If there’s a theme for the 2014 high school football season, realignment is definitely it.
From Blue Mountain and Lehighton joining the Anthracite Football League, to the Tri-Valley League adding Susquenita, to the Berks Football League shuffling teams, to the Lehigh Valley schools forming the 18-team Eastern Pennsylvania Conference, you almost need a road map to know which teams compete in which conference this season.
Those changes will remain intact for the 2014 and 2015 seasons — the current PIAA enrollment cycle.
We already know Pottsville will join the Anthracite Football League in 2016, increasing the AFL to 12 teams and dropping the Berks Football League to 14 schools.
But what else happens?
• Do any more schools join the Anthracite Football League?
• What does Berwick do?
• Do Mount Carmel and Shamokin stay in the Heartland Conference or leave?
• Does the Tri-Valley League add more teams?
• Where does Nativity land?
• Does the new Lehigh Valley superconference thrive, or do the Mountain Valley teams look for somewhere else to go?
Believe it or not, most of those questions depend on how the Anthracite Football League structures itself when Pottsville climbs aboard for 2016.
The AFL has said it will split into two divisions by enrollment — a big-school group of Pottsville, Blue Mountain, Jim Thorpe, Lehighton, North Schuylkill and Tamaqua; and a small-school group of Panther Valley, Schuylkill Haven, Mahanoy Area, Marian, Minersville and Shenandoah Valley — but how does the league handle the five non-division games each team must play?
Adding more teams makes that question easier to answer. The league has talked about crossover games, and some of the small schools will want to keep their games against teams in the big-school division because they are rivalry games or big-revenue games.
None of the small schools, however, will want to play Pottsville. And some of the teams that have to play Blue Mountain and Lehighton over the next two years will certainly opt out.
That indecision when it comes to scheduling is a big reason the AFL hasn’t added any other teams besides Pottsville to this point. Talking with Mount Carmel athletic director Greg Sacavage, he said the AFL’s unknown future when it comes to scheduling was a big reason the Red Tornadoes stayed in the Heartland Conference.
When the AFL comes up with a concrete structure, I believe more dominoes will fall. And it will be interesting to see who ends up where.
PFN All-State
Ten local players were honored by being named to the Pennsylvania Football News’ 2014 Preseason All-State Team. The site picked a first-team offense and defense and “Others to Watch” in all four classes.
In Class AA, North Schuylkill’s Nathan Gadinski was a first-team pick at offensive line, while Mount Carmel’s Christian Kelley (TE) and Dominic Farronato (DB) were listed in the Others to Watch.
In Class A, Schuylkill Haven’s Will Casella was named a first-team running back. In the Others to Watch were Haven’s Ryan Fink (athlete), Kenny Harig (DL) and Brett Biever (DB); Williams Valley’s Cody Miller (WR) and Daymian Shoop (OL); and Mahanoy Area’s Mason Evitts (DB).
By the Numbers
According to numbers provided by Mount Carmel SID Phil Gergen, Mount Carmel enters the 2014 season as Pennsylvania’s all-time leader in wins with 820, and is comfortably ahead of second-place Easton (791). Berwick (770) is third, followed by Steel-High (715) and New Castle (709).
Pottsville is tied for 11th in the state with Frankford (Philadelphia) at 664, while Shamokin is 35th with 589.
Can you name the other local team ranked in the top 50 in the state? Give you a hint: It’s an Anthracite Football League team. Answer later.
Odds and Ends
Two Class A teams that reached the PIAA playoffs in 2013 have moved up to Class AA for the current cycle.
Perennial state powerhouse Southern Columbia has moved up, leaving the door wide open in District 4.
In District 1, defending district champion Bristol has also moved to AA.
The Warriors, who return standout tailback Donte Simmons, lost to Schuylkill Haven in the opening round of the PIAA playoffs.
• The Tamaqua Sports Report will air at 3:30 p.m. Fridays on WLSH 1410 AM. Blue Raiders head football coach Sam Bonner and athletic director Mike Hromyak will speak about the week’s football game. At times, other Tamaqua sports will also be recognized. The show will also be posted on the school district website Mondays.
• Trivia Answer: Minersville is ranked 42nd in the state with 563 wins all-time. Schuylkill Haven is the next local team with 538 wins.
(Boyer is sports editor and covers high school football for The Republican-Herald. Follow him on Twitter
@pubsportsboss)