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By Staff Reports

Published: Tuesday, October 30, 2012, 12:00 p.m.
Updated: Tuesday, February 19, 2013

The WPIAL urged playoff hosts with grass fields to relocate Friday's games, but some teams have decided to stay put for now. Sto-Rox and Jefferson-Morgan are among those who have not yet given up hopes for a home game, said their coaches, who viewed the WPIAL's message as a strongly worded request but not necessarily a demand. "We're going to try to play a home game," Sto-Rox coach Dan Bradley said Tuesday night. "We're really not sure if it's going to be Friday or Saturday, at this point. (The field) is doing all right for the time being, but we'll see how much rain we get." But WPIAL executive director Tim O'Malley said Tuesday night that he didn't foresee any of this weekend's playoff games being played on grass. "Right now, no," O'Malley said. "It's supposed to rain all day (Wednesday) and Thursday. There's no chance of fields drying up. We'd rather it be fair for everybody." During Monday's pairings meeting, O'Malley advised the 12 Class A and AA playoff hosts with grass fields to "find a suitable artificial surface" for Friday's games, and gave them until 9 a.m. Thursday. After that deadline, "the WPIAL reserves the right to assign to you a neutral site which will be safely playable," O'Malley told coaches at the Doubletree in Green Tree. O'Malley said Tuesday that the WPIAL hasn't demanded the games be moved. "The schools don't have to move them," he said, "(but) if they don't by 9 o'clock Thursday and the fields are deemed unplayable, we'll move them." Four games already have been relocated. In Class AA, Aliquippa will host Steel Valley at Moon, Jeannette will play South Allegheny at Norwin, and Washington will take on Shady Side Academy at Washington & Jefferson College. In Class A, Springdale will host Brentwood at Fox Chapel. All games will start at 7:30 p.m. Playoff hosts Beth-Center, Burrell, Clairton, Freeport, Rochester and Monessen also have grass fields.The WPIAL's game managers will evaluate each field, O'Malley said. Whether any would be deemed playable remains doubtful. "The WPIAL said that if you don't decide to move, they hold the right to move you," Jefferson-Morgan coach Liam Ryan said, "but we'd rather play the game at home."

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