A great deal was written last week about how Cardinal O'Hara, the team Mt. Lebanon faced in the PIAA, Class AAAA girls' final Friday, had five Division I college recruits in its starting lineup.

When asked whether Mt. Lebanon could win a PIAA title, one office wag said, "I don't give them much of a chance. O'Hara has all those Division I recruits."

But just because a team is filled with players bound for Division I colleges doesn't mean it's a better squad and that the opposition might as well not show up for the game.

Mt. Lebanon, an underdog with an undefeated record, decided to make the trip to University Park and take on Philadelphia power O'Hara.

Look at what happened: Mt. Lebanon defeated O'Hara, 67-58, to finish the season with a 31-0 record and the school's first PIAA girls' crown.

OK, so Stephanie Holzer, O'Hara's 6-foot-4 center, injured an ankle and didn't play most of the second half. Folks in the Philadelphia area were probably saying Saturday, "It would have been different if Holzer doesn't get hurt. That's the only way Mt. Lebanon was able to win."

Maybe Holzer would have made a difference, but the score was close when she went down with the injury. And didn't O'Hara still have four Division I college recruits on the floor?

The point is that it doesn't matter if a high school team has five or 12 Division I college recruits, especially in the girls' ranks. It makes for good reading, but that's about it. Mt. Lebanon used a team concept -- the sum is greater than its parts -- all season, has one of the best coaches in the state in Dori Oldaker, who has guided teams to three PIAA titles -- she won two Class AAA crowns at Blackhawk -- and didn't get rattled when it was behind.

The Blue Devils championship shouldn't be viewed as tainted just because Holzer, a McDonald's All-American headed for Vanderbilt, turned an ankle. Injuries are part of the game, just as being able to overcome them is what championship teams do.

O'Hara wasn't able to do that.

And who is to say that Mt. Lebanon would not have won even if Holzer isn't injured?

The PIAA board of control passed on a second reading the establishment of six classifications for football at a meeting last week. The motion must pass a third and final reading by a two-thirds margin of the board of control members to be implemented. That reading will come in May.

So what does that have to do with basketball?

Well, basketball will probably be the next shoe to drop if the PIAA makes a change in classifications for football. And a possible shift from four to six classification in football and basketball is something that will be discussed at the annual Pennsylvania State Athletic Directors Association convention that started yesterday in Hershey.

"What [the WPIAL athletic directors] want to know is if the PIAA has a policy, shouldn't it be followed for all sports?" asked Beaver High School athletic director Dan O'Neil, the chairman for the WPIAL basketball steering committee. "[The PIAA is] not following that for golf, which should have two classifications. That needs to be explained.

"I'm not in favor of [six classifications] for football or basketball. We've got a good thing going and it works."

The 14th annual Hoops for the Cure all-star game is 6:15 p.m. tomorrow at Chartiers Valley High School and will be followed by a contest between the Pittsburgh Steelers and a team comprised of Chartiers Valley alumni. Funds from the two events benefit the Nathan S. Arenson Fund for Pancreatic Cancer Research.

The Hoops for the Cure game will have a team of WPIAL Class AAA all-stars going against an all-star squad comprised of players from other classifications.

The Harrisburg Patriot-News has released its postseason boys' rankings. Not surprisingly, there are no WPIAL or City League teams among the top 10 in Class AAAA. Mt. Lebanon was the only WPIAL team mentioned and was listed under honorable mention.

In Class AAA, Greensburg Salem, which lost in the PIAA final, is ranked No. 3 with Chartiers Valley No. 6 and WPIAL champion Hampton No. 7.

In Class AA, PIAA runner-up and WPIAL champion North Catholic is No. 2 with Washington No. 8.

In Class A, WPIAL champion Sewickley Academy is No. 5 with Serra Catholic No. 9.

After checking the scorebook for this season, Chartiers Valley coach Tim McConnell reports that his son, T.J., a junior guard, scored 601 points. That means T.J. has 1,344 career points and will need to score 656 points next year to reach the magic 2,000-point plateau.

Also, Chartiers Valley finished with 321 3-point field goals this season.