Jefferson High School quarterback Dylan Harich evades a Martinsburg High School football player’s attempted tackle, during a game in Martinsburg last school year. David Pennock

SHEPHERDSTOWN — The water must be warm and refreshing where the collective WVSSAC group makes its rules.

In its latest determination announced the week of Aug. 12-16, the governing body of West Virginia secondary school athletics has pared the group of Class AAAA teams down to just 16. Originally, the governing body had placed 25 schools in the big-school division, but then it bowed to the pleas and wishes of many schools and changed its mind.

As of Monday of this week, the confines of the Class AAA A division will hold only 16 schools. All 16 of them will qualify for the post-season playoffs no matter what their regular seasons bring.

“Everybody in” is the byword of this 2024 season — that is, unless the WVSSAC changes its ever-fluctuating mind again.

All 16 of the remaining biggest-school teams seem capable enough as to not embarrass the governing body. But what if a team or two are bogged down with 1-9 or 0-10 season? Can they simply say “no thank you” and opt out of the playoffs?

The football playoffs annually have mismatches, where teams are smothered 65-7 or even 70-12. Teams losing by 40 or more points in the early playoff rounds are more routine than any close games. Teams winning in the semifinals or even the finals often score any where from 40 to 56 points and win by large margins.

Some of the Class AAAA first- or second-round games could be mismatches again.

The WVSSAC can’t make any team competitive by placing them in a certain division. The state now has transfer rules that gives student-athletes the right to go elsewhere if they aren’t satisfied where they are. Students now routinely transfer within their county, making it difficult to tell from year-to year where they will be next.

“Who do they have returning from last year?” Maybe three cheerleaders, the mascot and a couple freshmen that are now sophomores.

“They had only three seniors last season. Well, they also have only three seniors this season. The others just melted away.”

In the Class AAAA ranks right now are some legitimate state champion contenders. Obviously, Martinsburg High School is again the favorite to repeat its 2023 championship run that ended with a lopsided win over Princeton High School in the title game.

With the newest classifications being presented, both Princeton High School and Spring Valley High School have been given Class AAA status.

All six of Berkeley County’s and Jefferson County’s high schools have been placed in the Class AAAA division.

All six of them will probably justify their current status.

“The water must be just fine,” at all the Eastern Panhandle schools.