Ches-Mont, Del Val leagues agree to 2-year football scheduling agreement

The Ches-Mont League and Del Val League agreed on Thursday to enter into a two-year, football-only scheduling agreement that should help the 18 schools across the two leagues fill holes in their schedules, especially later in the season.

The agreement, which was approved by the principals and athletic directors of the leagues’ schools, will begin in 2020 and be re-evaluated after two seasons.

The deal means the league’s schools will schedule crossover games to be played in weeks three through nine.

Both leagues had been finding nonleague games difficult to find, especially outside the first two weeks of the season. With 13 teams in the Ches-Mont and now just five in the Del Val (after Glen Mills’ abrupt departure), there are often teams with open dates in the middle of the schedule. Filling those gaps is difficult since most other PIAA schools play exclusively league games.

Despite its small size, the Del Val League contains a few perennial District 1 contenders in Penn Wood, Academy Park and Interboro, as well as often tough programs like Chester and Chichester.

In another change beginning in 2020, the Ches-Mont will now have five teams in the National Division and eight in the American.

The National will include the four biggest Class 6A schools — Coatesville, Downingtown East, Downingtown West and Avon Grove — as well as Bishop Shanahan.

The American will include the other eight teams, all in Class 5A: Great Valley, Kennett, Oxford, Sun Valley, Unionville, West Chester East, West Chester Henderson and West Chester Rustin.

Crossover games between the two divisions will not count toward the Ches-Mont title.