The first round of the PIAA basketball tournament is tonight, but these playoffs -- and those in every other sport -- will never look this way again.
That's because the Catholic schools from the city of brotherly love are coming.
Philadelphia Catholic League schools will be full-fledged members of the PIAA starting in the 2008-09 school year. With a long history of talented players and talented teams, the Catholic League is expected to have its biggest impact in football and basketball.
"I think we can be pretty competitive in both of those sports, but certainly basketball," said Dave Falcione, chairman of the Catholic League athletic directors. "Philadelphia is a basketball city and that's why I think we might immediately have some impact in that sport."
The Catholic League is made up of 16 schools that will compete in PIAA boys' sports next season. The league also has a handful of other schools that have only girl students. Also, Lansdale Catholic, which has boys' and girls' sports, will join the Catholic League in the 2008-09 year.
The Catholic League regularly produces Division I college basketball players. Two former Catholic League players are in the Pro Basketball Hall of Fame (Paul Arizin and Tom Gola). Roman Catholic regularly produces some of the top players in the state, and St. John Neumann-Goretti is a Catholic League school with usually strong basketball teams. Rick Jackson and "Scoop" Jardine are Neumann-Goretti graduates playing at Syracuse.
In football, Indianapolis Colts receiver Marvin Harrison is one of the better-known graduates of the Catholic League.
The addition of the Catholic League means winning a PIAA championship next year will be awfully close to winning a true "state championship." The Philadelphia Public League joined the PIAA in the 2004-05 school year.
"The only two leagues left in the state that have significant numbers and are not in the PIAA will be the Inter-Academic League and the Friends Schools League, both in southeastern Pennsylvania," said PIAA executive director Brad Cashman. "Both of those leagues are comprised of private schools that can probably better be described as prep schools.
"We've met with the Inter-Ac League officials on two occasions. Right now, they're still not pursuing membership. ... Having the Catholic League in is just another step in making this state whole and having a true state championship in all the classifications."
But Cashman believes the Catholic League's impact will be stronger in football than basketball. One of the reasons is because teams outside of Philadelphia, but still in Eastern Pennsylvania, regularly produce top-notch basketball teams. They will not be pushovers for Catholic League teams.
Another reason for Cashman's belief is St. Joseph's Prep, a school that has produced some football teams that have been nationally ranked in recent history. Cardinal O'Hara is another Catholic League team with a strong football tradition.
"Certainly Philadelphia is a hotbed for basketball," said Jim Murray, who is in his 37th year as athletic director at St. Joseph's Prep.
St. Joseph's boys' basketball coach Speedy Morris played at Roman Catholic and coached the La Salle University men's team for 15 years before coming back to coach in the Catholic League.
"Our league will always have capable teams, but whether we win it all remains to be seen," Morris said. "Maybe in some years we can win some things, but not every year. I really think this year is a down year for us, as far as powerful teams. I think Chester is clearly more talented than our teams. But things run in cycles."
Chester is a District 1 school. The PIAA is broken into 12 districts around the state, and schools near Philadelphia and in surrounding suburbs are in District 1. The Philadelphia Catholic League schools will be in District 12 along with the Philadelphia Public League schools.
Some coaches and athletic directors in the Catholic League say they aren't looking forward to being part of the PIAA. They don't like some of the PIAA rules, most specifically those concerning length of seasons and number of games allowed in the regular season.
Starting next year, basketball teams in the PIAA will be permitted to play only 22 regular-season games. Philadelphia Catholic League teams are now allowed 26. Also, in Class AAAA basketball, the Catholic League will get only two teams in the PIAA tournament and the Public League will get two.
"Right now, we're not happy campers," Morris said. "Hopefully, things will work out OK, but only getting two teams in the state playoffs is not what we envisioned."
Murray said, "To be honest, I'm not sure I know a coach or athletic director in the Catholic League who is happy about joining [the PIAA]."
One of the PIAA's original concerns about the Catholic League joining was schools recruiting student-athletes, which is illegal in the PIAA.
"They have placed themselves under a tremendously strong microscope," Cashman said. "The scrutiny will continue for a very long time. But I've received pledges from the Bishop [Joseph McFadden] down there to the athletic director and coaches that they will do everything by the PIAA bylaws."
First Published: February 29, 2008, 5:00 a.m.
