Since the weatherman isn't going to let us have baseball this year, let's step back into wrestling mode for a moment.
First, look for a change in high school's weight classes. Unfortunately, that will not include a change in quantity - we'll still have 14, and still have plenty of forfeits at a lot of schools. Some wags propose a cut to 13; I can see the value of an odd number - no more ties - but wonder why we need 40 percent more at the scholastic level than in college.
The proposed weights, promoted by the National Federation of High Schools (the rule-making body whose policies tend to be adopted with little variation by the PIAA), are 106, 113, 120, 126, 132, 138, 145, 152, 160, 170, 182, 195, 220 and 285.
The PIAA is eyeing other changes to the sport, most notably a drop in competition points from 22 to 20. The point system is wrestling's answer to game limitations in other sports; a dual meet is one point, tournaments count as two, three or four points. The PIAA also wants to get rid of "pool" tournaments, which tend to produce more matches per wrestler.
Not wanting to avoid controversy altogether, the PIAA is looking at changes to scheduling for the two state wrestling tournaments. The first round of the team tournament may become a home match for one of the teams in the bracket, much like a basketball play-in game is now.
Sure to draw more fire from fans is a move to combine the consolation and championship finals in the individual state tournament.
I sympathize with the PIAA - it wants to have 16 wrestlers in each weight class appear in Hershey, and wants to finish the event in eight sessions. But the schedule has proven daunting over the past few years, with doors for the Class AAA session Saturday night opening so close to start time that fans aren't in their seats - and finals that run well past the scheduled time.
Having seen an all-finals-at-once event in Johnstown this year, brought about by a blunder in scheduling by arena management, I can attest to the fact that it takes away from the value of the championships.
Here's a thought: Add a third session Thursday and cut one Saturday. Alternate whether Class AA or Class AAA starts first from year to year, even if you keep Class AAA as the last final - and reserve Saturday for just that: the placement matches, including the championship.
Don't expect any of the proposed changes too soon; we're mid-cycle, and the PIAA itself hasn't even conducted a first reading on the changes - this is all in committee at this point.
The PIAA accepted Mifflin County High School as a member at its March meeting, terminating the membership of Lewistown and Indian Valley at the same time. The change will take place July 1.
The agency also accepted as a new member St. Joseph's Catholic Academy, a parochial school in Boalsburg. Recently departed Lewistown football coach Steve Guthoff is going there in the fall.
Accepted on a first-reading basis at the same meeting is a proposal that will change the way cooperative agreements in sports are classified. If accepted, the proposal would increase the population limit for some members of the cooperative, and cut by half the number of students from non-host schools that are counted toward the classification total.
But some schools would see no effect - the football cooperative between East Juniata and Midd-West, for example, would remain in Class AAA if that rule were in effect in the current cycle.
We all know that Juniata's heading back to the Tri-Valley League, but does that mean a return to District 3? Some think so, several favor it. But it is not automatic - it would have to be approved by both District 6 and District 3.
The pro-District 3 crowd doesn't want to hear this, but for playoff purposes, I still say Juniata is a heck of a lot better off in District 6.
No change will take place before 2012, when current agreements expire.
Folks like Greenwood athletic director Adam Sheaffer deserve a world of credit for pulling the TVL from the brink of collapse and bringing back Juniata, but whether competing with a bunch of schools half its size will be beneficial remains to be seen - especially if financial circumstances force the merger of Juniata and East Juniata sports (and don't think it isn't being talked about).
Perhaps instead of the Mountain League and District 6, Juniata should have looked at District 4 and the Heartland Conference - the county already has a school in that district in East Juniata, and the Heartland offers many of the same benefits that Juniata sought when it left the TVL.
Jeff Fishbein is sports editor of The Sentinel. Contact him at jfishbein@lewistownsentinel.com.
