The Wyoming Valley Conference athletic directors approved the football schedule for the 2016 and 2017 seasons on Thursday afternoon.
Here is how the two Greater Pittston teams’ schedule will differ from the past two years. Schedules in all sports are done for two years, fitting the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association two-year cycle for enrollment numbers. The schedule following each team is for 2016. The 2017 schedule will be the same with teams switching home-and-away dates.
The number in parentheses is the team’s new classification under the PIAA’s six-classification format.
PITTSTON AREA (4A): at Crestwood; Tunkhannock; Dallas; Valley View; at GAR; Abington Heights; at Berwick; at Nanticoke; at Coughlin; Wyoming Area.
The Patriots will have eight of the same 10 opponents they played the last two seasons. Gone are Hazleton Area and Wyoming Valley West, which have been replaced by GAR and Nanticoke.
Pittston Area last played GAR in 1991 and Nanticoke in 1993.
WYOMING AREA (4A): Wallenpaupack; Crestwood; at Berwick; Coughlin; Scranton Prep; at Hanover Area; GAR; at Dallas; at Williamsport; at Pittston Area.
Seven opponents from the last two-year cycle return. The exceptions are North Pocono, Tunkhannock and Wyoming Valley West.
GAR and Hanover Area are new, but Wyoming Area played them in the recent past when all were Class 2A schools. The Warriors will be playing Williamsport for the first time since 2005.