George Guido: Time is now for WPIAL to decide on nonboundary issue

By: HSSN Staff
Tuesday, August 14, 2018 | 11:06 PM

With apologies to author John Steinbeck and “The Winter of Our Discontent,” summer 2018 has become the summer of our discontent for public school officials.

Several weeks ago, at least 137 school district superintendents — including representatives of Burrell, Fox Chapel and Kiski Area — met in State College to discuss advocating separate playoff systems for boundary and nonboundary high schools or perhaps just to jump the PIAA ship altogether.

Both the boundary and nonboundary schools would still play regular-season games.

The PIAA claims it can’t change the 1972 law that mandated all schools be treated equally. Only the state legislature can do so.

The public school officials say otherwise.

The PIAA also claims that new measures instituted recently will curb transfers. One measure states that any student who transfers after their 10th grade sports season will be ineligible to compete in the playoffs for one year at their new school.

To gauge that effect, about 60 students transferred WPIAL schools prior to August 6, the date the new rule took hold.

Or, as Jim Morrison and The Doors once sang: “the time to hesitate is through.”

Now, as a postscript to the July meeting, school boards across the state are being asked to vote for resolutions affirming support for separate playoff systems.

The Leechburg Area School District has a vote coming up Aug. 22.

“This should have been done years ago,” Leechburg Area school board President Neill Brady said last week. “This resolution is a step in the right direction.”

The insurrection has been building for months, thanks to a survey sent out by New Castle superintendent and former basketball coach John Sarandrea to fellow WPIAL superintendents.

Schools from PIAA Districts 6, 9, 10 and York County soon joined in.

But an outright withdrawal from the PIAA?

The closest thing to that ever happening before was in 1980, the first year of Class AAAA football. For two seasons, Franklin Regional, Seneca Valley and Moon played independent football schedules, rather than face the likes of Gateway, Penn Hills and North Allegheny week-in and week-out. But it was only for football, and all three schools returned to the fold in 1982, when the WPIAL separated Class AAAA into two divisions based on enrollment size.

There was brief talk about those three and several other schools bolting the WPIAL, but nothing ever materialized.

In fact, Franklin Regional got off to a good start in 1980, leaving Panthers fans to wonder if the right move was made.

Kiski Area to honor Dilts

The call has gone out to all Kiski Area football alumni to attend the Cavaliers first game at the new Richard J. Dilts Stadium on August 24 on the high school campus.

The deadline is Friday for those looking to attend the festivities.

Kiski Area will be playing defending City League champion Allderdice to christen the new field.

Prior to the game, the Kiski Area Football Boosters will host a catered dinner in the upper cafeteria for all alumni who confirm their attendance at the game. The dinner will take place at 5:30-6:30. After the dinner, alumni will be asked to form two lines as the team will enter the field at 6:45 p.m. Once the team has entered the field, the alumni will create a half-circle at the 50-yard line. At that time, the public address announcer will read the accomplishments coach Dilts achieved as coach of the Kiski Area Cavaliers from 1962-93.

After the announcement is read, coach Dilts will be the honorary team captain and will take part in the coin toss.

Something interesting about Dilts: Even though he hasn’t coached for 25 years, Dilts’ 234 coaching victories is still second in Alle-Kiski Valley history to Chuck Wagner’s 270.

Dilts won 214 games at Kiski Area and 20 at Pine-Richland.

Also, Dilts is No. 14 on the all-time WPIAL coaching victories list.

Those who still need to confirm plans are asked to email Jen Bowman at Jennie.Bowman@kiskiarea.com .

George Guido is a Valley News Dispatch scholastic sports correspondent. His column appears Wednesdays.