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Here are the District 3 high school football classifications for the next two-year enrollment cycle

The Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association released its enrollment numbers for the 2020-21 and 2021-22 school years Friday. The state’s athleti...
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The Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association released its enrollment numbers for the 2020-21 and 2021-22 school years Friday.

The state’s athletic governing body breaks down the classification numbers by sport on its page.

Here’s a look at how the two-year enrollment numbers affect the six classifications for high school football in District 3:

CLASS 6A

School Enrollment 2019 Class League
Reading 2,148 6A Berks League
McCaskey 1,146 6A L-L League
Cumberland Valley 1,078 6A Mid-Penn
Chambersburg 1,078 6A Mid-Penn
Hempfield 1,078 6A L-L League
Central York 1,078 6A YAIAA
Dallastown 1,078 6A YAIAA
Wilson 1,078 6A L-L League
Manheim Township 1,078 6A L-L League
York Tech 1,078 6A YAIAA
Central Dauphin 1,078 6A Mid-Penn
William Penn 1,078 5A YAIAA
Penn Manor 1,078 6A L-L League
Carlisle 1,078 6A Mid-Penn
Harrisburg 1,078 6A Mid-Penn
CD East 1,078 6A Mid-Penn
Cedar Crest 1,078 6A L-L League

Analysis: York High jumps up to join the district’s big boys after spending the last enrollment cycle rated as a 5A team. While the Bearcats are moving in, two former 6A teams — Red Lion and Lebanon — are dropping out. The Lions and Cedars will play in Class 5A for the next cycle.

CLASS 5A

Governor Mifflin 582 5A Berks League
Red Lion 582 6A YAIAA
Lebanon 582 6A L-L League
Exeter Township 582 5A Berks League
Cedar Cliff 582 5A Mid-Penn
Warwick 582 5A L-L League
Muhlenberg 582 5A Berks League
Conestoga Valley 582 5A L-L League
Elizabethtown 582 5A L-L League
Waynesboro 582 5A Mid-Penn
Mechanicsburg 582 5A Mid-Penn
South Western 582 5A YAIAA
Ephrata 582 5A L-L League
New Oxford 582 5A YAIAA
Northeastern 582 5A YAIAA
Hershey 582 5A Mid-Penn
Palmyra 582 5A Mid-Penn
Solanco 582 5A L-L League
Spring Grove 582 5A YAIAA
Daniel Boone 582 5A Berks League
Red Land 582 5A Mid-Penn
Dover 582 5A YAIAA
Gettysburg 582 4A YAIAA
Lower Dauphin 582 5A Mid-Penn
Twin Valley 582 5A Berks League
Fleetwood 582 4A Berks League
Manheim Central 582 5A L-L League
Shippensburg 582 5A Mid-Penn
York Suburban 582 4A YAIAA

Anaylsis: Lots of new faces here for the next cycle. Cocalico, which captured the Class 5A title in this just-concluded season, is leaving for Class 4A, along with Northern York and Garden Spot. As we mentioned above, Red Lion and Lebanon are dropping down from 6A, while Gettysburg, Fleetwood, and York Suburban are jumping up from 4A. This remains the district’s most-populated classification, with 29 teams.

CLASS 4A

Northern York 398 5A Mid-Penn
Milton Hershey 398 4A Mid-Penn
Garden Spot 398 5A L-L League
Cocalico 398 5A L-L League
Greencastle-Antrim 398 4A Mid-Penn
Lampeter-Strasburg 398 4A L-L League
Susquehannock 398 4A YAIAA
West York 398 4A YAIAA
Donegal 398 4A L-L League
Conrad Weiser 398 4A Berks League
Octorara 398 4A L-L League
Big Spring 398 4A Mid-Penn
East Pennsboro 398 4A Mid-Penn
James Buchanan 398 3A Mid-Penn
Kennard-Dale 398 4A Mid-Penn
Eastern York 398 4A YAIAA
Eastern Lebanon County 398 4A L-L League
Kutztown 398 3A Berks League

Anaylsis: In addition to the teams listed above, Bishop McDevitt and Berks Catholic will join Class 4A on a voluntary basis, even though their enrollment numbers designate them as Class 3A programs. With the addition of those two, along with the arrival of Cocalico, Garden Spot and Northern Lebanon from Class 5A and James Buchanan and Kutztown, Class 4A’s numbers have swelled to 20 teams.

CLASS 3A

West Perry 274 4A Mid-Penn
Northern Lebanon 272 3A L-L League
Susquehanna Township 270 4A Mid-Penn
Bishop McDevitt 268 4A Mid-Penn
Hamburg 264 4A Berks League
Boiling Springs 255 4A YAIAA
Middletown 255 3A Mid-Penn
Littlestown 248 3A YAIAA
Schuylkill Valley 243 3A Berks League
Wyomissing 238 3A Berks League
Bermudian Springs 232 3A YAIAA
Berks Catholic 231 4A Berks League
Annville-Cleona 221 3A L-L League
Hanover 218 3A YAIAA
Lancaster Catholic 212 3A L-L League
Pequea Valley 205 2A L-L League
Biglerville 196 3A YAIAA

Analysis: While BC and Bishop McDevitt are listed among the 3A programs, both teams voluntarily decided to play in Class 4A in the next cycle. Still, the addition of former 4A programs West Perry, Susquehanna Township, Hamburg, and Boiling Springs (along with Pequea Valley from Class 2A) gives this glass a net gain of two programs. Perennial contenders Middletown, Lancaster Catholic, Wyomissing and Littlestown will have their hands full with West Perry and Hanna. Some intriguing potential playoff matchups could lie ahead.

CLASS 2A

Trinity 193 2A Mid-Penn
Susquenita 189 3A Tri-Valley
Newport 177 2A Tri-Valley
Columbia 161 2A L-L League
Camp Hill 160 2A Mid-Penn
York Catholic 149 2A YAIAA
Upper Dauphin 138 2A Tri-Valley

Analysis: PV moves up a class, while Steel-High and Delone Catholic drop down to Class 1A. Upper Dauphin will join forces with Millersburg as part of co-operative sports agreement and might wind up merging school districts, which would affect the Trojans’ enrollment numbers. As it stands, UD captured the Class 2A title last season in the Tri-Valley League’s swan song.

CLASS 1A

Steelton-Highspire 129 2A Mid-Penn
Delone Catholic 128 2A YAIAA
Fairfield 125 1A YAIAA
Halifax 106 1A Mid-Penn
Millersburg 97 1A Tri-Valley

Analysis: Millersburg will be rolled into Upper Dauphin’s program, either as part of a co-op or in a school district merger. But the arrival of Delone and Steel-High gives the district’s small school class its two most likely title contenders.

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