Maybe it's a sign of schools simply trying to be politically correct. Maybe it's just another effect of gender equity. Or maybe schools don't want to face the prospect of being sued.
Whatever the reason, you'll see much more WPIAL girls' basketball on Friday nights next season.
Some schools have decided to schedule some girls' games on Friday nights next season and move some boys' games to Thursday nights. Other schools have decided to play a handful of boy-girl doubleheaders on Friday nights.
For example, all WPIAL Class AAAA Section 5 girls' games will be played on Tuesdays and Fridays the first half of the season, and the boys' games on Mondays and Thursdays. The boys and girls will switch game nights the second half of the season. Upper St. Clair, Mt. Lebanon and Bethel Park are some of the schools in Section 5.
For decades, boys' games have been played on Tuesdays and Fridays and girls on Mondays and Thursdays. But in recent years, some parents and coaches have complained that girls' teams should be able to play on Fridays, too.
"Some suits have been filed in Michigan and West Virginia on behalf of female athletes, claiming the females should have an equal opportunity for what is referred to as prime time -- and that's Friday nights," said Tim O'Malley, President of the WPIAL who also is Butler's athletic director. "The WPIAL has responsibly taken the approach to provide member schools the opportunity to schedule games when they want."
Girls' basketball proponents also have complained that it's not fair for girls to always play on Thursdays because they must get up early the next morning for school.
Some schools are trying the idea of girl-boy doubleheaders on Fridays. Butler will play three boy-girl varsity doubleheaders this season.
But at some schools, the doubleheaders bring up the problem of when to play junior varsity games. They are always played before the varsity games. Doubleheaders also could start a problem with booster clubs. At most schools, boys' games draw much larger crowds than girls' games. A boys' booster club may not want to split revenues with a girls' booster club from a refreshment stand, etc.
"When we looked at this, the doubleheaders seemed to create so many other problems and headaches," said Mt. Lebanon Athletic Director John Grogan, whose teams are in Section 5. "By switching nights for half the season, all the athletic directors felt we made it as equal as we possibly can."
Asking price
Baseball America ranked Seneca Valley pitcher Zach Jackson the second-best high school prospect in Pennsylvania for the major-league draft. Jackson thought he might go in the first 10 rounds.
But Jackson wasn't selected until the 50th and final round by the Chicago White Sox. The main reason he wasn't selected seemed to be money. Jackson's father said he and his son informed scouts that Jackson wouldn't sign with a major-league team unless he was paid the money of a second- or third-round pick. Apparently, teams didn't think he was worth it.
Jackson will play next season at the University of Louisville.
Surprise, surprise
Many were surprised when Greensburg Salem pitcher Adam Bostick was selected in the sixth round by the Florida Marlins. Coaches in WPIAL Class AAA Section 1 had to be shocked. They did not vote Bostick first-team all-section.
The best ever?
Is the Seminole High baseball team the best ever? The draft may have proved it.
Seminole, the Florida Class 5A champions with a 31-0 record, had six players drafted and they were all taken in the first 26 rounds. Four were selected in the first 10 rounds. First baseman Casey Kotchman was the 13th pick in the first round and Bryan Bass was the 31st pick, a sandwich pick between the first and second rounds. Pitcher John Killalea was selected in the sixth round and pitcher T.J. Large in the ninth.
It has been 21 years since a WPIAL team had two players selected in the first 10 rounds. In 1980, Shaler's Doug Maggio was picked in the third round by the Phillies and pitcher Wayne Schuckert in the ninth round by the White Sox.
That team is considered possibly the best in decades. Three other players from the '80 Shaler team went on to be drafted out of college. They were Pitt outfielder Matt Stennett, Point Park pitcher Chip Peluso and West Virginia pitcher Rich Schlieper. That makes five players from the '80 team who were drafted -- all in the top 25 rounds.
Run and they will come
Brad Mueller is only a sophomore at Mars and was a starting running back for only half the season. But coaches from Ohio State, Kentucky and Memphis all showed up at Coach Scott Heinauer's office on the same day last month, wanting to talk to Heinauer about Mueller. The reason was because Mueller ran the 40-yard dash in a dazzling 4.27 seconds at Joe Butler's Metro Index Camp.
"Those coaches were all at the camp and the next day they all showed up here," Heinauer said.
Just to be sure of Mueller's time, camp officials had him run it again the next night. Heinauer said Mueller ran another 4.27 and a 4.28. Mueller burst on the WPIAL track and field scene this spring when he won the Class AA championship in the 100-meter dash and finished second in the PIAA.
"All we hope is that he runs for touchdowns this season," Heinauer said.
Rubber arm
Chambersburg beat Jersey Shore, 1-0, in 20 innings in a PIAA softball game Thursday. Jersey Shore used two pitchers, but Chambersburg's Steph Van Brakle pitched all 20 innings and threw 262 pitches. The game lasted 3 hours and 46 minutes. Van Brakle hasn't allowed a run in the past 73 innings.
E-mail this story 
