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City teams in better state

From the rifle championships of the early 1900s to 17 boys’ basketball crowns, South Philadelphia High has collected cases full of Public League athletic titles.

If everything goes according to plan, future Southern teams — and Public League squads across the city — could have the chance to compete for more prestigious honors.

The School District of Philadelphia is planning a joint press conference tomorrow with the Pennsylvania State Interscholastic Athletic Association.

Though the district has tried to keep a lid on the details, the PIAA — the governing body for most of the state’s athletic programs — is expected to announce that the Philadelphia Public League is joining its ranks.

The district and the PIAA held two previous meetings this fall to lay the groundwork for city schools’ membership.

School district officials would only confirm that they "will announce their intentions as they pertain to any future relationship with the PIAA" at tomorrow’s event.

Just about every other district in the state already participates in PIAA championship tournaments. The Philadelphia Catholic League and Inter-Ac officials are in preliminary discussions to join up. Tomorrow’s expected announcement marks the biggest change in the Public League’s 100-year-plus history.

Melissa Mertz, assistant executive director for the PIAA, said the addition of the Philadelphia Public League would enhance the association’s credibility.

"We feel it was a missing piece," Mertz said. "This is going to allow us to call it a true state championship."


If the Public League receives majority approval from the PIAA’s 29-member board, it will be able to start making the transition during the 2003-04 school year. Teams would follow the PIAA bylaws, but wouldn’t be able to compete in postseason tournaments until the following school year.

Overall, coaches and athletic directors are excited about the potential change, though there are some concerns.

"There are some small issues that need to be worked out, but really, everybody is upbeat," said Southern athletic director Ed Williams. "It’s very, very positive."

George Anderson, who coaches basketball and soccer at Southern, said he has mixed feelings about joining the state association.

"It’ll be nice competing for a state championship, but the status of the Public League championships stands on its own," Anderson said. "There is nothing for us to gain by playing against the top teams in the state. We know we are as good based on the number of athletes who go on to play in college."

Lionel Simmons, Kareem Townes and Jeff Myers are among the former Southern hoops stars who have gone on to play Division I college basketball.

Anderson said he is more against PIAA membership than for it.

"It’s not because the PIAA is a bad thing," he said. "The PIAA was designed for other people. Our situation in Philadelphia is different than the rest of the state."

Art Kratchman, the baseball and basketball coach at Girard Academic Music Program, said he likes the idea of competing for a state title.

"It’s great as long as the specifics can be worked out," he said.

Under the plan, Philadelphia County would essentially become District 12 in the PIAA’s statewide structure, and whoever wins the Public League title in a given sport would be the District 12 champion.

The new bylaws also might result in an earlier start to athletic seasons, new physical and academic eligibility requirements, and additional policies regarding student transfers.

Current Public League rules require the academic standing of student-athletes to be checked four times a year (at the end of each marking period), while the PIAA requires weekly evaluations.

The PIAA fall sports seasons start on Aug. 14, but Public League teams don’t even start training until the last week of August.

Public League rules also require coaches to be certified teachers in the school district, while PIAA rules allow outside coaches to run programs.

The PIAA playoff system could benefit smaller schools like GAMP, Bok, Furness and Audenried, as it’s based on enrollment size. The schools with the smallest enrollments compete in the A-level playoffs, while the biggest schools qualify for the AAAA level.

"The whole purpose is to compete at your own level," Kratchman said.

GAMP, the city’s smallest high school with an enrollment of 250, won the Public League baseball title last season, but often struggles to win three games during basketball season.

The biggest disadvantage for South Philadelphia and other city teams is a lack of facilities. The majority of the PIAA squads have their own fields and basketball courts available to them on school grounds; most city teams have to use local recreation centers. Sharing the fields with other local youth programs often causes a logjam.

If membership is approved, the school district will have the next two years to address any needed changes for city teams.

"[School District of Philadelphia CEO] Paul Vallas has pretty much made it a priority to join the PIAA," Mertz said. "We are going to do everything to make it a smooth transition."

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