District 9 took the first step toward a major shake up for alignment and scheduling for their schools that offer high school football Wednesday night.

Preliminary talks were held to discuss a possible merger between the Allegheny Mountain League and the Keystone Shortway Athletic Conference for the 2016 football season.

More talks will be underway in early January.

Tentative plans for the new league would place all of the Class A schools together, while grouping the AA and AAA schools together.

According to the new enrollment figures, there will be 14 District 9 schools in Class A, five in AA and three in AAA.

“The AML and KSAC will meet again in early January to continue the dialogue,” said a joint statement from both leagues faxed by Moniteau athletic director John Stoughton said. “The interest in forming a league based on school classification resulted from the recent PIAA decision to expand football into six classifications.”

Both leagues have long histories.

The KSAC started as the Southern 7 in 1951 before being rebranded as the Clarion Little 12. The league adopted its current name in 1993.

The AML has crowned a champion since 1986.

Karns City coach Ed Conto liked what he heard from early discussions. The Gremlins’ biggest concern is maintaining some independence with their schedule.

Karns City, which has won four straight KSAC Large Division titles and will be in Class AAA next season, doesn’t want to have a schedule with nine or 10 conference games.

That was an issue for the Gremlins before the KSAC split into divisions in 2010.

“That was our first objection,” Conto said. “We want to have at least two out of conference games. If you look at the new conference, it wouldn’t be too bad. Kane and Brockway are good every couple years. Clarion is the same way. It could become a strong conference.”

Both conferences are currently split into divisions. The AML is divided by geography, while the KSAC is split into the Large (Class AA/AAA) and Small (Class A) Divisions.

Each conference requires schools to play each team in the division once and each plays crossover games.

Schools can get out of crossover dates if it finds an opponent for themselves and the other school.

Union, which competes in the KSAC Small and will be in Class A next year, welcomes the change.

Golden Knights coach Dave Louder said last month they are tired of getting beaten up by schools with twice their enrollment.

“Nothing against them,” Louder said. “I’m looking forward to playing more Single A teams and getting a better look going into the playoffs instead of playing someone you have no experience against. That’s a tough thing to do.”

Another issue could be Bradford, which has shown interest.

The Owls currently compete in a region in District 10 during the regular season, but compete in the District 9 postseason.

“We’d rather keep an open date,” Conto said. “That’s a far trip and we don’t have any rivalry or history with them. I don’t think that would be a good thing.”

Here’s a list of the current schools in the AML and KSAC and where they will fall according to the enrollment figures for the 2016-17 school years.

Class A

KSAC: A-C Valley, Clarion-Limestone, Keystone, Redbank Valley, Union. AML: Cameron County, Coudersport, Curwensville, Elk County Catholic, Otto-Eldred, Port Allegany, Ridgway, Sheffield, Smethport.

Class AA

KSAC: Brookville, Clarion, Moniteau. AML: Brockway, Kane.

Class AAA

KSAC: Karns City, Punxsutawney, St. Marys.