Heritage conference

[richaboli]

According to the PIAA website West Shamokin currently has 186 boys in its middle school. That indicates that there is a big enrollment drop from what they currently have in their high school.
184 is the current football class A cut-off. By PIAA realignment time in December 2011 (for the 2012 football season) West Shamokin will likely be class A or at least very close to the class A cut off. That makes them a good fit for the Heritage Conference.
Who will leave the WPIAL and gain admittance to the Heritage Conference first, West Shamokin or Leechburg?
Concerning their struggling football programs, the sooner the better for both of them.

[djs11]

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/leadert ... 09939.html

They are talking about it but not a done deal yet.

[cleaverstuart]

West Shamokin for football numbers (classification) purposes, one must also wonder if the co-op with Elderton will stay in place or the Armstong School Distric will change that also. Also if West Shamokin and Leechburg both come for football does this mean there will be a scheduling arrement with the west pac for teams with byes or is they a way to elimate Liggy? Just wondering here. Also a 11 school football conference is a go, one must wonder if Elderton is coming a 12th member (i.e. two sections for hoops) for other sports? If anything this is getting more interesting.

[Red and Black]

Up until this news, I though that Ligonier Valley had the upper hand in that it had its choice between a Conference that might reluctantly want/need them - the Heritage - and a conference that was welcoming them - the LHAC (along with Chestnut Ridge).

Now the question will be if the Heritage get two interested schools - Leechburg and West Shamokin - that get the required approvals, will the Heritage squeeze out Ligonier Valley? Certainly there are schools in the Heritage that do not want Ligonier Valley to stay, with Blairsville leading the cry.

I doubt that any school moves for 2011 - 12. And, if so, I agree that the Heritage should approach the WestPAC right now. I think that with 11 football teams in the WestPAC and 9 in the Heritage, there would alway be a matchup available each week to take care of the lack of a 10th team for the Heritage.

For 2012 - 13? I still think Ligonier Valley in the Heritage is the best bet, but the odds of going to the LHAC are going up. I also still don't think there is any likelihood of going to the WPIAL, no matter what the rumor-mill says.

Finally, given everything that is going on in the Ligonier Valley School District, it wouldn't surprise me that a combined LV returns to single-A by the 2014 - 16 cycle. It might even happen by the 2012 - 14 cycle.

[djs11]

This is why they need to play by classification. Do away with the conferences. Find a way for Bellwood and Tyrone to play, because, like an earlier poster said, Hayes has alot of pull and doesn't want to lose playing that game. A conference championship without a championship game is misleading. It does Ligonier no good to play small A teams all year than get in the playoffs and lose because they're not use to that level. It helps McCort and Carroll alot to play the bigger schools all year and then they play less talented teams in the playoffs.

[cleaverstuart]

IF and it is IF!! d-6 would ever play football by size like the WPIAL and d-10. You would still have week one open and maybe a few scatered dates; so a BA/Tyrone game is not in trouble or any other rivalry you can state. I agree in this era that one remembers district champions over conference champions that this time has come but I don't see this happening any time soon.

[Crimson09Crazy]

It would be tough with the geography of it all. The WPIAL has at least 24 teams per classification and split in 4 conferences with teams geographically close. If D6 were to go to this, We would essentially be taking out a D6 AAA and AAAA level. if Johnstown can't play McCort and Westmont, they would have to certainly go back to the WPIAL. We don't have enough teams at that level. Plus our area is so far and wide and we only have 44 schools total. travel goes up big time, and for all sports. that would be costly. AA could split into 2 8 team divisions. A would have an 11 and 12 team league. I just don't see it ever happening.

[cleaverstuart]

d-6 A would likely be sections of 6 schools like it is in d-10; very good point about AAA; but IF IF IF IF!!!

[Eaglealum]

Tyrone's #s will actually be low enough to be single A if not next time, by 2012

[Crimson09Crazy]

Richland will likely be too, and unlike Tyrone, they will run,jump, and do anything to get there.