PIAA rejects Aliquippa's appeal, will play in Class 5A next two years

The verdict is in: Aliquippa must play Class 5A football for the next two years.

That’s the decision the PIAA board of directors reached Wednesday when it rejected the Quips’ appeal to remain in Class 4A where they’ve played the past four seasons.

The PIAA’s decision was based on its often confusing and controversial “competitive balance” rule that went into effect in 2018. The rule takes into account a team’s success and number of transfers it brings in over a two-year period.

“I’m not disappointed at all,” Aliquippa coach Mike Warfield said. “I mean, it was expected.

“After we presented our case, there weren’t even any questions asked (by the PIAA board of directors). It was pretty clear they already had their minds made up. So now, we're just going to try to get to 6A.

“But I do want everyone to know that we don’t win because of transfers. We win because of the hard work and determination of our players and our coaching staff.  Our kids have worked hard to achieve the success they’ve achieved. I don't want to take away from their accomplishments.”

Warfield did add that Aliquippa will continue its hopes of remaining in 4A. Aliquippa plans to take the PIAA to court.

But for now, the PIAA has ruled that the Quips -- who, with 156 boys in grades nine through 11, have Class 2A enrollment -- must play in a 5A conference like the WPIAL’s Allegheny Six.

For the past two years, the Allegheny Six has included schools with enrollments of hundreds of more boys that Aliquippa: Upper St. Clair (504), Peters Township (497), Baldwin (492), Bethel Park (488), Moon (486) and South Fayette (428).

Aliquippa’s appeal was conducted via zoom during the PIAA board of directors’ monthly meeting in Mechanicsburg which lasted almost seven hours as several other matters regarding athletics in the state were covered.

The PIAA board also heard “competitive balance” appeals from five other schools: Villa Maria field hockey, Springfield Township boys soccer, Steelton-Highspire football, Wyomissing football and Bishop Guilfoyle football. Only Bishop Guilfoyle won its appeal.

On its zoom hearing, Aliquippa had a contingent that included Warfield, superintendent Phillip Woods, athletic director Jennifer Damico and team physician Dr. Stephen Hribar.

In general, the PIAA moves up teams with considerable postseason success and adds more than three transfers in a two-year period.

Two weeks ago, the PIAA claimed Aliquippa had 23 transfers, including all-star running back Tiqwai “Tikey” Hayes, who has always lived in Aliquippa.

Last week, the PIAA corrected its accuracies regarding Aliquippa’s transfers and reduced the number to five. And although Warfield and Damico clearly documented that those five transfers had little to do with Aliquippa’s success the past two years, that didn’t sway the PIAA board.

Warfield and Damico showed stats that show those five transfers – who were referred to in the hearing as Student 1, Student 2, Student 3, Student 4 and Student 5 – contributed almost nothing to do with the team's success. Combined over the past two seasons as Aliquippa went 27-1 with two WPIAL Class 4A titles and two appearances in the state championship game, those five transfers combined for one touchdown, 4 rushing yards and 136 passing yards.

However, the PIAA steadfastly contends that its transfer rules don’t take into account how much transfers contribute to a team. A transfer is a transfer, period.

At one point during the hearing, Warfield told the PIAA board that "I want to be clear, not just to the board but to the public in general: Aliquippa does not win because they had transfers. The stats show it. It’s clear. It’s evident.

"We’re successful because of our kids’ work ethic and their determination.”

Warfield later added that “There is a school out east (Southern Columbia) that’s been to a state championship game seven years in a row. They don’t move up because they say they don’t have any transfers, which is essentially saying no transfers helped them win. It’s the same as us.

Aliquippa’s argument – which was supported by several statistical and factual graphics – was based on player safety, economic disparity and the history of those five transfers who, for the most part, had almost always lived in Aliquippa.”

"Most of the students being labeled as transfers were born and raised in Aliquippa. One of the students listed has attended Aliquippa since elementary school," said Tina Miller, an attorney who participated in the zoom hearing.

“None of these (five) students came to Aliquippa with athletic intent nor did they contribute to competitive balance.

“That is where there is a gaping hole in this competition formula ... there is nothing in the formula that connects the transfer students with any success of the team. Under the competition formula as it now stands, a school is penalized for having transfer students who never get one minute of active play. That makes absolutely no sense.”

The PIAA transfer rule no longer takes into account player safety and health issues.

“You have a rule that tells you to ignore the health and safety of a student in favor of an arbitrary mathematical calculation,” Miller said. “You all know that health and safety is part of every aspect of high school athletics. That is why your important responsibilities as board members to this organization, includes accepting responsibility under the code of ethics for promoting, protecting and conserving the health and physical welfare of the students who participate in sports.”

Two years ago, the PIAA tried to move Aliquippa up from 4A to 5A over the “competitive balance” rule. But The Quips appealed and won.

That wasn’t the case this time.

The bottom line is this: The PIAA board of directors wants a school with Class 2A enrollment to play up three classes because of five transfers who had absolutely nothing to do with the team’s success the past two years.

This article originally appeared on Beaver County Times: PIAA rejects Aliquippa's appeal, will play in Class 5A next two years