February 24-March 2, 2005

city beat

Rivalry Weak

bracket busted: Steve Newton's block attempt wasn't enough to propel Simon Gratz High past Frankford. Photo By: Michael T. Regan

It hasn't been easy for Philly high-school sports teams to take the state.

by J.F. Pirro

Washington High place-kicker Mike Kline lines up on the right hash mark. A light rain is falling, and he's testing his footing on the untested artificial turf of Northeast High's Charlie Martin Memorial Stadium, the first of Philadelphia's four promised athletic Super Sites that were built so city schools could enter statewide competition.

A senior, he's attempted just one other field goal. That was in the season opener. LaSalle blocked it.

Now, Kline has 23 yards between himself and a 10-9 fourth-quarter lead in one of Philly's first two state playoff football games last fall. Never mind the crowd of 5,000, a radio station, two TV cameras, a dozen-plus sportswriters and a 250-member band from Easton, the Eagles' opponent that brought 17 coaches, or 12 more than Washington's crew.

"He has the tape," says Hallie Kline, Mike's twin sister and Washington's all-league field hockey and soccer captain, of a video of a kick that marked a unique moment in Philadelphia scholastic-sports history. "I bet you he's played it 20 times."

For the School District of Philadelphia, this fledgling foray into the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA), and its accompanying statewide postseason tournaments, to use a sporting term, seems like an "and one" situation — especially now that it's deep into basketball season. But, when Philly's hoops teams make their state debut March 4, a 106-year "Pub"-only tradition will be followed by the PIAA's first true state basketball championships in its 91-year history. These next couple weeks could make the Public League — or break it.

Kline's kick made it, but what happened next was priceless: Matt's father Bruce stands behind the goal posts. He pumps both hands into the air to indicate the kick's success, then disappears from the frame. Off camera, he catches the ball. For Bruce, who was a young assistant at Simon Gratz with Washington's coach Ron Cohen, the moment put him back in touch with Public League tradition, for one last time.

"He came running to me on the sideline," Mike Kline says. "He had this big smile on his face, and he hugged me. It couldn't have been any better. It was the best moment of my life."

Philly crowns its PL (aka PIAA District 12) boys and girls basketball champions tomorrow night at Temple's Liacouras Center (Central vs. Prep Charter at 8 p.m. in the boys game and Central vs. Carver at 6 p.m. for the girls title). Then, those four championship teams plus another 12 PL teams will begin a second season: the state tournament.

Of the 16, five boys and two girls teams are state-ranked, according to Harrisburg Patriot-News polls. As many as six city hoops teams could emerge as state champions, two each in three enrollment-based classifications (Class 2A, 3A and 4A).

Accepted into the state athletic association at its own request in July 2003, Philly's 48 member schools, including charters, sat out state competition in 2003-04 as they got to work erecting the necessary Super Sites. (There could be 60 or more members by next year depending on charter school applications to join PIAA; city junior highs and middle schools, Catholic League schools and Inter-Ac League schools on the Main Line are not PIAA members.)

"A lot of us were lukewarm to the idea at first, especially the old-timers," admits Frankford High boys coach Bernie Handler. "Winning the Public League was pretty damn good all these years, but now that a state tournament is here, it's taken on a life of its own."

Handler, whose No. 3-ranked Class 4A team has already beaten State College (No. 7) this year, is retiring after 33 years in the district. Could this be one last sentimental state-title season?

"It would be nice if [Frankford] became the first Philly team to win a state championship," says Cedric Powell, who has had back-to-back 20-win seasons coaching the boys at Franklin Learning Center, a Class 2A state qualifier. "It would be nice for any of our teams to win a state title. In fact, it would be historic."

Class 4A Central High's boys are ranked No. 2 behind Harrisburg, but Frank Greco's girls team at Central, which has a 62-game winning streak against PL foes, has high hopes, too. Their losses have been to teams outside the city. Recently, Central lost by five to District 1's Council Rock-North.

"I told the girls to pretend it was a state playoff game so they'd get a feel for it," Greco says.

Still, there's no shaking two distinct schools of thought. One says PIAA membership puts Philly's socio-economic miseries under a microscope. The other says it finally provides a chance to surface above the stereotypes.

"If we raise the expectations, children rise to them," Vallas says. "Will we be disappointed if we don't win a state championship? No, we'll be disappointed if we don't conduct ourselves as champions. This is about character building."

As part of a five-year plan, there's plenty building going on. The four "Super Sites" — the others are stadiums for Germantown High, Bok and Gratz — represent a $25 million investment, according to Marjorie Wuestner, director of athletics and physical education for the school district.

In joining, the district has opened the coaching ranks to retirees and outsiders, offered coaching academies and upheld PIAA's tougher academic-eligibility standards for its 10,000 varsity and junior varsity student-athletes.

"I played on that field so many times as a kid," Wuestner says about Northeast's Super Site. "I coached there. I can't tell you what it was like to step onto that artificial surface."

Phase II at Northeast concludes at the end of May, while Phase I for the other sites should be complete at Germantown by October, Gratz by November and South Philadelphia/Bok by February 2006, Wuestner says. This summer, gymnasium renovations will begin at Washington, Girls High, Gratz, King, University City, and other schools.

"They're living up to their commitment," PIAA Executive Director Bradley R. Cashman says. "They've done a first-class job. It's what's expected."

What wasn't anticipated last fall was Philly's 0-for in state games in everything from football and field hockey to cross-country and boys soccer. Already this postseason, all Frankford's decade-long dominance on the city's wrestling mats earned was a 67-3 drubbing by Council Rock-North in the PIAA Class 3A Team Championships. While Isaiah Stroman was Frankford's lone winner out of 14, Bob Peffle, Frankford's wrestling and baseball coach, remains steadfast in his philosophy that, "if you give a kid the next stage to perform on, someone else might see him."

In fact, Washington High's much-ballyhooed running back Jerry Butler soaked in that kind of exposure last fall. He signed a full scholarship with the University of Wisconsin.

But while Easton may have defeated Washington and Matt Kline 15-10, for a short while last November his field goal was at center stage.

"After the field goal, even I took a moment and looked into the stands," says Coach Cohen. "I could see all the colored jackets of all the schools. It was total Philadelphia pride. Even if we lost, we still won because we gave the kids the opportunity."

That sounds like traditional risk-versus-reward theory.

"You have to take risks in life," Mike Kline says. "Life's full of them."

Like Philly joining the PIAA.

"Without the PIAA, there wouldn't have been the almost-storybook ending," Kline says. "It felt like an inspirational movie, and we were in the middle of it. Tears flowed from my eyes singing the fight song one last time."