The All-American Football Conference as we know it will end after this season.
According to Nativity athletic director Fran Foster, the Green Wave and the other remaining teams in the AAFC will become part of what will be called the Mid-Penn Conference starting next season.
While still in its preliminary stages, the new league will include current AAFC members Nativity, Bucktail, Col-Mon Vo-Tech and Carson Long, plus Montgomery. Northern Tier League schools Canton and Sayre are other possibilities.
CMVT athletic director James Huntley is spearheading the project. All of the schools in the conference are currently Class A in enrollment except CMVT, which is Class AAA.
“We want to play in a conference where we can be competitive for our kids and one that will be competitive for all of the teams involved,” Foster said. “That’s what we’re looking at doing.”
Nativity’s schedule this season included games against District 1 schools Morrisville, Jenkintown and Chichester, and independents Perkiomen School and National Collegiate Prep from the Washington, D.C., area.
Foster said as of today he still had five open dates on his schedule for 2016, with Morrisville booked for Week 1.
“We want to cut down some expenses on travel,” Foster said. “We’ll still have some traveling, but not out of state.”
The All-American Football Conference was formed in 2000 as a way for small Class A schools to fill their schedule with teams of similar numbers and talent levels.
In its heyday, the AAFC included 10 teams and featured some schools — like the 2003 and ’04 Cardinal Brennan clubs — that played for district championships.
Over the years, however, the teams in the conference slowly disappeared, either through closure by the Catholic diocese or by the schools dropping their football program.
Cardinal Brennan, Bishop Hafey and Bishop O’Reilly closed, Lourdes dropped football, East Juniata joined the Tri-Valley League and Northwest went to the Wyoming Valley Conference.
When Pius X closed after last season, only Nativity, Bucktail, CMVT and Carson Long remained.
“There were about 10 teams in there,” Foster said. “It’s a shame all these schools basically closed.”
Free Victories
Pine Grove and Nativity were awarded wins this week through a pair of forfeits.
The Cardinals were awarded a Week 1 win over Northern Lebanon after the Lebanon County school determined it used an ineligible player. The Vikings had defeated the Cardinals 52-0.
It’s Pine Grove’s first victory of the season.
Nativity, which blasted Carson Long last Saturday, will receive a forfeit victory for this Saturday’s scheduled game against National Collegiate Prep.
Foster said NCP, which was 3-4 this season, notified Nativity on Tuesday that it would not be making the trip to Saint Clair to face the Green Wave, now 2-6.
Long run to paydirt
In Nativity’s 59-6 win over Carson Long, freshman Ryan Schreffler had a 102-yard interception return for a touchdown. The return was a school record.
Playoff Update
The District 11 point ratings are included on Page 8 of this week’s Football Friday. Entering tonight’s games, six area teams were in position to earn berths.
In Class AAA, Lehighton is ranked No. 1 ahead of Saucon Valley, Bethlehem Catholic, Allentown Central Catholic, Jim Thorpe and Blue Mountain. The top four qualify.
North Schuylkill was No. 4 in Class AA, while Tri-Valley, Mahanoy Area, Marian and Schuylkill Haven were the top four teams in Class A.
Should they not make the District 11 playoffs, Jim Thorpe and Blue Mountain should gain berths to the Eastern Conference Class AAA playoffs.
Mount Carmel (3-4) and Tamaqua (4-3) are in contention for the Southern Division spot in the EC Class AA playoffs, while Williams Valley (3-4) would earn a berth in the Class A field if the season ended today.
Player of the Week
K.J. Snerr, Marian
After missing a game due to a knee injury, Snerr returned in grand style, rushing for 226 yards and three touchdowns while throwing for another in the Colts’ big 41-14 victory over Schuylkill Haven.
The victory was the 300th career win for Marian coach Stan Dakosty.
Honorable Mention: Richie Zahodnick, North Schuylkill; Nick Chambers, Lehighton; Ryan Schreffler, Nativity; Antonio Madera, Jim Thorpe; Bud Moyer, Tamaqua.
(Boyer is sports editor and covers HS football for The Republican-Herald. Follow him on Twitter @pubsportsboss)