Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 1/8/12
Staff Report
The decision to close five schools in the Philadelphia Archdiocese Friday will greatly reduce the number of Catholic League teams playing lacrosse.
The Archdiocese recommended Friday that Archbishop Prendergast (girls’ lacrosse), St. Hubert (girls), Conwell-Egan (girls and boys), Monsignor Bonner (boys) and West Catholic (no lacrosse) will be closed after the year.
That means the Catholic League will field only nine boys’ teams and just seven girls’ squads in 2013. In 2009, there were 14 boys’ teams and 12 girls’ teams.
St. Hubert won the Catholic League girls’ title in 1997, ‘98 and 2000 – the last time Archbishop Carroll did not win the crown. Prendergast claimed the title in 1999.
The loss of these teams also will cut down on the title number in the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA), which could help delay the possibility of adding a class. Currently, there are 175 boys’ and 175 girls’ teams in the state.
PIAA Officials have said that about 200 are needed before the state could be split into Classes AAA and AA.
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