The 2015 high school football season is wrapping up with just one Times News area team still in contention for a state championship in the Marian Colts.

However, the Colts drive for a second state title isn't the only sports news this week.The PIAA dropped one of the biggest, if not the biggest, sports news story of the year recently when they released the 2016 through 2018 high school sports classifications. If you don't already know, the PIAA is now expanding the classifications from four classes to six in football, basketball, baseball, and softball.The PIAA's decision to expand the classifications has been long debated, but that debate is now over. The new system is here and many of the Times News area teams will be in a different position come this time next year.Considering football is still fresh on everyone's mind, let's start there.Five out of the nine Times News area football teams reside within the Anthracite Football League. As most sports aficionados know, the AFL will be going to a small school and big school division next season with the addition of Pottsville. The added change of classifications will now bring another ingredient to the mix to what looks like an already interesting 2016 high school football season.Let's start with the TN teams that will be in the AFL big school division next season. Lehighton, Jim Thorpe, and Tamaqua will all play at the 3A level for the next two campaigns. The Olympians and the Indians stay at 3A, while Tamaqua will make the jump from 2A.Other teams in the division that have changed classes are Blue Mountain (4A), Pottsville (4A), and North Schuylkill (3A).In District 11, two big changes have come about as well, with Becahi and Allentown Central Catholic moving up to 4A. The two schools have dominated the District 11 3A playoffs over the years. This year's District 11 3A champion Saucon Valley has also made the jump to 4A."Generally I like what the PIAA has done so far," said Lehighton coach Tom McCarroll. "I think the goal was to give more players the opportunity to play in a championship game, because that's what most of these kids are playing for. I get the side that is saying the fields are too thinned out and I believe we have two classes in the district that are a little thin right now in 5A and 1A. I don't know what the answer is there, maybe a subregional of some sort or something along those lines. There's still a lot to work out, but generally I'm happy with it."In the small school division, Marian will stay at 1A and Panther Valley at 2A. Other teams including Minersville (2A), Schuylkill Haven (2A), and Mahanoy (2A) have all made the jump up one classification. Shenandoah Valley will remain at 1A.The Colts are looking at a district field with just Tri-Valley, Williams Valley, Shenandoah Valley, and Nativity to compete against for a District 11 championship. That is unless the Marian administration voluntarily decides to bump up to 2A to face a more solid field of competition. The deadline for any voluntary upgrades is December 15.In the Colonial League, Times News area teams Northwestern will bump up to 4A, Northern Lehigh will go up a class to 3A, while Palmerton stays at 2AEastern Pennsylvania Conference TN team Pleasant Valley (6A) has made the move to the highest classification.On to high school basketball where there will certainly be some shake ups as well.In girls basketball, the big surprise is Jim Thorpe (3A) that slipped just below the 4A classification. The Lady Olympians were just one win away from playoffs a season ago and have a nice crop of young players that will be around for the next three seasons."I think the new classifications are a positive step in the right direction," said Jim Thorpe girls basketball head coach Rob Kovac. "The goal is to have everyone playing on more of an even playing field. I see a lot of similarities school-wise in schools such as us, Palmerton, and Northern Lehigh, but not with us, Allentown Central Catholic, and Becahi. I think there's still a lot to be figured out with the whole public and private school debate as well. This to me is good because now our regular season can prepare us for districts whereas before you would see a team in districts that is at a much higher level than any of the teams you've seen throughout the season."Times News area girls basketball teams Pleasant Valley (6A) Lehighton (4A), Tamaqua (4A), Northwestern (4A), Northern Lehigh (3A) Palmerton (3A),and Panther Valley (3A) will all move up in classification. Marian (2A) and Weatherly (1A) will remain in its current field.In boys basketball, Pleasant Valley (6A), Jim Thorpe (4A), Tamaqua (4A), Northwestern (4A), Lehighton (4A), Northern Lehigh (3A),and Palmerton (3A) will all be moving up in classification.Panther Valley will be staying put in 2A and also will be moving out of Division 1 of the Schuylkill League and into Division 3. Minersville will now replace the Panthers in Division 1 as it has surpassed them in male enrollment. The Panthers drastic move is most likely attributed to the "10 percent rule" that the PIAA is applying to the enrollment figures for the next two years, which only counts 10 percent of students that live in the district that attend a vocational school, are home-schooled, or attend an online cyber school. In the past, schools had to claim these students without them even setting foot inside the halls.Weatherly will also stay put at 1A.The Schuylkill League has garnered many District 11 baseball champions over the years. That will most likely always be the case, but a huge shake-up is in store next season when the new PIAA classification system goes into effect.This upcoming baseball season will be special because the days of seeing perennial contenders Tamaqua (3A), Blue Mountain (5A), and Pottsville (4A) all fighting for a District 11 Championship look to be over. The Raiders will be staying at 3A, while Pottsville moves up a class to 4A and Blue Mountain jumps two classes to 5A."It's going to take a lot of getting used to not playing Pottsville or Blue Mountain if we're fortunate to make districts, but this is something new and that's just the way it is," said Tamaqua head coach Jeff Reading. "If anything it certainly makes things interesting that's for sure. There's no doubt that I think they need to still revisit some things, but I'm excited to see how this works. No matter what you have to go through somebody to win a district championship. For a lot of teams it's just different teams they'll have to play now."Times News area baseball teams Pleasant Valley (6A), Northwestern (4A), Jim Thorpe (4A), Lehighton (4A), Northern Lehigh (3A), Palmerton (3A), and Marian (2A) will all move up in classification.Panther Valley (2A) and Weatherly (1A) will stay in its respective fields.The numbers are out, the classes are set, but still there are some questions to be answered. The big question on everyone's mind is obviously what will happen with the District 11 5A and 1A fields. For example, in football there are just four teams in 5A and five teams in 1A. Not every team is guaranteed to make the postseason every season, so what can be done in order to have a full field of playoff teams?"I don't want to speculate too much, but just looking at the numbers I think you'll see some subregional playoffs with those classes," said District 11 football Chairman Jason Zimmerman. "Obviously we don't know that until the brackets come out, but I think that's what you'll see."There are obviously some obstacles ahead for the PIAA with the new classification system. Some of the issues may not even surface until down the road, but administrators, coaches, and fans all wanted a change and an even playing field. The PIAA took action and it may not be perfect, but for the most part it seems that most everyone involved feels like it's a step in the right direction."I believe we accomplished the goal of not having so much disparity between schools in the same classes," said Zimmerman. "We wanted to create classes where the schools were much closer in size. I think this makes competing for a district championship much more competitive now."