Public League football features several cooperative sponsorships

So, how extensive are cooperative sponsorships in Public League football?

Twelve of the 29 schools are involved, and five have two partners.

The strangest - and the separation-of-church-and-state folks gotta hate it - is John Bartram's with Greater Hope Christian Academy. Coach Mark Effendian said the school is providing just one full-time varsity player, however, plus one other who swings between varsity and JV.

The most controversial is George Washington's with MaST Charter, which is located in the Far Northeast but competes in a suburban league (Bicentennial) for basketball.

Though one of the PIAA's by-laws clearly states charter school students may play a non-offered sport only at the (regular) school they would otherwise attend based on residence, Melissa Mertz, a PIAA assistant executive director, said there is no rule barring charters from entering into cooperative sponsorships, even with each other. She was unable to provide info on how many charters, if any, are involved in cooperative sponsorships elsewhere around the state.

The idea that charters can be part of cooperative sponsorships stunned several Pub football coaches.

"Would be nice if they told us that," one said. "And how does Washington get to combine with anybody? They don't need help."

The list of football cooperative sponsorships:

Bartram: Greater Hope Christian. Dobbins: Randolph. Frankford: Carroll. Franklin: Constitution, Elverson Military. Furness: Palumbo, FLC. Germantown: Leeds Military, Parkway Northwest. Mastbaum: Bodine, Douglas. Overbrook: Lamberton. Southern: Parkway Center City, GAMP. University City: Robeson. Washington: MaST Charter. West Phila.: Parkway West. *

- Ted Silary