Any moves in classification?

[richaboli]

While the PIAA website hasn't posted the schools with their new classifications yet, the athletic directors of each school know them. Has any school in District 5 or 6 moved in classification? For instance, did Ligonier Valley move down to class A or will they be the only AA team in the Heritage Conference again?

[bigben7]

Ligonier's male enrollment is in the 230's i was told. They will be AA and will be for a long time. Yes there enrollment is declining but so is everyone else. They will go 9-0 or 8-1 in the Heritage and then get pounded in the first round of the playoffs. I'm wondering if United will be AA. They were at 179 before and if they got some Laurel Valley boys they could be over 185.

[Head Roadie]

Only District 5 moves are:

Everett from "A" to "AA"
Somerset from "AA" to "AAA"

[jayjay6218]

great so "AAA" gets even easier in district 6!

[richaboli]

great so "AAA" gets even easier in district 6!

Please elaborate on this. Looks to me like Johnstown has the same A & AA route to the AAA playoffs.

[jayjay6218]

Seriously? Johnstown has to play 1 playoff game and the winner of that game is the District 6 "AAA" Champion. Before Somerset's move up there was just 1 other "AAA" school in the district, Bellefonte, who did not even make it to a .500 record this year! As for the "A" and "AA" bracket, they have to win 2 games before even getting the opportunity to play in the district championship game. Atleast even "AAAA" has an expanded district playoff, it encompesses 1 game and then a championship game, sadly enough usually the winner of that game is barley over .500 themselves, but to each their own.

[sportsfan1000]

Up until about two or three years ago AAA consisted of Johnstown,Huntington,Bellefonte,Somerset,Indian Valley,Lewistown,Hollidaysburg and Central Mountain.

Some schools declined in enrollment, two schools combined, CM grew, and Hollidaysburg went to the wpial.

Exactly how is any of that Johnstown's fault? Apparently the will be a combining D6 and D9 AAA so you can stop complaining. BTW when Johnstown joined the LHAC there were two other AAA schools and another just under the cutoff.

[Corky McRib]

Exactly how is any of that Johnstown's fault?

It's not Johnstown's fault whatsoever. JTown just happens to be located in an area where there's been a sharp decline in population. JHS wiill likely become a AA school in just a few years anyhow so hopefully all of the whining will stop then.

[jayjay6218]

I never said it was JTown's fault, but until they either decline enough to become a respectable AA team or Districts 6 and 9 combine and give 5 teams in AAA, but how long will that stand, you just can not say that they have as hard of a time winning a district championship as a "A" or "AA" school in the same district.

[jayjay6218]

And even with a combination of Districts 6 and 9, you have to look at their enrollment in District 9 also. Saint Marys is dropping (and need to learn how to throw the ball - I understand the wingT offense but there has to be some balance McCort has one of the better balanced WingT offenses maybe they shoud take a few notes), as is Clearfield, so they are very likely to be in "AA" very soon.

As for the old "AAA" teams:
Johnstown - fairly respectable, but under achieved most years
Huntington - always a tough, hard-nosed football town
Bellefonte - they were and still are a giant rollercoaster ride, 1 year up, 5 years down, and so on
Somerset - seriously?... when was their last winning season?
Indian Valley - the respectable mifflin county team between the 2
Lewistown - again, seriously?...
Hollidaysburg - always respectable, then again they use to get beat 40 to 0 against Altoona
Central Mountain - they are such a new school there is not much to say, other than the schools they are made up of had some good tradition