PIAA notes: Texting on the bench during a game?
Mike White | Saturday, March 21, 9:05 p.m.
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The PIAA Class AAAA championship just ended and Penn Wood defeated York High, 72-53, but I saw something late in the game that was unbelievable to me. Although maybe it's a sign of the times.
With a little more than two minutes left in the game, I looked at York's bench and one of the team's reserves had his cell phone out and actually looked like he was texting someone. I kid you not. Then when the game ended, he put the phone to his ear.
Now here is another unbelievable thing. The player wasn't at the end of the bench, and the team's coach Troy Sowers walked right by him while he had the phone out. The coach appeared to look right at him and didn't do anything. Maybe he didn't see it. Maybe he didn't care. Who knows? Maybe there was a reason. I still found it hard to believe.
Attendance and other notes
Attendance for the eight PIAA championship games at Penn State's Bryce Jordan Center was 18,620.
Four doubleheaders were played over the two days (Penn Wood vs. York is going on now ). The largest crowd was for tonight's doubleheader (Class AAAA boys and AAA girls). Attendance was 5,291.
* Any Philadelphia public schools that make it to the PIAA finals seem to kill attendance - and will continue to do so. That's because they have no community support. Heck, some of the schools have practically no support. Imhotep Charter had maybe 100 fans at most for today's Class AA boys' final. Did you know that two years ago Philadelphia Prep Charter sold fewer than 20 tickets presale for its PIAA title game.
* You can bet the public vs. private school debate will be a hot topic again. Get this: Out of the 16 teams in the championships, 12 were either private, charter or Catholic schools.
* Wonder how long it will be before we see a public school from the west make it to the boys' Class A final? It has happened only twice in the past 14 seasons. Juniata Valley made it in 1996 and Union in 2003.
* York High's Malik Generett is a University of Connecticut football recruit. He has an impressive looking body and looks athletic. Might end up being a nice player for the Huskies. Generett was recruited to play receiver.
* Sources tell me the transferring of players in Philadelphia area schools is getting ridiculous. And so is the recruiting.
* To think DeJuan Blair was playing here only two years ago, leading Schenley to a title. Hard to believe it has already been 13 years since Kobe Bryant played in the PIAA title game in Hershey for Lower Merion. Hard to believe he's been in the NBA that long.
* I'm watching Penn Wood and York play in the Class AAAA boys' championship game. Blair's Schenley team two years ago definitely beats both of them.
* Penn Wood is going to win this game - and easily. The Patriots have a 20-point lead with 5:30 left. And Penn Wood very easily could be back here again next year. Only one senior is in the starting lineup.