HELLERTOWN—The PIAA's District 11, which includes the seven Pocono high schools and schools in the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference, Colonial League and Schuylkill League, held a press conference. During the press conference, officials shared the latest information with media members.
Here are the significant takeaways from the press conference that the Monroe County community should notice.
Stroudsburg's AD joins the committee
Only months after returning to his alma mater as athletic director, Richard Baker will serve on the District 11 committee. The former Executive AD will serve as the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging Representative for a two-year term until June 2026. He joins East Stroudsburg North AD Chuck Dailey as the second committee member from the Poconos.
North boys' basketball will be in subregional with District 4
The 2024-25 season is the first of a two-year cycle after the PIAA announced which sports have moved up or down in class based on enrollment . In boys' basketball, every Pocono school in 5A moved up to 6A except for East Stroudsburg North, which will remain in 5A.
As a result, basketball chair Ray Kinder announced that District 11 would be in a subregional with District 4 for 5A boys' basketball. This means schools from both districts will be ranked together in the power rankings and compete in the same playoff bracket. At the time of the press conference, the playoff brackets were undergoing a second reading. The District 4 programs in Class 5A are Shikellamy High School, Selinsgrove Area High School and Athens Area High School.
In addition to North, the 5A programs in District 11 are Southern Lehigh, Bangor, Pottsville, Blue Mountain and Jim Thorpe.
More: Pleasant Valley and Pocono Mountain East look for their first win in the Oaken Bucket
Don't expect girls' flag football just yet
Girls' flag football took a huge step after the PIAA officially sanctioned the sport in mid-September. However, District 11 chairman Robert Hartman said he hasn't "received anything yet" regarding member schools adding flag football and that the rulebook is still in process, but it'll be ready for 2025-26.
To Hartman's knowledge, no schools in Districts 11, 2, 4, or 3 currently have girls' flag football. He believes it will grow, but he also voiced concerns about it growing past the initial excitement of a new sport.
"We've sort of seen that in lacrosse, and since that initial boom, the number has stagnated," Hartman said. "That's how lacrosse played out here locally - the quality is becoming better, but no one's added a lacrosse team in 8-10 years. Ideally, we have a solid foundation for girls' flag football so that as it grows, it continues to grow."
More Thursday night football games?
Due to the referee shortage, Thursday night football games have become commonplace across District 11. But Hartman was asked whether or not that would continue regardless of the referee situation, to which he responded, "I love Thursday night football games." He also pointed out that Panther Valley and Northern Lehigh have done it for a long time, and mentioned the idea of schools playing Thursday night on a rotational basis.
This article originally appeared on Pocono Record: Pocono AD joins committee, flag football, more news from District 11 press conference
Local News
Comments / 0