The possibility of the City League joining the WPIAL brings mixed reactions. If it was just the eight or nine schools it would be no problem. But the proposed five-team split is an insult to the city, City League fans and city taxpayers. What about tradition, rivalries? Why should fans come out to watch?
Obama-Westinghouse-Prep vs. Perry-Oliver? That’s stupid. And why is it the White schools can stand on their own? Carrick and Allderdice are the only two schools projected to stand alone. How many championships of any kind has Carrick won? The other projected combo is Brashear-Langley.
Are they saying that if divided into the classes its population warrants, be it Class A, AA, AAA or AAAA, City League schools cannot compete athletically in any sport with the WPIAL? So in order to be competitive they must be combined?
The biggest insult to city dwellers is this is the first time any of us have heard of it. Why hasn’t it been discussed at school board meetings in which some kind of feedback could have been gotten from the parents and fans. But most importantly, the taxpayers who are going to have to foot the bill.
Why do I say taxpayers? Well, think of the cost when just about every kid has to leave his or her school to practice. Where do North Side kids practice? Perry or Oliver. What about Hill District kids? Do they go to the Brashear-Langley or Prep-Obama-Westinghouse? Do they practice at Prep-Milliones, Westinghouse, Brashear or Langley?
Don’t get me wrong, living on the North Side I would somewhat love to see a combined Perry-Oliver sports team. We would kick some WPIAL butt. Man, just think of the football team they would have. And what Phyllis Jones of Westinghouse, who has dominated City League hoops for the past two decades, could do with Westinghouse-Obama-Prep girls hoops teams combined. Wow, wow, wow. But where does Debbie Lewis from Schenley go? The coaching question is a big one also. Who gets cut out when the nine is cut to five?
In all fairness, this whole plan needs to be evaluated and taken to the general public for more feedback. I’m just not all that hot on Hill District kids, especially young males, having to catch buses from Obama in East Liberty late night after a game.
I can see Westinghouse and Langley being joined with some other school. Westinghouse, because of its low enrollment, and Langley because of its total ineptness in sports as a whole. So here’s my makeup.
Perry, Oliver, Obama- Westinghouse, Prep, Langley-Brashear, Carrick, and Allderdice. This reduces the City League from nine to seven teams, because Schenley is gone anyway, with most of its students going to Prep because it’s located in the Hill. But I do really like the Perry-Oliver combo, just call them the North Side Destroyers. With these seven combinations there would still be some rivalries left, and some school pride.
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