PHILADELPHIA Public schools will join the PIAA
Philadelphia's public schools will vie for statewide titles as early as the 2004-05 school year.
PHILADELPHIA (AP) -- The Pennsylvania state high school playoffs are going to look a lot different.
The Philadelphia public schools, which comprise the city's Public League, will join the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association, the governing body for scholastic athletics for the rest of the state, and compete for statewide titles, as early as the 2004-05 school year.
The move means Public League teams will become instant championship contenders, especially in boys and girls basketball and track and field.
"The level of competition is already good and it can only improve with the addition of the schools from Philadelphia," said Harrisburg High School boys basketball coach Kirk Smallwood. "We welcome the challenge."
He may be in the minority.
Some legendary teams
Philadelphia has produced some legendary teams, particularly in boys basketball. Led by current Portland TrailBlazer Rasheed Wallace, Simon Gratz High School won USA Today's mythical "national championship" in 1993. Bill Ellerbee, who led Gratz to a 452-100 record during his 20-year tenure, is now an assistant to Temple University coach John Chaney. Gratz was also the high school of current Philadelphia 76er Aaron McKie.
Returning Public League champs Strawberry Mansion feature Maureece Rice, last year's Associated Press Pennsylvania Big School player of the year. Rice is on pace to break Wilt Chamberlain's career city scoring record of 2,206 points, which he set in the 1950s at Overbrook High School.
Girls track power William Penn High School has won 17 of the last 19 Pennsylvania Track and Field Coaches Association indoor championships. That non-PIAA event features most of the top track and field stars in the state. Simon Gratz won the event the other two times.
Ellerbee, however, cautioned that Public League basketball teams will not get a free pass to the state title.
Will be challengers
"The Public League teams will be contenders. But you have to remember that it's a tournament," Ellerbee said. "There's a lot involved -- traveling, playing teams outside of your area. It'll bring out the best in the other teams as well."
Chester High School boys basketball coach Fred Pickett agrees.
"The PIAA plays a different brand of basketball. The public league teams will have to adapt," Pickett said.
Most of the 36 Philadelphia high schools are likely fall under the PIAA's AAAA classification, where the high schools with the largest enrollment compete. The city is expected to become its own separate district within the PIAA.
Students in Philadelphia will be able to choose the high school they will attend, PIAA Executive Director Brad Cashman said. The school district's open enrollment policy may prove to be an advantage for the Philadelphia schools.