Aliquippa remains in 4A after Pennsylvania appellate court denies PIAA's emergency application

ALIQUIPPA — Pennsylvania appellate court Judge Patricia McCullough handed down her ruling Thursday in the case between the Aliquippa School District and the PIAA and denied the PIAA’s request for the Quips football program to be moved up to Class 5A.

Interim head coach Vashawn Patrick is relieved that he and his team can now fully focus on preparing for the 2024 season.

“I am just glad that it is over now,” Patrick said in a statement to the Beaver County Times Friday morning. “We know what conference and classification that we are in now. Dr. Jennifer Damico and Dr. Phillip Woods did an amazing job defending Aliquippa and defending our young athletes so that they play in a safe environment.”

McCullough upheld the lower court’s decision from back in May where Beaver County Judge James Ross ruled that Aliquippa would remain in Class 4A after the school district’s attorneys argued for the health and safety of the team’s players.

In a 21-page document from McCullough which explains her ruling on the matter, she stated that depending on the outcome of the case, the decision could have a significant impact on scheduling or rescheduling for both 4A and 5A classes with the high school football season almost one month away.

Along with the impact that scheduling could have regardless of the court outcome, McCullough highlighted four areas that led to ruling in favor of the Aliquippa School District which was the likelihood of success, irreparable harm, substantial harm to other interest parties and public interest.

On Tuesday, the PIAA argued that the program only plays 18-20 of its 52-player roster. McCullough stated in the document that there is support on the record that shows that the decision to play less than half its roster was not to increase the chances of winning.

“There is record support that this was not a calculated coaching strategy, but a product of the economic realities Aliquippa faces, in that football is the only fall sport offered for male student-athletes who are interested in being part of the team," McCullough writes in the ruling. "Because the Court ruled from the bench during the Argument that the trial court’s preliminary injunction was prohibitive rather than mandatory, the Court is not persuaded by the PIAA’s position that the trial court employed the incorrect standard to obtain injunctive relief.”

The PIAA also argued that there was irreparable harm by the trial court’s decision from the hearing a few months ago which the PIAA stated in the argument that it removed the regulation of high school athletics and was placing it “in the hands of the court.”

McCullough went on to state that the harm to the PIAA “appears to be short-term discussions of the Competition Formula and its application thereof, but does not arise to the high level of irreparable.”

Along with the likelihood of success and irreparable harm, McCullough also stated that there would be substantial harm to other parties involved and create a burden on other schools.

“Granting a stay of the trial court’s order would return parties to the prior status quo — Aliquippa football team’s 5A classification for the 2024 football season which would require the PIAA to issue new 4A and 5A Class schedules almost immediately," McCullough ruled. "Alternating the competition class of Aliquippa’s football team so close to the regular season ‘will unjustly burden other schools.’ To grant PIAA’s request for relief would be to create a seismic disruption to the carefully synchronized orchestra of scheduling 4A and 5A WPIAL teams on an expedited-several-week basis. Not only would such a decision be substantially harmful—it may not even be possible.”

Now with the decision handed down, the Quips program will look towards this season as they will remain in their old Parkway conference in the WPIAL Class 4A.

Aliquippa will kick off its 2024 season against defending WPIAL and PIAA Class 3A champions Belle Vernon on Aug. 30 at Heinz Field.