Wyomissing forced to move up one classification after PIAA football verdict (updated)
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Wyomissing has won District 3 football championships at the Class 1A, 2A and 3A levels – something no other program has accomplished.
Next season the Spartans — like it or not — will go for more history, bidding for a championship in a fourth class: 4A.
That was decided Wednesday when the PIAA Board of Directors rejected Wyomissing’s appeal to remain in 3A after the school met the governing body’s Competition Formula criteria.
Wyomissing, which has won five straight district titles, had six or more “success points” over the just-completed two-year scheduling cycle under the PIAA formula and it played with more than three athletic transfers in 2023.
Wyomissing was one of three football programs which saw its appeal denied, along with Steel-High and Aliquippa. Bishop Guilfoyle was granted its appeal and will remain in Class 1A.
“We felt the intent of that rule was to curb schools recruiting other students to their schools, to their programs, to make their programs better,” said Wyomissing principal Corey Jones. “We felt that didn’t apply to us.”
The PIAA, which adopted the success formula in 2018 to reduce transfers and create a more level playing field, applies its rule in black and white. It doesn’t consider perceived intent, playing time, or value to the team in regard to transfers.
As PIAA executive director Dr. Robert Lombardi has often said: “A transfer is a transfer.”
According to a statement released by the PIAA Wednesday: “Appeals . . . are limited to a mathematical error in the assignment of Success Points or asserted errors in the assignment of the number of transfers.”
Jones was joined at Wednesday’s hearing by Wyomissing superintendent Robert Scoboria, athletic director Frank Ferrandino and head football coach Bob Wolfrum. Each spoke during the presentation, according to Jones. The hearing was closed to the public, at the request of the school. Hearings for Aliquippa and Steel-High were open.
Wyomissing went 12-2 last season and 13-1 in 2022, reaching the state semifinals each season. Its playoff victories earned six success points under the PIAA formula. The Spartans also had seven transfers on their roster, several of whom were key contributors.
Jones said the addition of those student-athletes is not the reason for the program’s success; however, the PIAA doesn’t take that into account when it applies its rulings.
“We have students that moved to our school district and played football, but that doesn’t contribute to the success of our football program,” Jones said. “We’ve had a successful program for many years.
“Students move to any school district for many, many reasons: Life changes, job changes, family changes. There’s many reasons, and football isn’t one of those reasons. That was our point.
“It’s always (been) our contention (that) we feel the spirit of the competition formula is to deter athletic transfers. We always try to separate an athletic transfer from a student who moved to the Wyomissing School District and decided to play football.”
The bump up in class will mean Wyomissing (243 boys, grades 9-11) will compete in the postseason against schools with considerably larger enrollments, such as York Suburban (423), West York (422), Twin Valley (419), Greencastle (419), Lampeter-Strasburg (413), Donegal (402), Milton Hershey (372) and West Perry (362).
The Spartans beat West Perry in the district title game each of the past two seasons; West Perry was reclassified due to enrollment changes.
Wyomissing will play Twin Valley, Lampeter-Strasburg, and Donegal as part of their Lancaster-Lebanon League Section 4 schedule next season. Wyomissing is the smallest school in Section 4 after opting to move up from Section 5.
The good news for the Spartans: Both Bishop McDevitt and Manheim Central are moving from 4A to 5A for the next cycle. McDevitt has won three straight Class 4A titles, four in the last six seasons, and has 17 overall titles. Manheim Central has won a record 18 district championships, most recently claiming the 5A title in 2017 and 2018.
The Spartans will again field a strong team in 2024 and should be able to acquit themselves well in the Class 4A landscape for the next two seasons.
Fullback Chase Eisenhower led the team in rushing and scoring last season as a sophomore and also returns to inside linebacker, where he was a second-team all-league pick.
Justice Hardy made a huge splash as a freshman. He led the team in interceptions, was second in rushing and earned all-league second-team honors as a cornerback. He’ll be a special teams threat as well. Hardy will be joined on defense by the return of safety Derek Macrina and linebacker Tyler Niedrowski.
Max Tipton, Jordan Gwyn, Caleb Beane, and Keaton Piacine return to lead the line, which will be strong again even with the graduation of Penn State recruit Caleb Brewer.
Wyomissing was targeted for reclassification two years ago but won its appeal, as did Aliquippa, Southern Columbia, and Redbank Valley.
Southern Columbia, Aliquippa, Imhotep Charter, and Archbishop Wood each moved up one classification in 2020 due to the formula.
The PIAA Board of Directors approved a measure earlier this year to apply the Competition Formula to all team sports, starting with the 2024-25 school year. Previously the rule applied only to football and basketball.
According to the PIAA statement 56 schools were identified by the Competition Formula this year. Of those, 45 provided documentation to support staying in their current classification. Of the remaining 11, six appealed their cases. Only one was granted an appeal.
Villa Maria Academy field hockey and Springfield Township boys soccer also lost their appeals on Wednesday and will move up one classification.
Jones feels Wyomissing has nothing wrong in its approach to extra-curricular activities.
“We do our best to get (new) students involved in the (athletic) program,” Jones said. “Sometimes that’s football, sometimes that’s winter track, sometimes that’s drama, sometimes that’s the service club. That’s just what we do because that’s what’s best for kids.”
