Why some Butler County basketball teams are taking advantage of earlier PIAA start — and some aren’t

November 15, 2024 Last Updated: November 14, 2024 03:50 PM Sports

Seneca Valley boys basketball head coach Kevin Trost talks with his team during a game. The Raiders will open the season at the Franklin Regional Tournament Dec. 2-3. Many teams will not be playing on the PIAA’s first date of competition, which is Nov. 29. Butler Eagle file photo

Ready ... set ... go!

That last directive is hardly uniform this year.

For the first time in 20 years, the PIAA has fixed the first day of competition for winter sports as Nov. 29, the day after Thanksgiving. Some high school basketball teams are taking advantage of the early start, while many others are saying no thanks.

One of the latter is Karns City’s girls team, which will open the season at home Dec. 4 against Knoch.

KC coach Steve Andreassi was head coach of the Gremlins boys team earlier this century, back when Black Friday was the start date and the vast majority of teams began play that day.

“We tried not to schedule a game that early back then because there was a good chance our football team would still be playing (in the state playoffs) and a number of our basketball players played football,” he said. “There was one year when we did schedule to play in a tip-off tournament that early and we were down seven players because of football.”

Multiple emails to the PIAA did not receive a reply in regards to the start date being moved up.

“We decided as soon as we saw that (Nov. 29) was the start date that we were not going to play that early,” Andreassi said. “The only advantage I can see of moving the season up is teams have one more week to get in the (limit of) 22 games in the regular season.”

Over the last two decades, the vast majority of basketball teams opened the season at tip-off tournaments that began on the first day competition was allowed, usually eight days after Thanksgiving, sometimes 15. This year, the 22 local basketball teams are tipping off on six different dates.

Both teams at Moniteau will play Nov. 29. The boys and girls will host a doubleheader against West Shamokin.

“We tried to get into a tournament that first weekend and couldn’t find one,” Moniteau girls coach Dee Arblaster said. “We played in the Grove City Tournament last year, but they aren’t hosting it that weekend.

“I don’t have a problem with the start date being moved up, but I’m not sure why they made the first practice date as Nov. 15 (Friday). The first practice date should be on a Monday or Tuesday.”

Shane McGraw, coach of Knoch’s girls, will take his team to the Montour Tournament, scheduled Nov. 29-30.

“We want to play as soon as possible, get a jump on getting our girls experience before the games really start mattering (section play in mid-December),” he said.

Butler’s girls have competed in the Armstrong Tip-Off Tournament the last several years.

“I thought that tournament would be Dec. 6-7 this year,” Butler girls coach Mark Maier said. “After we found out that it would be held the two days after Thanksgiving, a couple of teams dropped out. Now we are playing a single game at Armstrong that Saturday (Nov. 30).

“I wasn’t wild about playing that Friday anyway. I don’t like being off the day before a game and I wasn’t going to hold a practice on Thanksgiving. So now, we’ll practice on Friday and play our first game that Saturday.”

North Catholic’s girls have gone a bit unconventional due to the shake up of the schedule. Like Butler, the Trojanettes will practice the day after the holiday, then take part in the North Allegheny Tournament, scheduled Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 30-Dec. 1.

“It seems so quick,” North coach Molly Rottmann said of the start of the winter season. “I don’t have a big issue with it, but it is a bit early. We aren’t going to be ready.

“Thanksgiving is for family. We’ll get a good practice in on Friday.”

No Butler County swimming or wrestling team is taking part in an official competition until at least the first week of December. But Slippery Rock boys wrestling is headed to Reynolds High School Nov. 29 for a multi-team scrimmage.

“A lot of teams are ready to jump into things, and this will give us a chance to see what some other teams have,” Rockets coach Denton Zeronas said.

The following is a list of the Butler County area boys and girls basketball teams’ season-opening games, according to each school’s website:

Boys

A-C Valley: Dec. 3 at Sharpsville

Butler: Nov. 30 vs. Obama (at Geneva College)

Freeport: Nov. 30 at Chartiers Valley

Karns City: Dec. 6-7 at A-C Valley Tournament

Knoch: Nov. 30 vs. Moon (at Geneva College)

Mars: Dec. 3 vs. North Allegheny

Moniteau: Nov. 29 vs. West Shamokin

North Catholic: Dec. 6-7 North Catholic Tournament

Seneca Valley: Dec. 2-3 at Franklin Regional Tournament