Ches-Mont will add Sun Valley in 2008-09

The Ches-Mont League will add Sun Valley to become a 14-team league for the 2008-09 school year, but announced it would put a moratorium on any further expansion with schools outside the league until 2009-10.

Once a four-team league after several schools left to form the Pioneer Athletic Conference in the mid-1980s, the Ches-Mont will absorb five teams - Great Valley, Unionville, Oxford, Octorara and Kennett - from the Southern Chester County League this fall. These moves will mean the end of the SCCL.

Sun Valley will be an associate member of the Ches-Mont beginning this fall for football and girls' soccer, then become a full-fledged member the following fall. It is now a member of the Del-Val League in other sports but has played football and girls' soccer in the SCCL.

In addition to accepting Sun Valley, the league directors also voted to remove Octorara's probationary status. Octorara is the only SCCL school coming in that does not have football.

This fall, the Ches-Mont will operate with two divisions, one with seven Class AAAA schools and one with six Class AAA schools. West Chester Henderson, West Chester East, Downingtown West, Downingtown East, Bishop Shanahan, Avon Grove and Coatesville will make up the larger schools division. Sun Valley is expected to join the smaller schools division with Rustin and the SCCL schools.

Several schools, including Chichester, Academy Park and Glen Mills, have expressed interest in joining the league but will now have to wait at least until 2009.

"We wanted the league to evaluate the current expansion starting this year and to accommodate expansion of current membership within the league," league president Rick Dunlap said in a prepared statement.

Dunlap, the principal of West Chester East, was referring to the fact that Ches-Mont district members Avon Grove and Downingtown are weighing additional high schools.