New football classifications for 2016

[TDHelmick]

North Carroll and Manchester Valley have consolidated and will move to Class 3A for 2016. Forestville will be closed. That left only 4 teams in the 1A North Region and we all knew that a realignment had to take place. After a few conversations with multiple MPSSAA folks it looks like the classification committee will meet after all the spring season tournaments are completed to form a new alignment. This was not set to take place until the fall 2017 season, but given the special circumstances for 2016 that will not be the case.

It looks like there is a chance that the MPSSAA will take all high schools with a football program and divide by 4. That means that every class will now have 47 teams instead of 50 teams. If they use the current enrollment figures for 2015-2016 here is what my projected 1A classification alignment might look like. This is only my personal guess, nothing near official. Especially due to the fact that the MPSSAA will probably ask for another enrollment count for every school given the consolidation situation across the state.

PROJECTED CLASS 1A FOOTBALL ALIGNMENTS

WEST
Fort Hill
Boonsboro
Allegany
Northern Garrett
Smithsburg
Clear Spring
Hancock
Southern Garrett
Brunswick
Catoctin
Mountain Ridge

SOUTH
Edmondson-Westside
FAET
Forest Park/Northwestern
National Academy
Southwestern
Benjamin Franklin
Reginald Lewis
Lake Clifton
SEED
Bluford Drew Jamison
New Era Academy

NORTH
Fairmont Heights
Surrattsville
Pikesville
Overlea
Frederick Douglass - PG
Friendly
Owings Mills
Patterson
Dunbar
Western STES
Loch Raven
Sparrows Point

EAST
Havre de Grace
Cambridge-SD
Kent County
Bohemia Manor
Perryville
Colonel Richardson
Joppatowne
Patterson Mill
Washington
Snow Hill
McDonough

It would be very close for Mountain Ridge at the cut off line.

 

[wing_left]

Thanks TD very interesting.

 

[FHHSAHS]

I'd like to see it. Especially this year.

 

[eaglesinsider]

You've missed a couple closures/consolidations in Baltimore City, which is understandable. I don't know how much this will mess with your data, if at all.

PROJECTED CLASS 1A FOOTBALL ALIGNMENTS

SOUTH
Forest Park- see Northwestern
Northwestern- I don't know how this is going to work or why this is allowable, but Forest Park and Northwestern are going to be combining to field one football team for 2016. This is known as a co-op (two or more schools staying open and separate but coming together to field one athletic team in one or more sports) and is very common in the Midwest and is even starting to pop up in rural PA. On the official Baltimore City schedule they're listed as Forest Park-Northwestern. I don't know if the MPSSAA is going to combine the enrollment numbers since they're two schools or what. This appears to be some sort of compromise that popped up when Baltimore City decided to keep Northwestern open (it was supposed to close at the end of the 2015-16 school year). MPSSAA rules specifically state, however, that countable varsity opponents have to be made up of students who come from only ONE school, which is the rule that makes it impossible for MPSSAA schools to play the Home School teams.
Maritime Academy- has closed and/or dropped football. Either way, definitely not playing in 2016

NORTH
Carver A&T- Does not play football. Carver Vo-Tech is the Carver that plays football, they're in Baltimore City, Carver A&T is in Baltimore County.

 

[TDHelmick]

OK. I knew there were some schools dropping/consolidating football in Bmore but was not sure who. I wonder if the new Green Street Academy football team will be in the MPSSAA now? Probably not this year would be my guess. This would mean that Mountain Ridge would then drop back into 1A under the current proposal.

My issue is this...I don't understand how they can bum rush a reclassification out of the normal cycle because a few 1A schools consolidated or closed. Yet they cannot move swiftly on changing the regional playoff format. It's all self interest. Has nothing to do with what is best for all kids involved. The MPSSAA has no accountability or respectability in the least.

Also in question is the enrollment numbers they would be using. This is not a reclassification year in the cycle. They would be using old enrollment numbers when the whole reason they would be doing this is because of consolidations and closings. You have to get a new enrollment count and the only correct/accurate way to do this is when school is in session next fall. If the cycle is left to run it's usual MPSSAA course, they report enrollments in November of this year.

 

[eaglesinsider]

OK. I knew there were some schools dropping/consolidating football in Bmore but was not sure who. I wonder if the new Green Street Academy football team will be in the MPSSAA now? Probably not this year would be my guess. This would mean that Mountain Ridge would then drop back into 1A under the current proposal.

I'm pretty sure Green Street Academy is following the SEED School program model. SEED was non-MPSSAA and played a really odd assortment of varsity, jv and even rec league teams in 2014 then joined the MPSSAA for 2015. Green Street has openly advertised for JV games and I know they're playing Lake Clifton's varsity in Week 6. I'm sure their schedule will be a huge pain to track down.

I've never understood why some state-sponsored or funded (directly or indirectly) schools like MATHS, MD School for the Deaf and Silver Oak don't play in the MPSSAA. Especially MSD, if SEED can be in as a charter boarding school, MSD should be able to be in as a deaf boarding school.