The WPIAL's biggest football classification could be much smaller next fall. Using the PIAA enrollment figures for the 2004-05 and 2005-06 school years, five football teams currently in Quad A would move down to Class AAA, with no teams moving up. The cutoff for the largest Class AAAA school enrollment will be 534 male students, up from 470 the past two seasons, which would put Canon-McMillan (533), Indiana Area (429), Franklin Regional (521), Ringgold (486) and Albert Gallatin (518) in Class AAA. Those schools could choose to play up, but most likely won't. "We're going to play in the classification that we've been assigned to," Franklin Regional athletic director Ron Suvak said. "We're not planning to play up. "I think it will be good for us," Albert Gallatin AD and football coach Chuck Colborn said. "It gives us a chance to rebuild the program." Canon-McMillan and Ringgold were playoff teams in 2003, while Franklin Regional qualified in 2002. The changes would leave Quad A with only 23 teams. Some schools to the east that might have been candidates to join the WPIAL -- Altoona, Hollidaysburg, State College and Central Mountain -- joined District 3. Upper St. Clair and Trinity were also close to the bottom of Quad A in enrollment, but both will play up. One reason for the large change in Class AAAA is the addition of the Philadelphia public schools for the coming school year,. The cutoffs between the other classifications did not change nearly as much, though some schools did move among classifications there as well. McGuffey will be in Class AAand Apollo-Ridge is now under the Class A cut-off. Charleroi would also drop from Class AA to Class A, but may stay up. Aliquippa, Jeannette and North Catholic were all Class A in size during the last enrollment period but chose to play up. Jeannette could drop to Class A for next season. The WPIAL football committee has not officially discussed the changes yet, but will have its next meeting Jan. 14.

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