BIDDEFORD — The Biddeford community spoke and the consensus was clear: Keep Biddeford football in Class A.

More than a dozen Biddeford residents met at Biddeford High School Wednesday night to give their opinions on what the school should do if the Maine Principals’ Association votes to create a four-class system in high school football. That move would move the Tigers, a perennial Class A power, to Class B.

That did not sit well with those in attendance at Wednesday’s forum.

“We belong in Class A,” Biddeford resident Dave Heffernan said. “We might be the smallest Class A school now, but let’s strap it up and let’s go.”

Under the new plan, Biddeford would compete in Class B West. The new classifications are based on enrollment. Biddeford has an enrollment of 830 and the new Class B classifications would be 625-849. The Tigers would be in the same division as Falmouth, Marshwood, Kennebunk, Greely, Westbrook, Oceanside, Camden Hills and Fryeburg Academy.

Biddeford’s biggest rival, Thornton Academy, would remain in Class A West because it has the state’s largest enrollment of 1,384. Sanford and Massabesic would also stay in Class A West. Wells, the defending Class B state champion would drop to Class D along with Old Orchard Beach, which would move from Class C.

Perennial Class A West powers Deering and Cheverus, along with Portland would move to Class A East.

Cheverus’s enrollment is 519, making the Stags a point of contention at Wednesday’s meeting.

“If we are going strictly by numbers, then why isn’t Cheverus in Class C? Why do they get to stay in Class A if we have to move to Class B,” asked Ralph Toussaint, president of the Biddeford Athletic Association. “Pride is a big word and it’s not just letters. It’s what we stand for, but it seems like we’re always taking a backseat.”

Former Biddeford football coach Brian Curit quickly pointed out why he thought Cheverus, a private Jesuit school in Portland, could remain in Class A.

“Yes, they only have 519 students, but every student in the school plays a sport,” Curit said. “The problem at Biddeford is only about 30 to 40 percent of our students compete in sports. Cheverus’s numbers might be lower than ours, but their student participation makes them a Class A school.”

Last season the Tigers went 0-8. It was the school’s first winless season since the late 1970s. That record has led some in the community to think the Tigers are being told they can’t compete any more in Class A. Biddeford Athletic Director Dennis Walton said that is not the case since the Tigers went 7-1 two years ago and hosted a first-round playoff game.

He also cautioned against sending the players the wrong message.

“We’re about teaching life lessons here and we need to use this as a teaching moment,” he said. “We need to tell our players that they need to strap the pads on and compete as best as they can.”

Financial concerns also played a factor in wanting to petition up to Class A should the Tigers drop.

Heffernan said he remembered the 1950s when Biddeford dropped to Class B and people stopped coming to the games and concession money and gate receipts considerably dropped.

“We were selling more cigarettes than hot dogs,” he said.

An increased budget was also a concern. Currently Biddeford’s longest road game is to Noble in the Berwicks. Under the new plan, the Tigers could travel to Camden, which is more than two hours away in Mid-coast, which would increase travel costs in the face of rising gas prices.

Biddeford football coach Scott Descoteaux said he understood the feelings, but said he worried about dropping to Class B being perceived as a demotion, which he emphasized it was not.

“Last year we weren’t that good but the year before we were,” he said. “There are some real powerhouses in Class B and we would’ve been lucky to win two games in Class B last year. My fear is that we would have a good season playing a Class B schedule and the fans would say ”˜yeah, but it was Class B.’ That would be detrimental and unfair to our kids.”

The MPA will make its decision in August. Biddeford will then need to make one of three decisions: Stay in Class B, drop to Class C or petition to move to Class A. Petitioning to Class A simply means filling out a sheet of paper saying the school wants to play in Class A, Walton said.

“It’s a simple process,” Walton said. “We don’t even need to give a reason.”

Former Biddeford assistant football coach Ron Ouellette said the answer to what Biddeford should do is simple.

“I would highly recommend a petition to Class A,” he said.

Biddeford used to have an enrollment of nearly 1,200, but has been at 830 for nearly a decade. During that time the Tigers have competed well in Class A with a few down years. Many in attendance used the possible drop to Class B as a rallying call.

“Since hearing about this I have gone back and forth between yes and no,” said Tom Leblond, father of Biddeford quarterback Nick Leblond. “I looked at Wells last season and realized Class B played very competitive football. We also don’t have the backups that some of the bigger schools have. If we lose a first-string player, chances are we need to replace him with a player who isn’t quite ready to play at that level yet, where as the bigger schools can plug that position with a player that could start at most other schools. At the end of the day, however, we have a lot of tough kids wearing those orange helmets.” — Contact Al Edwards at 282-1535.