AUGUSTA — With time running out to tweak the state’s high school football classification plan for the next two seasons, the Maine Principals’ Association football committee made minor adjustments to its proposal, while looking at possible bigger changes down the road.

The committee voted to change the lower cutoff for Class A from 840 to 845 students. That one move sends Noble High School of North Berwick and Biddeford High to Class B. In order to maintain the same amount of teams in each Class A division, the new proposal moves Windham High School from Class A East to Class A West, giving each division of the state’s largest school class seven teams.

The new proposal must now be approved by the classification committee, which meets next Monday at MPA’s Augusta office. The proposal then must go before the entire membership for a final approval vote in late April.

“We’re at the eleventh hour here,” said Bunky Dow, athletic director at Mt. Desert Island High School and member of the classification committee.

The football committee’s action on Tuesday was the result of a decision made by the classification committee to change a rule regarding schools that petition to play up a class in a sport. In the past, schools that play up had to make a four-year commitment at the higher class. Gerry Durgin, the MPA Assistant Executive Director and liaison to the classification committee, said the committee approved making applying to a higher class a two-year commitment. That meant the four schools currently applying up in football — Cheverus and Biddeford to Class A, and Wells and Mountain Valley to Class B — would have a clean slate beginning with the 2015 season.

Biddeford reached the Class A West semifinals last season, and has historically been one of the stronger programs in Class A, but declining enrollment has taken a toll on the Tigers. Biddeford’s last state championship came 21 years ago, in 1994. Biddeford’s enrollment of 775 students puts the school in Class B, but last fall, its appeal to join Class B and erase the final two years of its commitment to play in Class A was denied.

“If the proposal to go from four years to two years is approved by the membership, it does have ramifications,” for football, said Mike Burnham, an MPA director.

Under the new rule approved by the classification committee, Biddeford informed the MPA it would play in Class B, as per its enrollment. Cheverus, Wells and Mountain Valley will continue to petition up, Burnham said.

The addition of Noble and Biddeford gives Class B West 12 teams. Class A, the division of the largest football-playing schools, now has just 14 teams.

The committee briefly looked at a proposal by Leavitt High School head football coach Mike Hathaway to expand Maine high school football to five classes. Hathaway said his plan would allow for more competitive matchups at all levels and would let teams schedule interclass games. While committee members praised the thoroughness of Hathaway’s plan, they said at this point there is simply not enough time to give it proper consideration. Burnham pointed out that the process to expand from three classes to four took years.

“It’s something to look to down the road,” football committee chair Paul Bickford, assistant principal at Oxford Hills said. “It takes time.”

Added Tim Smith, athletic director at Foxcroft Academy: “I think this is wonderful. I just don’t think we can pull it off by Tuesday.”

Craig Sickels, athletic director at Freeport High School, told the committee that the Campbell Conference hopes to reduce lopsided games with a tiered schedule. The top teams, Tier I, would play each other with a few crossover games with teams in Tier II, those that have struggled in recent seasons. The Campbell Conference includes all the teams in West B, C and D. Among the things being considered for the league’s schedule is allowing interclass games. Interclass games could only be scheduled if both schools agree to the matchup, Sickels said. Each school was asked to provide a list of interclass opponents it would play, and only two matches were agreeable, Gray-New Gloucester (Class C) vs. Mt. Ararat (Class B) and Leavitt (Class B) vs. Spruce Mountain (Class C), Sickels said.

If the Campbell Conference goes to a tiered schedule, the league could give more weight to teams in Tier I when it comes to playoff seeding, Sickels said. For instance, the top three seeds in the regional playoffs could go to the top three teams in Tier I, regardless of the standings.

“Obviously, if you’re in Tier I, you’re there for a reason,” Sickels said.

The Campbell Conference will meet next week to discuss possible playoff formats, Sickels said.

Travis Lazarczyk — 861-9242

tlazarczyk@centralmaine.com

Twitter: @TLazarczykMTM

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