Prep - Imhotep

[Fletchster1]

Faith Christian going from having one state qualifier in school history to breaking the PIAA points record in three years broke a lot of brains, as has Bishop McCourt brining in transfers from North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, Ohio, and Florida to wrestle with the Bassets (complete with commitment announcement videos).

Disagree, it was all coaching and hard work... Even heard the one school has to practice in a crappy wrestling room too.

 

[Frank_montco]

I'd be interested in whether others from District 7 agree.

Imagine the following:

• In 2013 Frankford, which had the ball in the last couple of minutes, scores on a long pass and beats SJP in the D12 final. (The final score was 10-7.)
• In 2014 the motion penalty that should have been called against Swift with a few minutes left in the game against Parkland is called and SJP faces a 4th and seven rather than a fourth and two. SJP fails to convert and Parkland rather than SJP wins and goes to the state semi-final.
• In 2016 the North Penn QB holds onto the ball instead of being stripped of it and North Penn goes in for the game-winning score that they very much looked likely to score. North Penn, not SJP, goes onto the state final.
• In 2017 the Coatesville coach doesn't make a couple of head-scratching decisions midway through the third quarter when they were up two scores on the Prep , and Coatesville goes on to win the game that was very much in their grasp.
• In 2019 there is no questionable PI call against PCC on SJP's desperate final drive or maybe Harrison's toe falls an inch further north when he makes his extraordinary catch at the end of regulation, making PCC the winner in the state semifinal.

Now eliminate the two bullet points you find too much of a stretch. and you still have a picture that is quite different from the one that makes many believe SJP pretty much punches its own ticket to the state final just about every year. I count eight close games that SJP played in the PIAA playoffs before they made it to the final in the years since 2013. They won each one of them. My point isn't that SJP hasn't really dominated the large school classification in the last 11 years--of course they have--but that the dominance isn't as absolute or pre-determined as many think. Parkland may have little chance to beat SJP on Friday, but they have no chance if they go into it expecting to get blown out.

Would be a shame if these games were never played. Same for older years BECA vs CBW, Allentown Central Catholic , Strath Haven Manheim Central with Bishop McDevitt and so on. These are the games people want to see. Yes its a shame the SJP having upper hand and unfair and blah blah blah, but when Mt Leb and PR won it was that much better. for those teams winning Split it up and you have "state" champs in sub section of non boundary and boundary schools. and a bunch of what ifs. North Penn and LaSalle was great for like a 6 year period back and forth winning close game. A shame to lose the ability to play on the field. Would be regrettable long term to split even accepting the SJP doing it best past 10 years. I will agree if you can pull Inter-AC somehow to the non-boundary that immediately becomes more interesting.

 

[paul from philly]

It's not just SJP football

Wrestling
2024: Bethlehem Catholic over Easton
2024: Faith Christian over Bishop McCourt (2A) (McCourt just came off of two year PIAA suspension for violating recruiting rules)
2023: Bethlehem Catholic over Nazareth
2023: Faith Christian over Fort LeBoeuf (2A) (hired a wrestling coach in 2022, transferred in a new team)
2022: Bethlehem Catholic over Nazareth
2022: Saucon Valley over Notre Dame (2A)
2021: Waynesburg Central over Central Dauphin (Becahi didn’t participate)
2020: Nazareth over Waynesburg Central
2019: Behtlehem catholic over Northampton
2018: Bethlehem Catholic over Kiski Area
2017: Nazareth over Bethlehem Catholic
2016: Bethlehem Catholic over Boyertown
2015: Franklin Regional over Cumberland Valley
2014: Bethlehem Catholic over Reynolds (2A) (Becahi elected up to 3A after this season)
2013: Bethlehem Catholic over Reynolds (2A)
2012: Bethlehem Catholic over Boiling Springs (2A)
2011: Bethlehem Catholic over Fort LeBoeuf (2A) (hired a new coach in 2009, brought in an entire club team from MS)

Swimming
2024: North Penn
2023: 1. North Penn 2. LaSalle
2022: 1. Seneca Valley 2. LaSalle
2021: LaSalle
2020: LaSalle
2019: 1. North Allegheny 2. North Penn 3. LaSalle
2018: North Allegheny
2017: 1. north Allegheny 2. LaSalle
2016: LaSalle
2015: LaSalle
2014: LaSalle
2013: LaSalle
2012: LaSalle
2011: 1. Hershey 2. LaSalle
2010: 1. North Allegheny 2. Wilson West Lawn 3. LaSalle
2009: 1. North Allegheny 2. Emmaus 3. LaSalle

Basketball 5A/3A
2024: Imhotep Charter over Franklin Regional
2023: Imhotep Charter over Exeter
2022: Imohtep Charter over New Castle
2021: Erie Cathedral Prep over Archbishop Ryan
2019: Moon over Archbishop Wood
2018: Abington Heights over Mars
2017: Archbishop Wood over Meadville
2016: Neumann-Goretti over Mars
2015: Neuman-Goretti over Archbishop Carroll
2014: Neuman-Goretti over Susquehanna Township
2013: Imhotep Charter over Neuman-Goretti
2012: Neumann-Goretti over Montour
2011: Neumann-Goretti over Montour
2010: Neumann-Goretti over Chartiers Valley
2009: Archbishop Carroll over Greensburg-Salem

Basketball 6A/4A
2024: Central York over Parkland
2023: Reading over Roman Catholic
2022: Roman Catholic over Archbishop Wood
2021: Reading over Archbishop Wood
2019: Kennedy Catholic over Pennridge
2018: Roman Catholic over Lincoln
2017: Reading over Pine Richland
2016: Roman Catholic over Allderdice
2015: Roman Catholic over MLK
2014: New Castle over LaSalle

Baseball is the dumbest postseason in the PIAA (a single elimination baseball tournament is a random championship generator) - no team has been to state finals more than once since 2009, except for LaSalle, who has three titles and four finals appearances since 2012.

If you're talking about separating team championships, it's not just a football driven argument.

Rover, go back farther than the PIAA letting the private schools in. La Salle has had a championship swimming program going back to the late 60s. Won Nationals a number of times. Roman Catholic has had a premiere program since the early 70s when Speedy Morris walked the baseline. And you can't leave out the St. Joe crew team. What I'm trying to point out is these levels of dominance have been going on for years and that goes for when there were no open borders.

 

[lilromeo]

Would be a shame if these games were never played. Same for older years BECA vs CBW, Allentown Central Catholic , Strath Haven Manheim Central with Bishop McDevitt and so on. These are the games people want to see. Yes its a shame the SJP having upper hand and unfair and blah blah blah, but when Mt Leb and PR won it was that much better. for those teams winning Split it up and you have "state" champs in sub section of non boundary and boundary schools. and a bunch of what ifs. North Penn and LaSalle was great for like a 6 year period back and forth winning close game. A shame to lose the ability to play on the field. Would be regrettable long term to split even accepting the SJP doing it best past 10 years. I will agree if you can pull Inter-AC somehow to the non-boundary that immediately becomes more interesting.

I would think if you ask the players that they would want a chance to compete and possibly beat the top dog. I know many years ago in my day my small Hs McDevitt would be up against a father Judge for example which had 3000 boys and we wanted the challenge and btw won some . Ask those guys from those two District 7 teams that beat the Prep how they felt. keep things the same . Look what happened to Wood!!

 

[BradlyPitt]

Ask those guys from those two District 7 teams that beat the Prep how they felt. keep things the same . Look what happened to Wood!!

ask North Allegheny last year, they all said SJP had major unfair advantages

look what happened to Wood? if the same thing happens to SJP that will just mean somebody like Lasalle is the new "cool" private school to play for

 

[Stalker]

Would be a shame if these games were never played. Same for older years BECA vs CBW, Allentown Central Catholic , Strath Haven Manheim Central with Bishop McDevitt and so on. These are the games people want to see. Yes its a shame the SJP having upper hand and unfair and blah blah blah, but when Mt Leb and PR won it was that much better. for those teams winning Split it up and you have "state" champs in sub section of non boundary and boundary schools. and a bunch of what ifs. North Penn and LaSalle was great for like a 6 year period back and forth winning close game. A shame to lose the ability to play on the field. Would be regrettable long term to split even accepting the SJP doing it best past 10 years. I will agree if you can pull Inter-AC somehow to the non-boundary that immediately becomes more interesting.

I'm a broken record on this for at least a few years hoping the PIAA wakes up to see this is not rocket science. In fact it's child's play to leave it as it is declaring a Public School Champ and a Private School Champ.

So what if SJP drubs Central Dauphin. CD is still the public school champ. Nothing has to change, except in some cases where its Public vs Private to make a couple extra trophies. Jeez!

 

[RCH13co18]

I say just remove District 12 as a whole and let the PIAA go back to the way everyone loved before.

 

[Frank_montco]

I say just remove District 12 as a whole and let the PIAA go back to the way everyone loved before.

That would be a huge step backwards ,not necessary and over reaction. I really hope that isn't the case. PA should be proud of teams like SJP regardless if "fair" or not. They do it best within the rules. Non State Champs teams can enjoy League titles, District Titles, strong playoff wins and advancements. And if can beat SJP, LaSalle a couple times in 8-10 year window , let it be and enjoy it. Its a PA State Title , make it mean something. Already went from 4 classes to 6.

 

[RCH13co18]

That would be a huge step backwards ,not necessary and over reaction. I really hope that isn't the case. PA should be proud of teams like SJP regardless if "fair" or not. They do it best within the rules. Non State Champs teams can enjoy League titles, District Titles, strong playoff wins and advancements. And if can beat SJP, LaSalle a couple times in 8-10 year window , let it be and enjoy it. Its a PA State Title , make it mean something. Already went from 4 classes to 6.

Oh I agree. I just think we have this discussion every year around this time. To make everyone happy . ML state title means that much more beating SJP. Separating it would seem like a JV trophy.

 

[Fletchster1]

It is not centered on District 12, it is due solely to the advantage of non-boundary schools building a roster playing against boundary schools in the same playoff brackets. It's not just SJP, this year we have PCC, BM, RC, PJP, Bonner in the final 8. It's ridiculous and will be rectified.

I'm sure the Parkland boys this week and NP/DWest boys are really excited...

 

[northalleghenytiger]

Pennsylvania has no business trying to handle 6 classes at this point