Stone might not believe it, but he’s one of the best

Section teams meet? Ever since the WPIAL had basketball playoffs, the league has not scheduled teams from the same section to play each other in the first round. That could change this season.

WPIAL executive director Tim O’Malley said it will be up to the WPIAL basketball committee to decide. But with six classifications, first-round games between section opponents are definitely possible.

In WPIAL boys basketball, four classes have three sections. Five girls classifications have three sections. That means, barring ties, there will be 12-team fields in the classes with three sections. Four teams will then get a bye.

In football season, the WPIAL had a few firstround games with teams from the same conferences.

“I think it’s imperative for the committee to establish a bracket that in their estimation seeds teams 1 to 12 and that very well could put teams from the same section together,” said O’Malley.

Life in the teens

It can be tough for a small school to start a girls basketball program. This is Propel Andrew Street’s first season in the WPIAL for boys and girls basketball. Things are OK for Propel’s boys as they are one of the top teams in WPIAL Class 1A Section 3.

But Propel’s girls team struggles mightily, heading into Thursday night’s game with an 0-13 record. The 13 losses matched Propel’s scoring average as the team was outscored by an average of 54-13.

As bad as Propel sounds, a handful of other WPIAL girls teams rarely see the ball go through the hoop also. Valley is averaging 15 points a game, Springdale 16 and Waynesburg and Yough 17.

Ouch.

Big 33 change

The annual Big 33 all-star football game will go on this year, but will be run by the Pennsylvania Football Coaches Association and no longer the Big 33 Scholarship Foundation.

The Big 33 is one of the longest-running all-star games in the country. This will be the 60th anniversary of the game, which matches Pennsylvania against Maryland. But the Harrisburgbased Big 33 Foundation, which ran the game, recently dissolved because of financial difficulties and the PFCA agreed to take over the game. Dave Trimbur, former director of the Big 33 Foundation, died in December.

This year’s contest is scheduled for May 29 in Hershey, but that date could change. The crowds for the Big 33 have shrunk considerably over the past decade or so. Some top players in Pennsylvania have chosen not to play in recent years.

But the Big 33 has a rich history. Consider there has never been a Super Bowl without a former Big 33 player.

PIAA football change

The PIAA has made a change to its football championship schedule for next year. Two championships will be played on three consecutive days (Dec. 7,8, 9). This year, one game was played on a Thursday, two on Friday and three on Saturday. The PIAA felt playing three in one day was too difficult.