LHAC realignment

[hunterx]

I am sure FH and CC would tell you they had BIG games with Bedford. But to classify them as rivalrys, is a stretch. CC and PC are rival games. Ever been to one of their games? Jtown and BM or Westmont are rivalrys. BC and CC are rivals.
Most CC and FH people will tell you that Bedford can pose a big game for them certain years, but they would not say Bedford is a rival.

And I too stated the reason was for BC and Bedford switch was for BC travel purposes. See my first post.

I made an assumption in another post that Bedford and their AD is only in the LHAC for football purposes and not looking out for the other sports. It is only an opinion.

[ham55]

I made an assumption in another post that Bedford and their AD is only in the LHAC for football purposes and not looking out for the other sports. It is only an opinion.

Could not agree more. Bedford is devastated by having to travel to all those games in all the other sports EXCEPT football. No fans have the desire to travel to watch the majority of those games. It made sense when Bedford was good across the board. The move to the LHAC now has a lot of people thinking twice about what's going on.

[CR8323]

Good points Jolly Green.

I think Bedford rival is Chestnut Ridge and probably their biggest rivalry in all sports. CR actually graduates more kids (or have the last couple years).

maybe CR should rejoin the LHAC.

Bedford's PIAA Enrollment - 272
Chestnut Ridge's PIAA Enrollement - 218

CR's numbers will most like drop to around 200 next reclassification. New figures will be available in mid November.

[hunterx]

I would assume the Bedford Gazette misprinted the graduation numbers the last two years or CR is able to work the numbers for the PIAA.

Either way Bedford and CR are relatively close in size.

[CR8323]

Below are all the numbers for D5 and D6, right from PIAA. Schools are listed from largest to smallest. Sorry about the formatting.

State College Area High School AAAA 1028
Altoona Area High School AAAA 1007
Central Mountain High School AAAA 559
Hollidaysburg Area High School AAA 500
Indian Valley High School AAA 421
Greater Johnstown High School AAA 393
Bellefonte Area High School AAA 380
Lewistown Area High School AA 322
Somerset Area High School AA 308
Forest Hills High School AA 300
Huntingdon Area High School AA 289
Bedford High School AA 272
Central High School AA 271
Tyrone Area High School AA 267
Bald Eagle Area High School AA 262
Central Cambria High School AA 258
Philipsburg Osceola Area High AA 250
Penn Cambria High School AA 246
Westmont Hilltop High School AA 246
Richland High School AA 238
Penns Valley Area High School AA 221
Chestnut Ridge High School AA 218
North Star High School AA 204
Ligonier Valley High School AA 197
Windber Area High School A 191
Cambria Heights High School AA 188
Mount Union Area High School A 187
Marion Center Area High School A 186
Everett Area High School A 180
Bellwood Antis High School A 177
United High School A 171
Southern Huntingdon County A 167
West Branch High School A 167
Bishop McCort High School A 160
Blairsville High School A 151
Tussey Mountain High School A 148
Northern Cambria High School A 148
Rockwood Area High School A 142
Moshannon Valley High School A 142
Penns Manor Area High School A 142
Northern Bedford County A 138
Purchase Line High School A 138
Conemaugh Township A 132
Homer Center High School A 131
Bishop Guilfoyle High School A 129
Portage Area High School A 121
Berlin Brothersvalley High School A 115
Juniata Valley High School A 111
Claysburg Kimmel High School A 107
Glendale High School A 106
Conemaugh Valley High School A 105
Meyersdale Area High School A 103
Saltsburg High School A 102
Laurel Valley High School A 94
Bishop Carroll High School A 91
Blacklick Valley High School A 91
Ferndale Area High School A 90
Shade High School A 88
Williamsburg High School A 77

[hunterx]

I agree with Ham in the fact that fans dont travel well over the mountain. In football they may have to go to 4 maybe 5 away LHAC games a year. In the fall of the year, that isn't real bad. 4 trips in good weather. So fan base may be a little better for football.
In the winter you need to double the number of away games in the LHAC and it makes travel a little rough with snow / fog and whatever else the mountain has to bring. Wrestling and basketball have more than one match or game a week, which make it even more difficult for fans to travel.

[Jolly Green]

Graduation numbers are different from the PIAA classification numbers. PIAA looks at students of a specific gender, grades 9 thru 11, to establish a classification for 2 years in a gender-specific sport. Graduation includes both genders of only one class.

Ridge had a 'spike" in student population a few years ago that put its numbers about equal to Bedford's for one 2-year stretch. They were probably included in the last several classes that graduated. They are now about the size they have traditionally been, maybe a little smaller than normal at 218.

[kingdomofcrush07]

very interesting numbers. FH is bigger than many of the teams that have recently played AAA thats pretty crazy even though they have always been right at the cut off. Surprised Richland is the smallest public school playing football in the LHAC (unless who count CH who is actually A).

[El-Moldo]

Teams that have RECENTLY played AAA? Guess that's what happens when school districts lose attendance numbers. FH attendance has remained pretty close to where it is for awhile now.

[southpaw]

Good points Jolly Green.

I think Bedford rival is Chestnut Ridge and probably their biggest rivalry in all sports. CR actually graduates more kids (or have the last couple years).

maybe CR should rejoin the LHAC.

CR was only in the LHAC for football only. We don't really need to rehash this but why would CR want to join a conference that already treats Bedford like the proverbial "red headed step child".