them. I don’t think PR will get better competition in 5A though, it honestly might get worse. I think with Palko at Lebo and SV always playing tough every year no matter their record, 6A still has decent teams. They need to go back to the old 4 class format and then send 6 representatives to the PIAA playoffs. Too watered down. Some of these 5A teams would give the three big 6A schools close games back when they used to all be 4A.

I expect that after next year SJP won't be nearly as strong. The freshman and sophomore classes aren't deep or especially talented. Agree that six classifications is at least one too many.

 

[new2pa]

Here the link to the article if you can read it: https://www.post-gazette.com/sports...Pine-Richland-enrollment/stories/201910310199

I think you are right Jacky. State Title in 6A against The Prep with McCord, Harrison, and Trotter, etc as seniors likely won't happen. I don't think they will get better competition at all, but don't think they should play up. They are what they are. In 2022 they may be back in 6A. I hope they can keep NA and PCC too.

 

[Soup13]

Just read the post gazette article today. Imo I don’t agree with the move. I think PR might be looking at with a perspective that a state title in 6A is going to be near impossible with SJP being loaded every year, so why not give a better chance in a deeper public school class. With what they have coming back though, they’ll run through 5A like a hot knife through butter. It said in the article in that they could try to retain PCC and NA as non conference games, which would further justify the move for them. I don’t think PR will get better competition in 5A though, it honestly might get worse. I think with Palko at Lebo and SV always playing tough every year no matter their record, 6A still has decent teams. They need to go back to the old 4 class format and then send 6 representatives to the PIAA playoffs. Too watered down. Some of these 5A teams would give the three big 6A schools close games back when they used to all be 4A.

Jacky - I agree with all of the above...

 

[Soup13]

I expect that after next year SJP won't be nearly as strong. The freshman and sophomore classes aren't deep or especially talented. Agree that six classifications is at least one too many.

Tulla - They May not be deep in terms of the traditional prep teams or have the talent of the teams of late but I still think they will roll. The usually strong programs like North Penn, Neshaminy, Coatesville, etc. will have a hard time beating Prep when they are up or down.

 

[new2pa]

I think its entirely possible SJP will win every game against PA teams for 3 straight years. '18-19-20. P-R will be really really good next year (probably somewhere between '14 and '17), but not 3 P5 kids by any stretch. And NA and PCC will be relatively "down" as they are both heavily senior laden this year. I don't know if anyone out East can compete though.

 

[RoverNation05]

There's probably an argument to be made that 5A is better than 6A in the WPIAL. Outside of Pine-Richland, NA, and PCC, none of the 6A schools have been particularly competitive in decades in the WPIAL, while most of the districts longtime powers dropped to 5A in the classification switch. Sure PR won't play North Allegheny and PCC, but picking up Gateway, Woodland Hills, McKeesport, Penn Hills, Penn Trafford, Peters Township, Upper St. Clair, Bethel Park, plus South Fayette/Thomas Jefferson if there is movement up adds a bunch of really good programs to their class.

And I'm not sure why there'd be pressure on them to play up. I guess Aliquippa does it and Bethlehem Catholic elected up two classes in that 1998-2002 run, but it hasn't exactly been the expectation for top tier teams in lower classes. It's not like there's been an outcry that Archbishop Wood or Gateway didn't move up from 5A to 6A.