Local schools affected by MHSA reclassification
file photo
It’s been many years since Polson and Ronan football teams met on the gridiron. MHSA’s new reclassification, based on overall declining enrollment numbers across the state, resulted in Ronan moving back to class A. Ronan Chief and Polson Pirate football players in the photo above play in an Oct. 2009 game.
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As prep athletes from around the Mission Valley make their way back into the gym and out on the field, they will notice a slight change in their upcoming scheduled opponents.
Back in November during an executive board meeting, the Montana High School Association (MHSA) approved a new set of enrollment ranges for the 2017-18 school year for all classifications.
A 17 percent drop in high school enrollment statewide since 1995 had been the stimulus for the classification changes.
The following are the new range guidelines with the previous ranges in parentheses: Class AA, 779-plus (826-plus); Class A, 307-778 (340-825), Class B, 108-306 (120-339), Class C, 1-107 (1-119).
In addition to realignment, the MHSA approved schools with six-man football can no longer exceed an enrollment of 65 and eight-man football cuts off at 130.
Local schools affected
The new football-specific enrollment ranges mean Class B St. Ignatius will drop to eight-man football joining Charlo and Arlee, but will remain in Class B for every other sport.
The MHSA also denied Ronan’s request to remain in Class B. The Chiefs and Maidens will rejoin former valley rival Polson in the Northwestern A conference, rekindling a heated rivalry that was put on ice when Ronan jumped down to Class B back in the fall of 2011.
The Chiefs will host the Pirates during homecoming Sept. 22 at 7 p.m. in Ronan.
