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The Pittsburgh Public Schools Board of Education created one hole in the schedules of City League football teams when it voted to close South Vo-Tech in May, but it isn't the only complication.

The WPIAL's decision to move the start of its season up one week, with the PIAA's approval, created even more holes in the schedules of the nine remaining City League football teams, though those are in the preseason.

The biggest problem is the disruption of the City League teams' scrimmage schedules, particularly Aug. 27 and 28, when WPIAL teams will be playing their regular-season openers.

As of last week, Carrick, Perry, Schenley and Westinghouse were unable to find a scrimmage for that week, while Peabody and Brashear will scrimmage one another.

"It's horrible," Brashear coach Ron Wabby said. "I must have called 26 schools trying to get in on a tri-scrimmage or something and trying to get a game. I called as far away as Maryland. District 7 moving up screws everybody up, especially us. We depend on them for our scrimmages. We're surrounded by them. You usually go to the same two schools every year. We had to scramble around."

Schenley lost its first-week scrimmage with Shady Side Academy as well, but replaced it with a trip to Redbank Valley.

"It's been a nightmare," Schenley coach Jim Trent said. "We got stuck without a second scrimmage."

During the winter, the WPIAL petitioned the PIAA for the right to start its season a week earlier because the WPIAL champions will be entering the state playoffs a round earlier this fall to accommodate the arrival of the Philadelphia public schools. The PIAA granted only the WPIAL permission to move up only in football due to those circumstances.

"As the District 8 representative to the PIAA, I made the request to move up, but it was not granted by the PIAA," City League athletic director Vern Phillips said. "That was largely for scheduling concerns. By us starting a week after them, we are really losing our opportunity to match up with them for both weeks. It's a tough situation. It will be in effect for two years. After that, who knows what it will be?"

"I don't understand why the PIAA would sanction only one district to move up," Wabby said. "We are surrounded by District 7. Whatever they do, we have to do."

The nine remaining City League teams were given an open date the week that South would have been on their schedules. That left the City League teams looking for non-league games for the first time in more than a decade, but Perry, Brashear, Westinghouse and Langley entered this week without games confirmed.

Allderdice already went out of Pennsylvania for a game and will play on the road against David Anderson High School in Lisbon, Ohio, 62 miles away, in its season opener Sept. 3.

Carrick, Oliver, Peabody and Schenley were able to take advantage of midseason openings in the WPIAL Century Conference schedules. Oliver will get the chance to play away from Cupples Stadium at Northgate Sept. 24, as will Peabody with its game at South Allegheny Oct. 15. Schenley will play Seton-La Salle in a Thursday afternoon game at Cupples on Sept. 30, a week before South Fayette comes to the South Side to play Carrick.

"We like it," Trent said of playing a WPIAL team during the regular season. "My problem is we're going to play them on a Thursday afternoon. If we're going to play a WPIAL school, at least get it under the lights. (Playing outside the league) is a great experience for our kids."

Perry is negotiating with Ursuline High School in Youngstown for its opening in week three, but Wabby was resigned to most likely having to be off week 8. Westinghouse is also unlikely to find a game for the second week of the season. Langley has its opening during the 10th week of the WPIAL schedule, so it should be able to find a game against a team that misses the WPIAL playoffs.

"I would rather be open week eight than week two or three, when you are just getting going," Wabby said. "Week eight could be a blessing. By that time of year, we might have kids chipped up. Maybe it will be good to take it easy."

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