Albert Gallatin football team will leave WPIAL next season

By: HSSN Staff
Thursday, October 18, 2018 | 1:48 PM

After an 0-8 start to this football season, Albert Gallatin’s administration decided to remove the team from WPIAL competition next year.

“It’s a decision we came to basically based on the safety factor for our kids having to play a (Class) 5A schedule,” superintendent Christopher Pegg said Thursday. “We have a limited number of kids playing football at this point. I think last week we went to Gateway with 28 to 31 kids … and we don’t see that improving moving forward at this point.”

WPIAL executive director Tim O’Malley called the decision “disappointing,” but said it’s each school’s choice whether to request a schedule or not. O’Malley spoke Thursday with Albert Gallatin athletic director Duane Dupont.

“Participation in the scheduling process is voluntary, if they don’t think they can be successful,” O’Malley said. “But it is disappointing.”

The district will attempt to put together an independent schedule for next season against teams in other PIAA districts or from out of state, Dupont said.

Albert Gallatin’s football program won WPIAL Class 2A titles in 1961 and ‘74 but has struggled since the district consolidated high schools in 1987. The team went 2-7 last year in Class 4A before enrollment numbers lifted them to Class 5A this season.

The school fell just above the cut line. With 386 boys in grades 9-11, Albert Gallatin tied with Interboro of District 1 as the state’s smallest high schools in Class 5A. The administration was concern another season against bigger teams would cause the school to lose more players and possibly lose the program.

The Colonials have scored just one touchdown in their past five games combined. They’re coming off a 49-0 loss to Gateway, the top-ranked team in WPIAL Class 5A.

Over the past decade, the team is 9-80.

Chris Harlan is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Chris at charlan@tribweb.com or via Twitter @CHarlan_Trib.

Tags: Albert Gallatin