Why can girls basketball teams from District 6 win state championships but boys teams cannot?



… numbers are interesting 

[I have updated this story and stats based on some misses that I made on the original list.]

As the PIAA state basketball championships loom on the horizon, a major question about District 6 has never been answered.

Why are girls teams successful but boys are not?

The numbers are definitive. Girls teams from District 6 have won 15 state championships in basketball while boys teams have won just six.

What makes that even more interesting is that while the boys have had competition for state champs since 1920, the girls did not start until 1973.

Even then, girls basketball in District 6 did not start moving until the 1980s.

These numbers are from the PIAA website. It lists all of the winners and runners-up in history.

Speaking of runners-up, the boys do much better in this category. Both girls and boys have 20.

Boys winners

The five boys teams that have won state titles include Williamsburg twice [1958 and 1966], and Rothrock [1963], Northern Cambria [1965] and State College [2003] each once.

Note that the PIAA had state champions in only one class from 1920 until 1945 when they added class B [AA]. They added C [A] in 1951. Very unfair for small schools, but that was the PIAA.

Note also that the PIAA used A, B, and C as their classifications until they added AAAA in the 80s. They then changed those to AAA, AA, and A.

Girls winners

Of the 15 girls champions from District 6, five belong to Bishop Guilfoyle, three belong to Altoona and three to Bishop Carroll, two belong to Lewistown, and one each belongs to Bishop McCort and Williamsburg.

[Bishop McCort will compete for another state title this weekend.]

Why so few boys?

I have no idea why more boys teams have not won titles as the girls have. I have heard many theories, but nothing that could be substantiated. I am open to listening to any theories. They are always interesting.

List

I list the champions and the runners-up for both boys and girls below this.

Boys District 6 State Champions (4)

1958 Williamsburg C

1965 Northern Cambria B

1966 Williamsburg C

1996 Juniata Valley A

2003 State College AAAA

2006 Johnstown AAA

PIAA had only one class until 1945 when they added B and in 1951 added C.

Runners-up

1933 Altoona A

1938 Altoona A

1956 Williamsburg C

1957 Williamsburg C

1958 Altoona A

1959 Lilly-Washington C

1961 Williamsburg C

1969 Laurel Valley C

1970 Laurel Valley C

1971 Laurel Valley C

1981 Laurel Valley C

1985 Bishop McCort AA

1991 Altoona AAAA

1995 Juniata Valley A

1997 Lewistown AAA

Girls Basketball District 6 State Champions (15)

1984 Bishop Guilfoyle AA

1985 Bishop McCort AA

1986 Altoona AAAA

1987 Bishop Carroll A

1988 Altoona AAAA

1991 Bishop Guilfoyle AA

1993 Bishop Guilfoyle A

1996 Altoona AAAA

1997 Lewistown AAA

1997 Williamsburg A

1998 Lewistown AAA

2002 Bishop Carroll A

2003 Bishop Carroll A

2007 Bishop Guilfoyle A

2010 Bishop Guilfoyle A

Runners-up 20

1981 Altoona AAA

1983 Indiana AAA

1986 Bishop McCort AA

1988 Bishop McCort AA

1988 Ferndale A

1990 Bellwood A

1994 Altoona AAAA

1994 Bishop Guilfoyle A

1995 Bishop Guilfoyle AA

1996 Williamsport A

1996 Bishop Carroll A

1998 Bishop Carroll A

1999 Bishop Guilfoyle AA

2004 Bishop Guilfoyle AA

2004 Lewistown AAA

2006 Westmont AA

2006 Conemaugh Valley A

2008 Northern Cambria A

2010 Northern Cambria A

2011 Bishop Guilfoyle AA

PIAA Link

http://www.piaa.org/assets/web/documents/results/Winter/Basketball/BB_Past_Champs.pdf

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