"It needs a full-time, hands-on approach. That's what's missing right now," he said. "The program is struggling and they need to try to keep the younger kids involved who have had some success."

Roth said that once the application deadline is over and he knows where he stands, it will be time to sit down and go over all aspects of the situation.

He also said, "I guess it comes down to seeing what the school here is willing to do as far as what I would call upgrading my position, not just because I have the potential to go somewhere for a better salary, but, as far as I am concerned, we are coming into a new era here with the schedule we have next year."

After winning the Central Susquehanna Conference Division II championship every year but two since its inception in 1994, the Tigers join the new Heartland Conference in 2008 with the CSC being dissolved.

"It is not going to be an easy situation. We are locked into what we are doing for two years," he said.

He noted that next year will be the first of two under the PIAA's new classifications and the Tigers will play only one Class A team, Bloomsburg -- which is playing Saturday in the state semifinals.

"We are adding Milton, Jersey Shore, Selinsgrove and Montoursville, plus keeping most of the better teams on our schedule. On top of that, we have four or five other teams in Class A that we have no control over because they don't play in our conference. We could lose a couple of games and get blocked out of the playoffs, and that is a major issue I feel we are confronted with right now," Roth said.

He said Milton will probably get better, Jersey Shore is going to be much improved next year and Selinsgrove and Montoursville are perennially strong. "It's a huge bump in our schedule. Many of the teams in our area are gradually increasing their overall playing and they are raising the bar. Everyone is playing at a higher level."

Using what happened this season in District 3 Class A as an example, Roth said a change in the playoff structure is needed. District 3 and District 4 each have about the same number of teams, yet D3 gets 8 teams in its tournament and D4 only four. Upper Dauphin, with one win, made the D3 field this season.

"We could have two losses and not make the playoffs and we shouldn't have to worry about making the playoffs with seven or eight wins, and then a team with one win gets in," he said. "The PIAA is determined to keep this district format for football and it doesn't work."

Roth said several other states have gone to a regional system for football playoffs. He said he would like to see every district get two automatic berths and then regionalize it, with the other six spots based on record and points.

"It would at least give us a better opportunity than locking us in our district with only four spots," he said.

Roth is currently the second vice president for District 4 in the state football coaches association and is in line to become the state association president in a couple of years. "One of my goals is to get some type of equity (in the playoffs)," he said.

That might prove to be as difficult a challenge as reviving the Shikellamy program.