Battle of the Norths: North Penn or North Allegheny?

Well folks, life in Willow Grove Pennsylvania has not been as carefree as I would like it to be, but I'll try to squeeze a post in here while I have a little bit of time. Unfortunately, there just doesn't seem to be enough hours in the day most of the time. I tend to make big plans and have big ideas, but I can't always make them come to fruition. Those who have been following me know that pretty well. I was visiting with my girlfriend this past weekend and no offense to any of you out there reading this, but there is no way in the world I was going to waste any portion of the few moments I have this month with her to post on this blog. This weekend coming up I have my first actuary test and I have been studying that like crazy (think the amount I study the Top 50 and triple it) and this week I will be cutting myself off from the world. Working, studying and running.  If I need a study break, I may end up blogging ... or eating.

But I digress ... I doubt most of you read my blog because you like hearing my life story.

On to the first question on my list of 11 (get cuz it's like etrain11 ... I know I'm clever as frick), who will be better North Penn or North Allegheny?

It is interesting to consider these two as pair not simply because they both start with the word "North" but because they are connected in so many other ways that are actually relevant to cross country. For starters, North Penn and North Allegheny have combined to 4 out of the last 5 state championships (although admittedly 3 of those have been North Penn) and NA added in a second place finish and a trip to nationals in that time period. The teams have racked up a boat load of medalists over these years (and a state champion for each side) and established themselves as the powerhouses of their respective districts and a favorite to make the state meet and compete for a top spot regardless of who is returning on their roster.

But perhaps the greatest similarity as that both squads are in a "rebuilding" phase in this coming XC season. I use the word rebuilding here very loosely because these schools do not really rebuild, they reload. North Penn won back to back state championships and then had back to back runner up finishes at districts after seemingly loosing everyone that mattered out front. Then they won the state championship again.

North Allegheny some how manages to win the WPIAL every year. Gil goes down, Baldwin is killing it, they still win. They lose the bulk of their squad that took the team to Nationals, they find some JV studs, get Logan Steiner from Meadville and then finish higher at states then they did the previous season. Then they won the state championship.

Both teams do the seemingly unthinkable on a regular basis. They are well coached, train hard, and have a lot of kids to pick from in their massively sized schools. Sorry if that offends anybody, but c'mon we are all at least thinking it.

So based on all my praise of how awesome these teams are, I bet you could tell that I think both squads will be back at states and, if everything goes well health wise, I think both teams will finish the year in the top 5 as a team at the state meet. I know my rankings don't say that, but rankings are based more on what the data shows me than my gut.

But ultimately, one team has to be better than the other, there are no ties in cross country (even though we came pretty darn close ....) and my money is on North Allegheny to beat out the state champs in 2012.

And I will tell you why.

But first a look at history.

The last team to repeat as state champions was .... North Penn! They returned an ironic 5 of their top 7 guys and lost 2 of their top 3 runners, but still managed to repeat as state champions. Sounds extremely familiar to this years group of guys doesn't it?

So this is the part where everybody checks to make sure that I said North Allegheny not North Penn. Don't worry boys, I know where I am going with this. What was the difference between the team that repeated as state champs and the squad we are looking at in 2012?

Sam Bernitt.

North Penn pulled a guy from seemingly no where onto their XC squad and turned him into the 10th place finisher at the state championships, running just behind Brad Miles who ironically finish 10th the previous season. That was the difference. Logically, I can't assume North Penn is going to do that again (although let's face it, it could happen) and thus I do not believe North Penn can recapture their magic and make another run to the state title.

Let us go back now, to my favorite school subject (actually it's Math, but it sounds cooler if I phrase it like this) History.

In 2007 North Allegheny finished a hard fought 3rd at the state championships after a WPIAL title. The squad graduated 4 members of their top 7 guys including their two front runners who were state medalists. Their top returner was a freshman who was relatively unproven on the big stage. Sound familiar?

Well in 2008 North Allegheny dropped the hammer on PA XC and qualified for the NXN championships and finished 12th at the meet. They were probably the 2nd best team that PA has seen while I have been following the sport (Coatesville's squad is #1, arguments can be made for the North Penn squads and O'Hara this year).

So we know North Allegheny can take nothing and turn it into a lot more than something with guys already in the system. And I see a lot of guys in their system that they can turn into studs. At WPIALs this past year Luoco and Seel were 9th and 10th! They were the two spots behind Alex Moran and ahead of Tim Appman and Lawtin Tellin who finished in the top 30 at states (Appman was 20th). Mike Meehan was 19th at WPIALs just one spot behind Chris Culley who was 17th at states (still kinda surprised about that jump for Culley so not my most convincing piece of evidence admittedly).

North Allegheny made those guys factors at the WPIAL meet and they beat Mt. Lebanon who up until that point had dominated NA (look at the Tri State results from just a week earlier) and had only barely lost to O'Hara at pre states. And then they beat Lebo again at states and were only 12 points away from being tied for the title as well. If Luoco was the spot behind Moran at states like he was at WPIALs NA would have beaten North Penn by roughly 31 points. Now I know that is kind of a bold statement to make since Luoco's best race was at WPIALs and that may have been Moran's worst, but the point is the difference between North Penn and North Allegheny wasn't all that massive last year and the result easily could have been flip flopped if NA had their best weekend just a week later.

Now that being said, there are reasons to suspect North Penn will do better than NA. For the reasons I stated above I think NA will be better, I think history suggests that they will be incredibly strong again this year and probably will keep the WPIAL title.

But for all of you trying to win a debate against me and are supporting North Penn, here are the points you should use to foil my arguments above:

-North Penn peaked at the right time last year. Their guys ran their best races at the state course, where state's is run.
-North Allegheny is still young and lacks a serious front runner. North Penn has Macauley, a potential top 5 finisher at states, and a host of solid Juniors and Seniors with states experience on the roster.
-North Allegheny has been close to winning titles before, but North Penn has won 3 state titles in the last 5 years.
-Pat Morgan
-Have you seen North Penn's uniforms? They are way prettier.


I think the evidence for NA outweighs the evidence for NP, but feel free to debate on boys. I know you guys are master debaters.