Frontenac moves into 4A football

Who would have ever thought it would be possible for Fort Scott and Frontenac to be assigned to the same district in football?

It could happen depending on how the Kansas State High School Activities Association carves up the 64 Class 4A schools when it makes its football district assignments next week. Frontenac, which will be the second-smallest Class 4A football school, moved up from Class 3A after gaining 20 students since the last time football classes were determined two years ago.

Football classifications are set a year in advance for the two years following because it would be impossible to set up districts during the current season. The numbers used are student enrollments in grades 9-11.

Fort Scott does have 22 more students than the last time classes were determined by stays in Class 4A. The range of schools for this cycle goes from 564 (Maize South) to 197 (Cheney). Pittsburg missed dropping down to 4A in football by two students.

While it's possible that Fort Scott and Frontenac could be assigned to the same district, it's also likely that the Tigers' district won't change at all. Fort Scott currently plays in a district that includes Anderson County (240 students), Prairie View (233) and Iola (296), which is playing its final season of Southeast Kansas League football this year before joining ACHS and PVHS in the Pioneer League.

All the other schools aside from Pittsburg that will remain in the SEK next year all remain Class 4A schools. Fort Scott is actually the second-largest SEK school in football enrollment. Chanute is next at 438, then Labette County with 427, Independence 425, Coffeyville 396 and Parsons 285.

Other southeast Kansas area schools in 4A include Columbus, which also leaves the SEK after this year (241), Baxter Springs (226) and Girard (264).

The largest football school is Wichita East (1801). The smallest in 11-man football is St. Francis with just 69 students. The smallest school overall is Weskan, playing eight-man football with 25 students.

There are 33 schools with over 1,000 students in the football count. Blue Valley West (1,005) is the lone 5A school with over 1,000.

After several seasons in Class 5A, football powerhouse Hutchinson is back in Class 6A while Gardner-Edgerton will be in 6A for the first time. .

Pittsburg Colgan has become a Class 3A school -- something head coach Chuck Smith expected to happen -- with 120 students, which is the cutoff between 3A and 2-1A.

District assignments are expected to be announced next Tuesday.