Aliquippa football team to move up due to PIAA rule

BEAVER COUNTY, Pa. — The Aliquippa football team had a remarkable season last year.

They won the PIAA State Championship in Class 4A, as well as the WPIAL Championship.

Right now, there are 117 teenage boys enrolled at Aliquippa Senior High School. Under PIAA rules, that puts their football team in the smallest classification, Class 1A.

But for the last two seasons, the Quips have chosen to play up to Class 3A, and the PIAA forced them to move up to 4A, going against schools with three times their enrollment.

Because of the team’s success, the school says the PIAA is forcing them to move up again, to Class 5A.

“We were not comfortable playing 4A, that was not something we wanted to do, and expressed our frustration with the 4A cycle,”said Aliquippa superintendent Dr. Phillip Woods. “Then we get a letter now saying we have to play 5A, which is even more ridiculous then playing 4A.”

The superintendent and coach say this athletic program is at the heart of the community, and believe this move is unfair; but more importantly, that it is dangerous.

“The wear and tear on their bodies, the mental stress, the competition that we aren’t afraid of, but the continuous pounding we will get week after week, playing teams that are four and five times our size, that’s just not right,” said Mike Warfield, the Aliquippa head football coach.

“To what extent of danger do we have to expose these kids?,” said Woods. “For when we played in the state championship with 32 kids on our roster, the team we played had over 80 kids on the roster.”

The PIAA classification formula is based on three parts. It starts with listed enrollment, then the number of transfers, and lastly, the success on the field.

“What we want is what the rule says. We want the PIAA to start us from our enrollment and move us up from there,” said Warfield. “Simply start us at our listed enrollment, just like everyone else. We are not asking for special treatment.”

Channel 11 reached out to the PIAA on this matter, but we’re still waiting to hear back.

Aliquippa celebrated its 14th consecutive trip to the WPIAL Championship Game with a victory

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