BIDDEFORD — Residents of Biddeford Wednesday night will have a chance to voice their opinions about what the school should do if the Maine Principals’ Association drops the football program to Class B.
The school will have a public forum at Steve White Gymnasium on Wednesday at 6 p.m. School administrators will use the forum as a guidance tool should the MPA reclassify the football program, said Biddeford Athletic Director Dennis Walton.
“We want to know what the public thinks,” Walton said. “I don’t want to give anyone an impression that we have made a decision yet because the public input is very valuable.”
The MPA in August is expected to make a decision to restructure high school football in Maine from three classes to four, creating a Class D. This will force some schools to drop down a class using student population as a criteria.
Biddeford, which is an historic Class A program with multiple state championships, would drop to Class B because its enrollment is less than 880.
Wednesday’s meeting is to gauge public desire to either remain in Class B or to petition to play in Class A, Walton said.
“We want to go to the public and ask them what they think,” Walton said. “We would drop to Class B, but the question is whether or not we think we belong there or in Class A.”
The MPA’s effort to create four classes comes two years after similar work to expand to four classes was tabled after coaches expressed concerns about its potential impact on individual programs.
Although the proposal drew criticism in 2010, Wells football coach Tim Roche said the climate surroudning it today is less hostile.
“I think it’s a good idea,” said Roche, whose Warriors won the 2012 Class B football championships going 12-0. “It makes sense.”
Under the proposal, Wells, which has a student population of 432, would drop to Class D. They would join traditional Class B powers Mountain Valley and Cape Elizabeth in that league.
Roche said people shouldn’t pay attention to the classes and added dropping down is not a demotion.
“We would petition to play in Class C,” he said. “People can’t look at it as if one team is getting promoted or another is getting demoted. It’s a system that levels the playing field and I am behind it.”
Schools such as Thornton Academy, Deering, Bonny Eagle and Sanford would remain in Class A. Those schools have enrollments of 1,200 or more.
Schools such as Biddeford and Kennebunk, with enrollments less than 880, would drop to Class B, but could petition to play in Class A.
Roche, while he agrees with a four-class system, said he would like to see strength of programs become a factor and not just enrollment numbers. Some schools might have criteria that places them in Class B, but their programs are in their infancies and they are not able to compete at that level yet, he said.
“It would be smarter to base it on the strength of that program,” he said. “That would be a fair approach.”
Walton also agreed with that approach.
The Tigers went 0-8 last season, but went 7-1 the season before and beat Thornton Academy (enrollment 1,400) in the annual Battle of the Bridge game.
“We had a great team just two years ago with players that could compete with any of the state’s best,” Walton said.
Roche also cautioned against the “jumping the gun mentality” if a program has a poor season.
“It’s cyclical,” he said. “I’ve had seasons where we went 9-0 then 0-9 then 8-1 the next year. It depends on the classes you have coming in. Sometimes you will be strong and sometimes you won’t.”
Schools trying to rebuild programs could also petition down a class, but would forfeit playoff eligibility.
If the MPA’s football committee does approve a four-class system, it will go into effect in the 2013 season, Walton said.
That will give schools time to decide on a course of action and create schedules.
Under the new proposal, some schools will also move from Western Maine to Eastern Maine, making a more level playing field. Traditional Class A powers in the East such as Bangor, Edward Little of Auburn, Brunswick and Lewiston would continue to play in the East, but they would face Deering, Portland and Cheverus, which could be moved out of the West. For the past few years the Western Maine schools have dominated the Class A title games.
— Contact Al Edwards at 282-1535, Ext. 323.
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