Ligonier Valley Rams want out of Heritage

[cleaverstuart]

I'm wondering why you think there is no way that Liggy would be accepted. Yes they did leave the conference in 2000 (that would be once) but would have been the smallest public school in football and where a better fit into the Heritage until the Liggy/Laurel merger, CR on the other hand has more of a history jumping around with so significant change in structure.

[Crimson's Ghost]

I think the LHAC will accept Ligonier and Ridge, but they may do that with the understanding Ridge may jump ship eventually, and at that I think its a real possibility that there may not be a Bishop Carroll in 10 years, getting the number back to 12.

[jack daniel]

Bishop Carroll may struggle to last 5 or 6 more years let alone 10.

[Ghost]

I was bored, so I made a map to better illustrate where LV and CR fit into the LHAC picture. LV seems to be way out there. Just looking at this I would not be surprised if they went the WPIAL route, even though they would be more competitive in D6. I do like the East/West alignment idea, but I agree with Crimson that it would be a tricky situation aligning the conference as a whole. Keep in mind that I just went with football field locations (since it's football season) rather than high school locations, so the map would be different for teams like BC, McCort, BG, Westmont, etc.

Proposed LHAC Conference with Ligonier Valley and Chestnut Ridge

[jack daniel]

ghost

Do LHAC East with LV, BM, Richland, Jtown, Westy, FH, and Somerset. And LHAC West with PC, CC, CH, BC, BG, Beford, and Ridge.

[S Cube]

That's what I was thinking Jack, the only reason I kept Somerset in the East is to be with the other D5's.

[Ghost]

That makes sense. I like that, with Somerset in either division. Keeping them with the D5 teams seems pretty logical. Good call both of you.

[jack daniel]

Man I tell ya though McCort, Forest Hills, Johnstown, Richland all in the same section of the LHAC talk about some great games! Thats the conferences 4 big boys!

[Big Ike]

Current Class AA in WPIAL
CLASS AA (34)
Interstate: Greensburg Central Catholic, Jeannette, Mt. Pleasant, Southmoreland (from Class AAA Keystone), Yough (from Class AAA Keystone), East Allegheny, Brownsville, Charleroi, Waynesburg.

Century: Washington (from Class AA Interstate), South Fayette, Burgettstown (from Class A Black Hills), Quaker Valley, Seton-La Salle, Steel Valley, Keystone Oaks and South Allegheny (from Class AA Interstate).

Midwestern: Aliquippa, Beaver Falls, Beaver, Ellwood City, Freedom, Laurel (from Class A Big 7), Mohawk, New Brighton and Riverside.

Allegheny: Apollo Ridge, Burrell, Deer Lakes, Ford City, Freeport, Shady Side Academy, Summit Academy and West Shamokin.


If adding Ligonier Valley next cycle and assuming at least “local” school Derry drops it would probably be best IMHO if the WPIAL did this (Bold for Changes)

Interstate: Greensburg Central Catholic, Jeannette, Mt. Pleasant, Southmoreland, Yough, Derry, East Allegheny, South Allegheny, Ligonier Valley

Century: Washington , South Fayette, Burgettstown, Quaker Valley, Seton-La Salle, Steel Valley, Keystone Oaks, Brownsville, Charleroi, Waynesburg

In the Interstate Liggy could finish very respectable most years and easy trips essentially down the Penny Highway (Rt 30) and a left down 48 for SA …Not far off any beaten path…But that said there would be lots of playoff appearances and maybe some conference championships but the sheer size and Meat grinder of AA in the WPIAL I would say a D-6 Championship game at the Point is more realistic than Heinz. I would say overall Liggy would achieve about the same success in the LHAC, but again outright district championship(s) is another thing.

Current Class A in WPIAL (Pending any mergers in next year or so)
CLASS A (34)

Tri-County South: California, Geibel, Frazier , Beth-Center, Monessen, Mapletown, Jefferson-Morgan, Carmichaels and West Greene.

Black Hills: Fort Cherry, Brentwood, Chartiers-Houston, Avella, Bentworth, Serra, Clairton and Carlynton.

Big 7: Cornell , Neshannock, Rochester, Shenango, South Side Beaver, Sto-Rox , Union and Western Beaver.

Eastern: Avonworth, Bishop Canevin , Leechburg, North Catholic, Northgate , Our Lady of the Sacred Heart , Riverview, Springdale and Wilkinsburg

This is a little more travel than they probably want. The most plausible would probably be a tweaking of the Black hills and Eastern:

Black Hills: Fort Cherry, Brentwood, Chartiers-Houston, Avella, Bentworth, North Catholic, Northgate , Avonworth , Our Lady of the Sacred Heart

Eastern: Bishop Canevin , Leechburg, Riverview, Springdale ,Wilkinsburg , Serra, Clairton and Carlynton , Ligonier Valley

Most years Ligonier Valley would have as good of a shot as any to go for the Gold in Class A…But that said WPIAL class is very Top heavy at times with super teams...currently over the last decade it is pretty much a Clairton and Rochy TOUGH outing. For that crown it is like facing probably 4 McCorts from the semifinals to your opponent at Heinz. In conference though and in the early playoffs they could go toe to toe with anyone since they have a “program” established…Who could forget the Rams scaring a powerful Duquesne team in the early nineties and a thrashing last year’s combined Valley team laying waste to AAA Derry (Albeit a bad AAA team but not a complete bottom feeder)

Speaking of teams I know it looks like in AA West Shamokin has pretty much decided on an independent schedule in football and will remain in the WPIAL for other sports but I believe Leechburg did not officially shut down the Idea of a move to D-6…Anyone hear any different?

[Crimson's Ghost]

I like Ligonier, I attend about a game a year over there, and I'm sorry, but the statements are a little far fetched. First off for the A comments, they would have a good of shot as any to go for the gold? Yikes. I mean realistically 3-4 teams in District 6 could compete with the WPIAL's top dogs in A on a yearly basis, and when Ligonier and Laurel Valley were separate schools, they were as far from that as you could be. McCort, Bellwood and maybe an alternating group of the next two teams could play with any team. Minus Juggernaut Clairton. But anyone else, Bellwood and McCort are right there.



But if Ligonier had to play in the Interstate, I think they are looking at 3 legiitimate 40 point losses annually to GCC Jeannette and Mt. Pleasant. And if they play in the LHAC, they are looking at annual losses by the hands of Johnstown, Forest Hills McCort Richland and the Cambria's are tough games. Ligonier is a .500 team in the LHAC. Not trying to sugar coat anything, it is what it is. Maybe they would improve by playing in a league with better competition.