PIAA Reclassifies for the Next Two Years

by Jeff Fisher
High School Football America

The Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association has released its reclassification numbers for the next two school years beginning in the fall of 2012.

There aren't a lot of changes, but one 2011 state champ will be playing-up a class over the next two seasons.  Class AA champ Lancaster Catholic will be in AAA during the 2012-13 and 2013-14 school years.

Click here to see what class your favorite school will be playing in this fall.

Pennsylvania Votes Against Shortening Season

by Jeff Fisher
High School Football America

Pennsylvania will continue to play a 16-week schedule in football for the next two years.

The PIAA voted 16-10 with one abstention against cutting the season to 15 weeks.  The proposal to shorten the season had passed two previous votes before being voted down on Friday.

Pennsylvania Finals Set

by Jeff Fisher
Pennsylvania High School Football Huddle

Eight teams to go in the 2011 Pennsylvania...five public, three private.

The only team back to defend its title is the Clairton Bears in 1A.

Now let's take at the match-ups...

Let's start in 4A where North Penn will face surprising Central Dauphin for the title.

North Penn won the its only state title in 2003 when it beat Pittsburgh Central Catholic.  Central Dauphin will be playing in its first state title game, thanks to a 23-20 defeating of defending state champ and nationally-ranked North Allegheny on Saturday.  The Knights advanced to the championship game by beating La Salle 21-14.  La Salle was looking for its third straight appearance in the 4A final.

North Penn (13-2) is on a 12-game win streak after a 1-2 start.  Central Dauphin's (14-1) only loss was to 3A finalist Bishop McDevitt in the second week of the regular season.

In 3A, the aforementioned Bishop McDevitt Crusaders will face top-ranked Archbishop Wood.  The Vikings have been on a roll since losing to Pittsburgh Central Catholic in the opening weekend of the season.  PCC was ranked #1 in 4A in several pre-season polls.

The Crusaders, like North Penn, began the season 1-2.  Last year Allentown Central Catholic beat McDevitt 28-27 in the 3A title game.  McDevitt hasn't won a state football title since 1995.

In 2A, Lancaster Catholic will take-on Tyrone.  LC made the final by knocking-off defending state champ West Catholic 23-20.

Lancaster Catholic (15-0) won its only state title in 2009 when it beat Greensburg Central Catholic 21-14.  Tyrone will be playing in its third state championship game, but first since 1999.

Tyrone won its only state title in '99 when it beat Mount Carmel 13-6 to win the AA title.  In 1995, Mount Carmel beat Tyrone 25-6.

In 1A, Clairton puts its 46 game win streak on the line when it plays Southern Columbia in the championship game.  The Bears have won back-to-back 1A titles and will be playing in its fourth straight championship game.

Southern Columbia is no stranger to state championship games.  The Tigers have won a record six 1A titles

BTW...if Clairton wins next weekend, they'll have a shot at going after the state's longest all-time win streak of 59 straight by Central Bucks West in the late 90's.

Pennsylvania Two-Thirds of the Way to a Shorter High School Football Season

by Jeff Fisher
Pennsylvania High School Football Huddle

Pennsylvania is one-step away from shortening the high school football season from 16 to 15 weeks.

Late last week, the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association passed on a second-reading a new rule that would eliminate a week for the 2012 season.  The new rule must pass one more vote in December before it will take effect.

Earlier this year on the National High School Coaches Association's NHSCA Sports Hour, I spoke with PIAA Executive Director Brad Cashman, who will be retiring at the end of this school year, about the change.

Cashman told me that one of his main goals in his final year as the head of the PIAA is to make sure that the season is shortened.

Click here to listen to that interview and learn why Cashman believes a shorter season is a good thing.

Pennsylvania Moves Closer to Shorter High School Football Season

by Jeff Fisher
Pennsylvania High School Football 

Pennsylvania is a third of the way from reducing its high school football season from 16 weeks to 15.

On Friday, the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association approved a proposal that would shrink the season beginning with the 2012-2013 season.  In order for the proposal to take effect, it still must pass two more readings in October and December.

Pennsylvania Examines Reducing Football Season from 16 to 15 Weeks

by Jeff Fisher
Pennsylvania High School Football Huddle

The Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association has decided to examines a couple of proposals that would reduce the high school football season from 16 weeks to 15.

The PIAA board of directors will look at two proposals at its next meeting in July that would shorten the season.  One proposal involves the merging of some of the smaller districts into sub-regions; the other would move district winners directly into the state tournament.

It's Official...PIAA to Stay with Four Playoff Classes in Football

by Jeff Fisher
Pennsylvania High School Football Huddle

The Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association Board of Control followed the lead of the Strategic Planning Committee and voted down a proposal to expand the state football playoffs from four to six classes. That proposal would have also cut the season from 16 to 15 weeks. Today's vote means the season will remain at sixteen weeks through the 2011 season.

Thumbs Down on Pennsylvania Plan to Expand High School Football Playoffs

by Jeff Fisher
Pennsylvania High School Football Huddle

It looks like the PIAA will stick with the state's current four class high school football playoff system. The PIAA strategic planning committee has voted against a plan to expand the playoffs by two classifications for the 2010 season. The recommendation now goes to the Board of Control, which rarely goes against what the planning committee recommends.

Pennsylvania Tables Football Playoff Expansion

by Jeff Fisher
Pennsylvania High School Football Huddle

Time to catch-up a little bit after a busy month of May that included trips to NYC, London and my first ever visit to Africa.

While I was on the Dark Continent, the PIAA decided to table the proposal to expand the football playoffs from four to six classifications. The proposal will probably come back around in July. Click here to read the story from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

Pennsylvania High School Football Scoreboard - 3rd Round

By Jeff Fisher
The High School Football Huddle

There's a new all-time rushing leader in Pennsylvania. Friday, Steelton-Highspire's Jeremiah Young passed East Stroudsburg's James Mungro's record of 8,432 yards set back in 1995. The defending Class A state champs also advanced to the eastern quarterfinals with a 49-16 win over Camp Hill.

Steelton-Highspire running back Jeremiah Young breaks state rushing record

Pennsylvania High School Football Scores
Friday, November 21, 2008

Eastern PA

Class AAAA
North Penn 41 Downingtown West 21
Neshaminy 21 Garnet Valley 14
Cumberland Valley 44 Governor Mifflin 0
Wilson West Lawn 48 Bishop McDevitt 6

Class AAA
Berwick 13 Wilson 6
Selinsgrove 35 Hollidaysburg 10
West Chester Rustin 21 Upper Moreland 14
West York 20 Garden Spot 0

Class AA
Dunmore 48 Wilkes-Barre GAR 13
Lancaster Catholic 41 Middletown 0
Mount Carmel 35 Montoursville 21

Class A
Riverside 25 Southern Columbia 7
Schuylkill Haven 43 Communications Tech 0
Steel-High 49 Camp Hill 16

Western PA

Class AA
Martinsburg Central 41 Central Cambria 6

Click here to go to The High School Football Huddle for news and scores around the country.

Seven Starters From Jeannette Football Team Lead Jayhawks to State Basketball Championship

The nation's top high school football recruit Terrelle Pryor has another Pennsylvania state championship gold medal to hang around his next.

Saturday, Pryor and six of his football teammates led Jeannette to a 76-72 overtime victory over Philadelphia Strawberry Mansion and the PIAA Class 2A state basketball championship.

Pryor scored 23 points in the victory for the Jayhawks, who became the first school in the very powerful WPIAL to ever win state football and basketball championships in the same year. Jeannette (25-4) used only seven players in the game, and all seven were starters on the football team.

To read about the game, please click here.

Next up for Pryor...a decision on where to play his college football!

Still No Decision...But Terrelle Pryor Playing For Another State Championship Today

The Year of Terrelle Pryor continues rolling along at breakneck speed today when the nation's number one recruit plays for his second state championship during the current school year.

Pryor and his Jeannette (24-4) teammates will play Philadelphia Strawberry Mansion (23-5) at Penn State's Bryce Jordan Center for the PIAA Class AA state title. Of course in December, the still undecided football recruit, led his Jayhawks to a state football title.

Maybe his appearance in Happy Valley this weekend, will help Pryor decide where he will play college football. Penn State is considered one of the four finalists for his services...with Ohio State, Michigan and Oregon still in the running.

Pryor delayed his decision beyond the National Letter of Intent signing day and has kept all of the recruiting websites buzzing about his final decision.

April 1st is the cut-off date for his decision.

Pennsylvania High School Football Quarterfinals Site Released

Here is this weekend's sites and times for the PIAA high school football quarterfinal match-ups...

Friday, November 30, 2007

CLASS AAAA
West Chester Henderson at Ridley, 7:30 p.m.
Erie Cathedral Prep vs. Pittsburgh Central Catholic, at Veterans' Memorial Stadium, Erie, 7 p.m.

CLASS AAA
Gettysburg vs. Lampester-Strasburg, at Hersheypark Stadium, Hershey, 7 p.m.

CLASS AA
Loyalsock vs. Delone Catholic, at Kemp Memorial Stadium, Shamokin, 7 p.m.
Dunmore vs. Lansdale Catholic, at Memorial Stadium, Scranton, 7 p.m.
Bishop McCort vs. Wilmington, at Mansion Park Stadium, Altoona, 7 p.m.

CLASS A
Marian Catholic vs. Bloomsburg, at Eagles Nest stadium, Orwigsburg, 7 p.m.
Serra Catholic vs. North Star, at Cougar Mountain Stadium, Herminie, 7 p.m.

Saturday, December 1, 2007

CLASS AAAA
Parkland vs. George Washington, at Crum Stadium, Allentown, noon
Harrisburg vs. Gov. Mifflin, at Hersheypark Stadium, Hershey, 7 p.m.

CLASS AAA
Garnet Valley vs. West Scranton, at Red Raider Stadium, Coatesville, 1 p.m.
Thomas Jefferson vs. Selinsgrove winner, at Mansion Park Stadium, Altoona, 1 p.m.
Erie Strong Vincent vs. Indian Valley, at Veterans' Memorial Stadium, Erie, 7 p.m.

CLASS AA
Karns City vs. Jeannette, at Memoral Stadium, Clarion University, 1 p.m.

CLASS A
Steelton-Highspire vs. Bellwood-Antis, at Hersheypark Stadium, Hershey, 1 p.m.
Mercyhurst Prep vs. Kane, at Veterans' Memorial Stadium, Erie, 1 p.m.