Lancaster-Lebanon League extends football agreement with Berks schools
2024 Berks football coverage presented by
Utilities Employees Credit Union
(This story was produced by LNP/Lancasteronline and is published in partnership with MikeDragoSports.com.)
By Jeff Reinhart — LNP/Lancasteronline
The relationship between the Lancaster-Lebanon League and Berks County football will continue.
The Lancaster-Lebanon League Secondary Association today voted 20-5 to extend the contract with the Berks County Interscholastic Athletic Association for four more years, through the 2029 season.
Conestoga Valley, Donegal, Elco, McCaskey, and Penn Manor cast the dissenting votes. One school was not in attendance.
Thirteen Berks schools joined the league as associate football members prior to the 2022 season; the new-look, five-section, 37-team league just wrapped up its third regular season. Wilson had been an associate member since 1975.
The new deal keeps the Berks teams on board through two more scheduling cycles.
“In general, but not unanimously, the majority of the league believes the combining of the L-L League and the Berks League for the sport of football makes a landscape that helps the majority of our schools compete with other schools that are of a similar enrollment size,” league executive director Todd Reitnouer told LNP. “We just finished year three of the original four-year contract, and felt that gave us enough data to evaluate the success of this venture.”
(Chris Knight/LNP photos)
It’s not unexpected that the vote would not be unanimous; when the league originally voted in 2020 five schools dissented: Cocalico, Donegal, Elco, Octorara, and Penn Manor.
“I think in this case,” Reitnouer said, “some people were concerned with the setup of some of the sections, especially in the middle of the league. And that’s never going to be perfect. We’re going to go by school size, and some programs might be rebuilding.
“So there were some concerns about the sections some people were playing in, and the competitive balance in those sections.”
Berks teams made an immediate impact in 2022, with Exeter and Wyomissing capturing section championships. In 2023 Twin Valley and Schuylkill Valley shared section titles. This season, Wilson won Section 1, Conrad Weiser won Section 3, and Schuylkill Valley won Section 5.
This was the first year of a two-year PIAA enrollment cycle, and several teams moved to different sections, based on shifting enrollments.
Teams will play the same league schedules in 2025. The league will be realigned, based on enrollment, again for the 2026 and 2027 seasons.
“I believe it’s easy to see that the L-L League is one of the most competitive leagues in Pennsylvania, from top to bottom,” Reitnouer said.
