By Ryan Epling and Curtis Johnson
Published: Aug. 13, 2024 at 3:19 PM EDT
PARKERSBURG, W.Va. (WSAZ) - Several local high school football programs are being reclassified just weeks before the 2024-2025 season opens.
The West Virginia Secondary Schools Activities Commission confirmed on Tuesday that Spring Valley and St. Albans are among schools that will go from Class AAAA to Class AAA.
Wayne and Sissonville are among the schools that will bump down from Class AAA to Class AA.
The Review Board, composed of seven members appointed by the West Virginia Superintendents of Schools, has directed that the eleven schools be reclassified for the upcoming football season only.
The 11 schools are: Frankfort High School, John Marshall High School, Oak Hill High School, Petersburg High School, Preston High School, Saint Albans High School, St. Mary’s High School, Sissonville High School, Spring Valley High School, Tyler Consolidated High School, and Wayne High School.
The decision from the WVSSAC Board of Review comes after 11 schools filed appeals over their classifications.
The four-page ruling leaves a lot of questions.
WSAZ’s Curtis Johnson took those questions to WVSSAC Executive Director David Price, who is now tasked with carrying out the ruling. He said, in a written statement, he received word of the decision Monday night.
He gave this reaction to WSAZ:
“We respect the governance process in place, and we will do our best to work through the logistics of these changes,” Price told Johnson.
“The Board of Review stressed risk of injury in pushing for immediate action regarding football, but can the same not be said for other sports, in particular, soccer, cheerleading and volleyball?” Johnson asked.
“Right now this is a football only decision,” he answered.
“Is that the right decision?” Johnson asked.
“That’s the review board’s decision,” Price replied.
Regarding football, only the teams that appealed will be affected.
Meaning in our area South Charleston, Riverside and Capital, all among the smallest in Quad-A, will stay put.
The Review Board, however, recommended those schools should also benefit, but Price says the Review Board does not have that authority, saying it can only rule on behalf of schools with active appeal.
“If they were to attach a spreadsheet suggesting where other schools should be categorized, such as Riverside or Capital, that doesn’t hold weight as far as you’re concerned?” Johnson asked.
“That is our interpretation,” Price said.
WSAZ also asked about the ruling’s impact on football playoffs, since playing a team from a higher class will earn more points for strength of schedule.
“Will those teams who remain in Quad- and Triple-A, now be punished for wins against the now lower classification schools?” Johnson asked.
“Well, you used the term punished,” Price replied. “I would use the term ‘potentially affected.’ ”
The WVSSAC announced the new classifications in December 2023, moving from three to four classifications in five sports, including football, for the 2024-2025 school year.
Tom Harmon, the athletic director and football coach at Wayne High School, released the following statement:
“The process of reconfiguring schools and their placement is hard enough to do to begin with. Certain members of the Board of Directors this cycle, made up of Principals, dropped the ball and used clearly bogus figures to come up with conclusions. Schools were allowed to appeal and make their case before an independent Board of Review. Thankfully the Board of Review agreed with the Competitive Balance Committee and the WVSSAC staff. The ruling justly concluded that we should follow those who are in the arena. Competitive balance in WV is the goal.”
Spring Valley Athletic Director Tim George released this statement:
“As leaders of young people, we all have a moral imperative to do the right thing, even when it’s tough. We have been entrusted to set a standard that our young people can follow. As long as I’m the athletic director at Spring Valley, I will do whatever it takes to fight for our people. This decision was a huge step in the right direction and something that many schools have fought for throughout the state. Right now, I hope that all parties involved can get in ‘fix mode’ in order to find a long term solution that is fair for everyone.
“I hope that the public understands that the people that work for the WVSSAC are great people that I genuinely respect. We need to support them and help them navigate through this unprecedented situation.
“Although, there are layers of issues to unpack from our months long battle, now is the time for everyone to come together to focus on fairness for our student-athletes all over West Virginia.
“We currently believe that Spring Valley will be in AAA for football this season. We will continue to fight for our ultimate goal of participating in AAA for all sports with four classes.”
The Board of Review cited time and safety in making the ruling this close to football season. The ruling states making undermanned football programs compete against larger schools would simply create too great of a concern for injury.
Beyond football, Price tells Johnson the WVSSAC will not have a new classification model until next school year. He says April 2025 is the earliest school principals are scheduled to meet on any changes.
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